(So call that oppofit fair star) her aid Timely' interposes, and her monthly round 730 Thy way thou canst not mifs, me mine requires. 735 As to fuperior Spi'rits is wont in Heaven, from Ariftotle and others of the ancient philofophers, who fuppofed that befides the four elements there was likewise an ethereal quintef fence or fifth effence, out of which the ftars and Heavens were formed, and its motion was orbicular: wou δε παρά τα τέσσαρα σοιχεία, και αλλο πεμπτον, εξ & τα αιθέρια συνεςάναι αλλοιων δ' αυτό την κινησιν είναι, κυκλοφορικήν γαρ. which are the very words of Diogenes Laertius in his life of Ariftotle; and it would be easy to make a parade of learning and multiply quotations, but this is auVOL. I. Throws thority fufficient to justify our author. Thefe ftars are numberless, as thou feeft, (fays the Angel) and feeft how they move; and the reft of this fifth effence that is not formed into stars furrounds and like a wall inclofes the universe. Lucret. V. 470. Et latè diffufus in omnes undique partes Omnia fic avido complexu cætera fepfit. - her countenance triform] 730. Increafing with horns towards the eaft, decreafing with horns towards the weft, and at the full. Bb 741.-in THE ARGUMENT. Satan now in profpect of Eden, and nigh the place where he muft now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many paffions, fear, envy, and defpair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradife whofe outward profpect and fituation is defcribed, overleaps the bounds, fits in the fhape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden defcrib'd; Satan's firft fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with refolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse, thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation by feducing them to tranfgrefs: then leaves them a while, to know further of their ftate by fome other means. Mean while Uriel defcending on a funbeam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradise, that some evil Spirit had escap'd the deep, and pafs'd at noon by his sphere in the shape of a good Angel down to Paradise, discovered after by his furious geftures in the mount. Gabriel promifes to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their reft: their bower describ'd; their evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong Angels to Adam's bower, left the evil Spirit fhould be there doing fome harm to Adam or Eve fleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom queftion'd, he fcornfully anfwers, prepares refiftance, but hinder'd by a fign from Heaven, flies out of Paradise. 253 PARADISE LOST. O For that warning voice, which he who faw Thofe, who know how many volumes have been written on the poems of Homer and Virgil, will eafily pardon the length of my difcourfe upon Milton. The Paradife Loft is looked upon, by the best judges, as the greatest production, or at least the nobleft work of genius in our language, and therefore deferves to be fet before an English reader in its full beauty. For this reafon, tho' I have endevor'd to give a general idea of its graces and imperfections in my fix firft papers, I thought myself obliged to beftow one upon every book in particular. The three first books I have already dispatched, and am now entring upon the fourth. I need not acquaint my reader that there are multitudes of beauties in this great author, efpecially in the defcriptive parts of his poem, which I have not touched upon, it being my intention to point out thofe only, which appear to me the most exquifite, or thofe which are not fo obvious to ordinary readers. Every one that has read the critics who have written upon the Odyssey, the Iliad, and the Æneid, knows very well, that Then though they agree in their opinions of the great beauties in thofe poems, they have nevertheless each of them difcovered feveral mafterftrokes, which have efcaped the obfervation of the reft. In the fame manner, I question not, but any writer who fhall treat of this fubject after me, may find feveral beauties in Milton, which I have not taken notice of. I must likewife obferve, that as the greatcft mafters of critical learning differ among one another, as to fome particular points in an epic poem, I have not bound myfelf fcrupuloufly to the rules which any one of them has laid down upon that art, but have taken the liberty fometimes to join with one, and fometimes with another, and fonetimes to differ from all of them, when I have thought that the reafon of the thing was on my fide. |