placing it in a different pofture to the Sun from what it had before the Fall of Man, is conceived with that sublime Imagination which was fo peculiar to this great Author.

Some fay he bid his angels turn afcanfe

The Poles of earth twice ten degrees and more
From the Sun's Axle; they with labour push'd
Oblique the Centrick Globe-

We are in the second place to confider the Infernal Agents under the View which Milton has given us of them in this Book. It is obferved by those who would set forth the Greatness of Virgil's Plan, that he conducts his Reader thro' all the Parts of the Earth which were discover'd in his time. Afia, Africk and Europe are the feveral Scenes of his Fable. The Plan of Milton's Poem is of an infinitely greater extent, and fills the Mind with many more astonishing Circumftances. Satan, having furrounded the Earth feven times, departs at length from Paradife. We afterwards [then] see him steering his Course among the Conftellations, and after having traversed the whole Creation, pursuing his Voyage through the Chaos, and entering into his own Infernal Dominions.

His first appearance in the Affembly of Fallen Angels is work'd up with Circumstances which give a delightful Surprize to the Reader; but there is no Incident in the whole Poem which does this more than the Transformation of the whole Audience, that follows the account their Leader gives them of his Expedition. The gradual change of Satan himself is described after Ovid's manner, and may vie with any of those celebrated Transformations which are looked upon as the most beautiful parts in that Poet's Works. Milton never fails of improving his own Hints, and bestowing the last finishing Touches to every Incident which is admitted into his Poem. The unexpected Hifs which rifes in this Episode, the Dimensions and Bulk of Satan so much superior to those of the Infernal Spirits who lay under the fame Transformation, with the

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annual Change which they are fuppofed to fuffer, are Inftances of this kind. The Beauty of the Diction is very remarkable in this whole Episode, as I have obferved in the Sixth Paper of these my Remarks the great Judgment with which it was contrived.

The Parts of Adam and Eve, or the Humane Perfons, come next under our Confideration. Milton's Art is no where more fhewn than in his conducting the parts of these our firft Parents. The Representation he gives of them, without falfifying the Story, is wonderfully contrived to influence the Reader with Pity and Compaffion towards them. Tho' Adam involves the whole Species in Mifery, his Crime proceeds from a Weaknefs which every Man is inclin❜d to pardon and commiferate, as it seems rather the frailty of Humane Nature, than of the Person who offended. Every one is apt to excufe a Fault which he himself might have fallen into. It was the Excess of Love for Eve that ruined Adam and his Pofterity. I need not add, that the Author is justified in this particular by many of the Fathers, and the most Orthodox Writers. Milton has by this means filled a great part of his Poem with that kind of Writing which the French Criticks call the Tender, and which is in a particular manner engaging to all forts of Readers.

Adam and Eve, in the Book we are now confidering, are likewise drawn with fuch Sentiments as do not only intereft the Reader in their Afflictions, but raife in him the most melting Paffions of Humanity and Commiferation. When Adam fees the feveral Changes in Nature produced about him, he appears in a diforder of Mind suitable to one who had forfeited both his Innocence and his Happiness. He is filled with Horror, Remorfe, Despair; in the anguifh of his Heart he expoftulates with his Creator for giving [having given] him an unasked Existence.

Did I request thee, Maker, from my Clay
To mould me Man, did I folicit thee
From darkness to promote me, or here place

In this delicious Garden? as my will
Concurr'd not to my being, 'twere but right
And equal to reduce me to my duft,

Defirous to refign, and render back

All I receiv'd

He immediately after recovers from his Prefumption, owns his Doom to be juft, and begs that the Death which is threaten'd him may be inflicted on him. Why delays

His hand to execute what his decree

Fix'a on this day? Why do I overlive,

Why am I mock'd with Death, and lengthen'd out
To Deathlefs pain? how gladly would I meet
Mortality my Sentence, and be earth
Infenfible, how glad would lay me down
As in my mothers lap? there should I reft
And fleep fecure; his dreadful voice no more
Would thunder in my ears, no fear of worfe
To me and to my off-fpring, would torment me
With cruel expectation.

