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fented as fitting down at Table with Adam, and eating of the Fruits of Paradife. The Occasion naturally leads him to his Difcourfe on the Food of Angels. After having thus entered into Conversation with Man upon more indifferent Subjects, he warns him of his Obedience, and makes a natural Transition to the History of that fallen Angel, who was employed in the Circumvention of our First Parents.

Had I followed Monfieur Boffu's Method in my First Paper on Milton, I fhould have dated the Action of Paradife Loft from the Beginning of Raphael's Speech in this Book, as he supposes the Action of the Eneid to begin in the fecond Book of that Poem. I could alledge many Reasons for my drawing the Action of the Æneid, rather from its immediate Beginning in the first Book, than from its remote Beginning in the Second, and fhew why I have considered the Sacking of Troy as an Epifode, according to the common Acceptation of that Word. But as this would be a dry un-entertaining Piece of Criticism, and perhaps unneceffary to those who have read my First Paper, I shall not enlarge upon it. Which-ever of the Notions be true, the Unity of Milton's Action is preserved according to either of them; whether we confider the Fall of Man in its immediate Beginning, as proceeding from the Refolutions taken in the Infernal Council, or in its more remote Beginning, as proceeding from the First Revolt of the Angels in Heaven. The Occafion which Milton affigns for this Revolt, as it is founded on Hints in Holy Writ, and on the Opinion of fome great Writers, so it was the most proper that the Poet could have made use of.

The Revolt in Heaven is described with great Force of Imagination [Indignation], and a fine Variety of Circumstances. The Learned Reader cannot but be pleased with the Poet's Imitation of Homer in the last of the following Lines.

At length into the limits of the North

They came, and Satan took his Royal Seat

High on a hill, far blazing, as a mount

Rais'd on a Mount, with Pyramids and tow'rs
From Diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of Gold
The palace of great Lucifer (fo call

That ftructure in the Dialect of men
Interpreted)-

Homer mentions Persons and Things, which he tells us in the Language of the Gods are call'd by different Names from those they go by in the Language of Men. Milton has imitated him with his ufual Judgment in this particular place, wherein he has likewife the Authority of Scripture to juftify him. The part of Abdiel, who was the only Spirit that in this Infinite Hoft of Angels preferved his Allegiance to his Maker, exhibits to us a noble Moral of religious Singularity. The Zeal of the Seraphim breaks forth in a becoming Warmth of Sentiments and Expreffions, as the Character which is given us of him denotes that generous Scorn and Intrepidity which attends Heroic Virtue. The Author, doubtlefs, defigned it as a Pattern to those who live among Mankind in their present State of Degeneracy and Corruption.

So fpake the Seraph Abdiel faithful found,
Among the faithlefs, faithful only he;
Among innumerable falfe, unmov'd,

Unshaken, unfeduc'd, unterrify'd;

His Loyalty he kept, his Love, his Zeal:
Nor Number, nor example with him wrought
To fwerve from truth, or change his conflant mind
Though Single. From amidst them forth he pafs'd,
Long way through hoftile Scorn, which he fuflain'd
Superior, nor of violence fear'd ought;

And with retorted Scorn his back he turn'd

On thofe proud Tow'rs to fwift Deftruction doom'd.

The SPECTATOR.

-vocat in Certamina Divos. {He calls embattled Deities to Arms.}

Saturday, March 22, 1712.

Virg.

E are now entering upon the Sixth Book of Paradife Loft, in which the Poet describes the Battel of Angels; having raised his Reader's Expectation, and prepared

him for it by feveral Paffages in the preceding Books. I omitted quoting these Passages in my Obfervations on the former Books, having purposely reserved them for the opening of this, the Subject of which gave occafion to them. The Author's Imagination was fo inflamed with this great Scene of Action, that wher-ever he speaks of it, he rifes, if pofsible, above himself. Thus where he mentions Satan in the beginning of his Poem.

