not feen the various Difpenfations of Providence, nor confequently could be acquainted with those many Topics of Praife which might afford Matter to the Devotions of their Pofterity. I need not remark the beautiful Spirit of Poetry which runs through this whole Hymn, nor the Holiness of that Refolution with which it concludes.

HAVING already mentioned thofe Speeches which are affigned to the Perfous in this Poem, I proceed to the Defcription which the Poet gives of Raphael. His Departure from before the Throne, and his Flight through the Choirs of Angels, is finely imaged. As Milton every where fills his Poem with Circumftances that are marvellous and aftonishing, he defcribes the Gate of Heaven as framed after fuch a Manner that it opened of itself upon the Approach of the Angel who was to pass through it.

-till at the Gate

Of Heav'n arriv'd, the Gate felf-open'd wide,
On golden Hinges turning, as by Work
Divine the Sov'reign Architect had fram'd.

The Poet here feems to have regarded two or three Paffages in the 18th Iliad, as that in particular, where, Speaking of Vulcan, Homer says, that he had made twenty Tripodes, running on golden Wheels, which, upon Occafion, might go of themselves to the Affembly of the Gods, and, when there was no more Ufe for them, return again after the fame Manner. Scaliger has rallied Homer very feverely upon this Point, as M. Dacier has endeavoured to defend it. I will not pretend to determine, whether in this Particular of Homer, the Marvellous does not lofe Sight of the Probable. As the Miraculous Workmanship of Milton's Gates is not fo extraordinary as this of the Tripodes, fo I am perfuaded he would not have mentioned it, had not he been fupported in it by a Paffage in the Scripture, which speaks of Wheels in Heaven that had Life in

them,

A

them, and moved of themselves, or ftood still, in Cons formity with the Cherubims whom they accompanied.

THERE is no Question but Milton had this Cir cumftance in his Thoughts, because in the following Book he defcribes the Chariot of the Meah with living Wheels, according to the Plan in Ezekiel's Vifion.

Forth rush'd with Whirlwind Sound

The Chariot of Paternal Deity,

Flashing thick Flames, Wheel within Wheel undrawE; Itself inftinct with Spirit

I queftion not but Bossu, and the two Daciers, who are for vindicating every Thing that is cenfured in Homer by fomething parallel in Holy Writ, would have been very well pleafed, had they thought of confronting Vulcan's Tripodes with Ezekiel's Wheels.

RAPHAEL's Defcent to the Earth, with the Figure of his Perfon, is reprefented in very lively Colours. Several of the French, Italian, and English Poets have given a loose to their Imaginations in the Defcription of Angels: But I do not remember to have met with any fo finely drawn, and fo conformable to the Notions which are given of them in Scripture, as this in Milton. After having fet him forth in all his heavenly Plumage, and reprefented him as alighting upon the Earth, the Poet concludes his Defcription with a Circumftance, which is altogether new, and imagined with the greatest Strength of Fancy.

-Like Maia's Son he flood,

And book his Plumes, that heav'nly Fragrance fill'd The Circuit wide

RAPHAEL's Reception by the Guardian Angels; his paffing through the Wilderness of Sweets; his diftant Appearance to Adam; have all the Graces that Poetry is capable of beftowing. The Author afterwards

E-3

gives

gives us a particular Defcription of Eve in her Domef tic Employments.

So faying, with difpat:hful Locks in Hafe
She turns, on b fpitable Thoughts intent,
What Choice to chuje for Delicacy bejt,
What Order, fo contri'd as not to mix

Taftes not well join'd inelegant, but bring

Tafe after Tate, upheld with kindliest Change;
Belirs her then, &c.

THOUGH in this, and other Parts of the fame Book, the Subject is only the Housewifry of our First Parent, it is fet off with fo many pleafing Images and ftrong Expreffions, as make it none of the leaft agreeable Parts in this divine Work.

THE natural Majefty of Adam, and at the same Time his fubmiffive Behaviour to the fuperior Being, who had vouchfafed to be his Gueft; the folemn Hail which the Angel beftows on the Mother of Mankind, with the Figure of Eve miniftring at the Table, are Circumstances which deferve to be admired.

RAPHAEL's Behaviour is every way fuitable to the Dignity of his Nature, and to that Character of a Sociable Spirit with which the Author has fo judicioufly introduced him. He had received Inftructions to converse with Adam, as one Friend converfes with another, and to warn him of the Enemy, who was contriving his Destruction. Accordingly he is reprefented as fitting down at a Table with Adam, and eating of the Fruits of Paradife. The Occafion naturally leads him to his Difcourfe on the Food of Angels. After having thus entered into Converfation 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

HAD I followed Monfieur Bofu's Method in my firft Paper on Milton, I fhould have dated the Action of Paradife Loft from the Beginning of Raphael's Speech in this Book, as he fuppofes the Action of the Eneid to begin in the fecond Book of that Poem. I could alledge many Reafons for my drawing the Action of the Eneid rather from its immediate Beginning in the firft Book, than from its remote Beginning in the fecond, and thew why I have confidered the facking of Troy as an Episode, according to the common Acceptation of that Word. But as this would be a dry unentertaining Piece of Criticism, and perhaps unneceffary to thofe who have read my firft Paper, I fhall not enlarge upon it. Which ever of the Notions be true, the Unity of Milton's Action is preferved 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 Occation which Milton affigns for this Revolt, as it is founded on Hints in Holy Writ, and on the Opinion of fome great Writers, fo it was the most proper that the Poet could have made ufe cf.

THE Revolt in Heaven is defcribed with great Force of Indignation, and a fine Variety of Circumftances. The learned Reader cannot but be pleased with the Poet's imitation of Homer in the laft 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 Structure in the Dialect of Men'
Interpreted).

E 4

HO.

HOMER mentions Perfons and Things, which he tells us in the Language of the Gods are called by different Names from thofe 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 doubtless defigned it as a Pattern to those who live among Mankind in their present State of Degeneracy and Corruption.

So fake the Seraph Abdiel faithful found,
Among the faithlefs, faithful only be;
Among innumerable falfe, unmov'd,
Unfhaken, 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 conftant Mind
Though fingle. From amidst them forth he pass'd,
Long Way through hoftile Scorn, which he fuftain'd
Superior, nor of Violence fea ed ought;

And with retorted Scorn his Back he turn'd

On thoje proud Tours to fwift Destruction doom'd.

SPEC