This whole Speech is full of the like Emotion, and varied with all thofe Sentiments which we may suppose natural to a Mind fo broken and disturb'd. I must not omit that generous Concern which our first Father shows in it for his Pofterity, and which is so proper to affect the Reader.

Hide me from the face

Of God, whom to behold was then my height
Of Happinefs: yet well, if here would end
The mifery, I deferv'd it, and would bear
My own defervings; but this will not ferve;
All that I eat, or drink, or fhall beget,
Is propagated Curfe. O voice once heard
Delightfully, encrease and multiply,
Now Death to hear !-

-In me all

Pofterity flands curft: Fair Patrimony
That I must leave you, Sons; O were I able
To wafte it all my felf, and leave you none !

So difinherited how would you blefs

Me now your curfe! Ah, why should all Mankind
For one Mans fault thus guiltless be condemn'd
If guiltlefs? But from me what can proceed
But all corrupt-

Who can afterwards behold the Father of Mankind extended upon the Earth, uttering his Midnight Complaints, bewailing his Existence, and wishing for Death, without fympathizing with him in his Distress?

Thus Adam to himfelf lamented loud

Through the fill night, not now, as è're man fell
Wholefome and cool and mild, but with black Air
Accompanied, with damps and dreadful gloom
Which to his evil Confcience reprefented

All things with double terrour: on the Ground
Outftretch'd he lay, on the cold ground, and oft
Curs'd his Creation, Death as oft accus'd
Of tardy execution.-

The Part of Eve in this Book is no lefs paffionate, and apt to fway the Reader in her Favour. She is reprefented with great Tenderness as approaching Adam, but is fpurn'd from him with a Spirit of Upbraiding and Indignation conformable to the Nature of Man, whofe Paffions had now gained the Dominion over him. The following Paffage, wherein she is described as renewing her Addreffes to him, with the whole Speech that follows it, have fomething in them exquifitely moving and pathetick.

He added not, and from her turn'd: but Eve
Not fo repulft, with tears that ceas'd not flowing
And treffes all diforder'd, at his Feet
Fell humble, and embracing them, befought
His peace, and thus proceeding in her plaint.
Forfake me not thus Adam, witness Heav'n
What love fincere and revrence in my heart
I bear thee, and unweeting have offended,
Unhappily deceiv'd; thy Suppliant
I beg, and clafp thy knees; bereave me not,
Whereon I live, thy gentle looks, thy aid,

Thy counfel in this uttermoft diftrefs,
My only firength and flay: Forlorn of thee
Whither fhall I betake me, where fubfift?
While yet we live fcarce one short hour perhaps,
Between us two let there be peace, &c.

Adam's Reconcilement to her is worked up in the fame Spirit of Tenderness. Eve afterwards propoies to her Husband, in the Blindness of her Despair, that to prevent their Guilt from defcending upon Posterity they should refolve to live Childless; or, if that could not be done, that they should seek their own Deaths by violent Methods. As thofe Sentiments naturally engage the Reader to regard the Mother of Mankind with more than ordinary Commiferation, they likewise contain a very fine Moral. The Refolution of dying to end our Miseries does not fhew fuch a degree of Magnanimity as a Refolution to bear them, and fubmit to the Dispensations of Providence. Our Author has therefore, with great Delicacy, represented Eve as entertaining this Thought, and Adam as difapproving it.

We are, in the last place, to confider the Imaginary Persons, or Sin and Death, who act a large part in this Book. Such beautiful extended Allegories are certainly fome of the finest Compofitions of Genius; but, as I have before observed, are not agreeable to the Nature of an Heroic Poem. This of Sin and Death is very exquifite in its kind, if not confidered as a Part of fuch a Work. The Truths contained in it are fo clear and open that I shall not lose time in explaining them, but shall only observe, that a Reader who knows the strength of the English Tongue will be amazed to think how the Poet could find fuch apt Words and Phrases to describe the Action[s] of these [thofe] two imaginary Perfons, and particularly in that Part where Death is exhibited as forming a Bridge over the Chaos: a Work fuitable to the Genius of Milton.

Since the Subject I am upon gives me an Opportunity of 1peaking more at large of fuch Shadowy and