Him the Almighty Power

Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie,
With hideous ruin and combuftion down

To bottomlefs perdition, there to dwell

In Adamantine Chains and penal fire,

Who durft defie th' Omnipotent to Arms.

We have likewise several noble Hints of it in the Infernal Conference.

O Prince, O Chief of many throned Fowers
That led th' imbattel'd Seraphim to War,
Too well I jee and rue the dire event,
That with fad overthrow and foul defeat
Hath loft us Heav'n, and all this mighty hoft

In horrible deftruction laid thus low.
But fee the angry victor hath recall'd
His Minifters of Vengeance and purfuit

Back to the Gates of Heav'n: The Sulphurous hail,
Shot after us in Storm, o'erblown hath laid
The fiery Surge, that from the precipice

Of Heav'n receiv'd us falling, and the thunder
Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage,
Perhaps hath fpent his Shafts, and ceafes now
To bellow through the vast and boundlefs deep.

There are feveral other very Sublime Images on the fame Subject in the First Book, as alfo in the Second. What when we fled amain, purfu'd and flrook With Heav'ns afflicting Thunder, and befought The deep to fhelter us; this Hell then feem'd A refuge from thofe wounds

In short, the Poet never mentions any thing of this Battel but in fuch Images of Greatness and Terrour, as are suitable to the Subject. Among feveral others, I cannot forbear quoting that Paffage where the Power, who is defcrib'd as prefiding over the Chaos, speaks in the Third Book.

Thus Satan; and him thus the Anarch old
With faultring fpeech and vifage incompos'd,
Anfwer'd, I know thee, stranger, who thou art,
That mighty leading Angel, who of late

Made head against Heav'ns King, though overthrown.
I faw and heard, for fuch a numerous hoft
Fled not in Silence through the frighted deep

With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout,

Confufion worfe confounded; and Heav'ns Gates
Pour'd out by Millions her victorious bands
Purfuing-

It required great Pregnancy of Invention, and Strength of Imagination, to fill this Battel with fuch Circumftances as should raise and astonish the Mind of the Reader; and, at the fame time, an exactness

of Judgment to avoid every thing that might appear light or trivial. Thofe, who look into Homer, are furprised to find his Battels still rising one above another, and improving in Horrour, to the Conclufion of the Iliad. Milton's Fight of Angels is wrought up with the fame Beauty. It is ushered in with fuch Signs of Wrath as are fuitable to Omnipotence incensed. The First Engagement is carried on under a Cope of Fire, occafion'd by the Flights of innumerable burning Darts and Arrows, which are discharged from either Hoft. The fecond Onfet is ftill more terrible, as it is filled with those artificial Thunders, which seem to make the Victory doubtful, and produce a kind of Confternation, even in the Good Angels. This is fol⚫lowed by the tearing up of Mountains and Promontories; till, in the last place, the Meffiah comes forth in the fulness of Majefty and Terrour. The Pomp of his Appearance, amidst the Roarings of his Thunders, the Flashes of his Lightnings, and the Noife of his Chariot Wheels, is defcribed with the utmost Flights of Human Imagination.

There is nothing in the first and last Days Engagement, which does not appear natural and agreeable enough to the Ideas most Readers would conceive of a Fight between two Armies of Angels.

The Second Day's Engagement is apt to startle an Imagination, which has not been raised and qualified for fuch a Description, by the reading of the Ancient Poets, and of Homer in particular. It was certainly a very bold Thought in our Author, to ascribe the first use of Artillery to the Rebel Angels. But as fuch a pernicious Invention may be well fupposed to have proceeded from fuch Authors, fo it entered very properly into the Thoughts of that Being, who is all along described as aspiring to the Majesty of his Maker. Such Engines were the only Inftruments he could have made use of to imitate those Thunders, that in all Poetry, both Sacred and Prophane, are reprefented as the Arms of the Almighty. The tearing up

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