Ornaments, is as fine a part as any in the whole Poem: The more the Reader examines the justness and delicacy of its Sentiments, the more he will find himself pleased with it. The Poet has wonderfully preferved the Character of Majefty and Condescention in the Creator, and at the same time that of Humility and Adoration in the Creature, as particularly in those beautiful Lines.

Thus I prefumptuous; and the Vifion bright,
As with a fmile more brightned, thus reply'd. &c.
I with leave of fpeech implor'd

And humble deprecation thus reply'd,

Let not my Words offend thee, Heav'nly power,
My maker, be propitious while I speak &c.

Adam then proceeds to give an account of his
fecond Sleep, and of the Dream in which he beheld the
Formation of Eve. The new Paffion that was awakened
in him at the fight of her is touched very finely.
Under his forming hands a Creature grew,
Manlike, but different Sex; fo lovely fair,
That what feem'd fair in all the World feem'd now
Mean, or in her fumm'd up, in her contain'd,
And in her looks; which from that time infus'd
Sweetnefs into my heart, unfelt before,
And into all things from her air infpir'd
The fpirit of Love and amorous delight.

Adam's Distress upon losing fight of this beautiful Phantom, with his Exclamations of Joy and Gratitude at the Discovery of a real Creature, who refembled the Apparition which had been prefented to him in his Dream; the Approaches he makes to her, and his manner of Courtship, are all laid together in a most exquifite Propriety of Sentiments.

Tho' this part of the Poem is work'd up with great Warmth and Spirit, the Love, which is described in it, is every way fuitable to a State of Innocence. If the Reader compares the Description which Adam here gives of his leading Eve to the Nuptial Bower, with

that which Mr. Dryden has made on the fame Occafion in a Scene of his Fall of Man, he will be sensible of the great Care which Milton took to avoid all Thoughts on fo delicate a Subject, that might be offenfive to Religion or Good-manners. The Sentiments are chafte, but not cold, and convey to the Mind Ideas of the moft tranfporting Paffion, and of the greatest Purity. What a noble Mixture of Rapture and Innocence has the Author joined together, in the Reflection which Adam makes on the Pleasures of Love, compared to thofe of Senfe.

Thus have I told thee all my State, and brought
My Story to the Sum of earthly blifs
Which I enjoy, and must confefs to find
In all things elfe delight indeed, but fuch
As us'd or not, works in the mind no change,
Nor vehement defire; thefe delicacies

I mean of tafte, fight, fmell, herbs, fruits and flowers.
Walks, and the melody of Birds; but here
Far otherwife, tranfported I behold,
Tranfported touch; here paffion first I felt,
Commotion ftrange, in all enjoyments elfe
Superiour and unmov'd, here only weak
Against the Charm of beauties powerfull glance.
Or nature fail'd in me, and left fome part
Not proof enough fuch object to fuftain,
Or from my fide fubducting, took perhaps
More than enough; at least on her beflow'd
Too much of ornament, in outward fhew
Elaborate, of inward lefs exact.

When I approach
Her lovelinefs, fo abfolute fhe feems
And in herfelf compleat, fo well to know
Her own, that what he wills to do or fay,
Seems wifeft, virtuoufeft, difcreeteft, beft:
All higher knowledge in her prefence falls
Degraded: Wifdom in difcourfe with her
Lofes difcountenanc'd, and like folly shews;

Authority and reafon on her wait,
As one intended first, not after made
Occafionally; and to confummate all,
Greatnefs of mind and nobleness their Seat
Build in her loveliest, and create an awe
About her, as a guard Angelick plac'd.

These Sentiments of Love, in our first Parent, gave the Angel fuch an Insight into Humane Nature, that he seems apprehenfive of the Evils which might befall the Species in general, as well as Adam in particular, from the Excess of this Paffion. He therefore fortifies him against it by timely Admonitions; which very artfully prepare the Mind of the Reader for the Occurrences of the next Book, where the Weakness of which Adam here gives fuch distant discoveries, brings about that fatal Event which is the Subject of the Poem. Discourse, which follows the gentle Rebuke he receiv'd from the Angel, fhews that his Love, however violent it might appear, was still founded in Reason, and confequently not improper for Paradife.

Neither her outfide form fo fair, nor ought
In procreation common to all kinds
(Though higher of the genial bed by far,
And with myfterious reverence I deem)
So much delights me as thofe graceful acts,
Thofe thoufand decencies that daily flow
From all her words and actions mixt with love
And fweet compliance, which declare unfeign'd
Union of mind, or in us both one Soul;
Harmony to behold in wedded pair.

His

Adam's Speech, at parting with the Angel, has in it a Deference and Gratitude agreeable to an Inferior Nature, and at the fame time a certain Dignity and Greatness, suitable to the Father of Mankind in his State of Innocence.

The SPECTATOR.

-In te omnis domus inclinata recumbit.

{On thee the Fortunes of our Houfe depend.}

Saturday, April 12. 1712.

Virg.

F we look into the three great Heroic Poems which have appear'd in the World, we may observe that they are built upon very flight Foundations. Homer lived

near 300 Years after the Trojan War, and, as the Writing of History was not then in use among the Greeks, we may very well suppose, that the Tradition of Achilles and Ulyffes had brought down but very few Particulars to his Knowledge, tho' there is no question but he has wrought into his two Poems fuch of their remarkable Adventures as were still talked of among his Contemporaries.

The Story of Æneas, on which Virgil founded his Poem, was likewise very bare of Circumstances, and by that means afforded him an Opportunity of embellishing it with Fiction, and giving a full Range to his own Invention. We find, however, that he has interwoven, in the course of his Fable, the principal Particulars, which were generally believed among the Romans, of Eneas his Voyage and Settlement in Italy.

The Reader may find an Abridgment of the whole Story, as collected out of the Ancient Hiftorians, and as it was received among the Romans, in Dionyfius Halicarnaffeus.

Since none of the Criticks have confidered Virgil's Fable, with relation to this History of Æneas, it may

not, perhaps, be amifs to examine it in this Light, fo far as regards my prefent Purpose. Whoever looks into the Abridgment abovementioned, will find that the Character of Æneas is filled with Piety to the Gods, and a fuperftitious Obfervation of Prodigies, Oracles, and Predictions. Virgil has not only preferved this Character in the Person of Æneas, but has given a place in his Poem to those particular Prophecies which he found recorded of him in History and Tradition. The Poet took the matters of Fact as they came down to him, and circumstanced them after his own manner, to make them appear the more natural, agreeable or surprising. I believe very many Readers have been fhocked at that ludicrous Prophecy, which one of the Harpyes pronounces to the Trojans in the Third Book, namely, that before they had built their Intended City, they should be reduced by Hunger to eat their very Tables. But, when they heard that this was one of the Circumstances that had been transmitted to the Romans in the History of Eneas, they will think the Poet did very well in taking notice of it. The Hiftorian abovementioned, acquaints us that a Prophetess had foretold Eneas, that he should take his Voyage Weftward, till his Companions should eat their Tables, and that accordingly, upon his landing in Italy, as they were eating their Flesh upon Cakes of Bread, for want of other Conveniences, they afterwards fed on the Cakes themselves, upon which one of the Company said merrily, 'We are eating our Tables.' They immediately took the Hint, fays the Historian, and concluded the Prophecy to be fulfilled. As Virgil did not think it proper to omit so material a Particular in the Hiftory of Æneas, it may be worth while to confider with how much Judgment he has qualified it, and taken off every thing that might have appeared improper for a Paffage in an Heroic Poem. The Prophetess who foretells it is an hungry Harpy, as the Person who discovers it is young Afcanius.