regard to unity, and to the rules of critics. But it has great defects. It is founded on civil wars; and presents to the mind those odious objects, massacres and assassinations. It is also of too recent a date, and too much within the bounds of well known history. The author has farther erred by mixing fiction with truth. The poem, for instance, opens with a voyage of Henry to England, and an interview between him and queen Elizabeth; though Henry never saw England, nor ever conversed with Elizabeth. In subjests of such notoriety, a fiction of this kind shocks every intelligent reader.

A great deal of machinery is employed by Voltaire for the purpose of embellishing his poem. But it is of the worst kind, that of allegorical beings. Discord, cunning and love appear as personages, and mix with human actors. This is contrary to all rational criticism. Ghosts, angels and devils, have a popular exist ence; but every one knows that allegorical beings are no more than representations of human passions and dispositions; and ought not to have place, as actors, in a poem which relates to human transactions.

In justice, however, it must be observed, that the machinery of St. Louis possesses real dignity. The prospect of the invisible world, which St. Louis gives to Henry in a dream, is the finest passage in the Henriade. Death bringing the souls of the departed in succession before God, and the palace of the destinies opened to Henry, are striking and magnificent objects.

Though some of Voltaire's episodes are properly extended, his narration is too general. The events are superficially related, and too much crowded. The strain of sentiment, however, which pervades the Henriade, is high and noble..

MILTON'S PARADISE LOST.

MILTON chalked out a new and very extraordinary course. As soon as we open his Paradise Lost, we are introduced into an invisible world, and surrounded by. celestial and infernal beings. Angels and devils are not his machinery, but his principal actors. What in any other work would be the marvellous, is in this the natural course of events; and doubts may arise wheth er his poem be strictly an epic composition. But, whether it be so or not, it is certainly one of the highest efforts of poetical genius; and in one great characteristic of epic poetry, majesty and sublimity, is equal to any thing that bears this name.

The subject of this poem led Milton upon difficult ground. If it had been more human and less theolog ical; if his occurrences had been more connected with real life; if he had afforded a greater display of the characters and passions of men; his poem would have been more pleasing to most readers. His subject, however, was peculiarly suited to the daring sublimity of his genius. As he alone was fitted for it, so he has shown in the conduct of it a wonderful stretch of imagination and invention. From a few hints given in the sacred scriptures, he has raised a regular structure, and filled his poem with a variety of incidents. He is sometimes dry and harsh; and too often the metaphysician and divine. But the general tenour of his work is interesting, elevated and affecting. The artful change of his objects, and the scene, laid now in heaven, now on earth, and now in hell, affords a sufficient diversity; while unity of plan is perfectly supported. Calm scenes are exhibited in the employments of Adam and Eve in Paradise, and busy scenes and great ac.. tions in the enterprises of Satan and in the wars of angels. The amiable innocence of our first parents, and the proud ambition of Satan, afford a happy contrast through the whole poem, which gives it an uncommon charm. But the conclusion perhaps is too tragic for epic poetry.

The subject naturally admits no great display of characters; but such as could be introduced, are properly supported. Satan makes a striking figure; and is the best drawn character in the poem. Milton has artfully given him a mixed character, not altogether void of some good qualities. He is brave and faithful to his troops. Amid his impiety he is not without remorse. He is even touched with pity for our first parents; and from the necessity of his situation, justifies his design against them. He is actuated by ambition and resentment, rather than by pure malice. The

characters of Beelzebub, Moloch, and Belial, are well painted. The good angels, though described with dignity, have more uniformity of character. Among them, however, the mild condescension of Raphael and the tried fidelity of Abdiel, form proper characteristic distinctions. The attempt to describe God Almighty himself was too bold, and accordingly most unsuccessful. The innocence of our first parents is delicately painted. In some speeches perhaps Adam appears too knowing and refined for his situation. Eve is hit off more happily. Her gentleness, modesty and frailty, are expressively characteristic of the female character.

Milton's great and distinguishing excellence is his. sublimity. In this perhaps he excels even Homer, The first and second books of Paradise Lost, are almost a continued series of the highest sublime. But this sublimity differs from that of Homer; which is always accompanied by impetuosity and fire. The sublime of Milton is a calm and amazing grandeur. Hoiner warms and hurries us along; Milton fixes us in a state of elevation and astonishment. Homer's sublimity appears most in his description of actions; Milton's in that of wonderful and stupendous objects.

But while Milton excels most in sublimity, his work abounds in the beautiful, the pleasing and the tender. When the scene is in Paradise, the imagery is gay and smiling. His descriptions show a fertile imagination; and in his similes he is remarkably happy. If faulty,

it is from their too frequent allusions to matters of learning and to ancient fables. It must also be confessed that there is a falling off in the latter part of Paradise Lost.

The language and versification of Milton have high merit. His blank verse is harmonious and diversified ; and his style is full of majesty. There may be found, indeed, some prosaic lines in his poem. But in a work so long and so harmonious, these may be forgiven.

Paradise Lost, amid beauties of every kind, has ma-ny inequalities. No high and daring genius was ever uniformly correct. Milton is too frequently theological and metaphysical; His words are often technical; and he is affectedly ostentatious of his learning. Many of his faults, however, are to be imputed to the pedantry of his age. He discovers a vigour, a grasp of genius, equal to every thing great; sometimes he rises above every other poet; and sometimes he falls below himself.

DRAMATIC POETRY....TRAGEDY.

In all civilized nations dramatic poetry has been a favourite amusement. It divides itself into the two forms of tragedy and comedy. Of these, tragedy is the most dignified; as great and serious objects interest us more than little and ludicrous ones. The former rests on the high passions, the virtues, crimes and sufferings of mankind; the latter on their humours, follies and pleasures; and ridicule is its sole instrument.

Tragedy is a direct imitation of human manners and actions. It does not, like an epic poem, exhibit characters by description or narration; it sets the personages before us, and makes them act and speak with propriety. This species of writing, therefore, requires deep knowledge of the human heart; and when happily executed, it has the power of raising the strongest emotions.

In its general strain and spirit, tragedy is favourable to virtue Characters of honour claim our respect and approbation; and to raise indignation, we must paint a person in the odious colours of vice and depravity. Virtuous men, indeed, are often represented by the tragic poet as unfortunate; for this happens in real life. But he always engages our hearts in their behalf; and never represents vice as finally triumphant and happy. Upon the same principle, if bad men succeed in their designs, they are finally conducted to punishment. It tnay therefore be concluded that tragedies are moral compositions.

ror.

It is affirmed by Aristotle, that the design of tragedy is to purge our passions by means of pity and terBut perhaps it would have been more accurate to have said, that the object of this species of composition is to improve our virtuous sensibility. If a writer excite our pity for the afflicted, inspire us with proper sentiments on beholding the vicissitudes of life, and stimulate us to avoid the misfortunes of others by exhibiting their errors, he has accomplished all the moral purposes of tragedy.

In a tragedy it is necessary to have an interesting story, and that the writer conduct it in a natural and probable manner. For the end of tragedy is not so much to elevate the imagination, as to affect the heart. This principle, which is founded on the clearest reason, excludes from tragedy all machinery, or fabulous intervention of gods. Ghosts alone, from their foundation in popular belief, have maintained their place in tragedy.

To promote an impression of probability, the story of a tragedy, according to some critics, should never be a pure fiction, but ought to be built on real facts. This, however, is carrying the matter too far. For a fictitious tale, if properly conducted, will melt the heart as much as real history. Hence the tragic poet mixes many fictitious circumstances with well known facts. Most readers never think of separating the historical from the fabulous. They attend only to what is proba