Peaceable nations, neighb'ring, or remote, And all the florishing works of peace deftroy, 80 Worshipt phants and flatterers to the worft of a word directly of the exploits of tyrants: and when it is faid One is the fon of Jove, of Mars the other, Alexander is particularly intended by the one, and Romulus by the other, who tho' better than Alexander, yet it must be faid founded his empire in the blood of his brother, and for his overgrown tyranny was at laft deftroy'd by his own fenate. And certainly the method that Milton has here tàken, is the best method that can be taken of drawing general characters, by felecting the particulars here and there, and then adjusting and incorporating them together; as Apelles from the different beauties of feveral nymphs of Greece drew his portrait of Venus, the Goddess of beauty. thofe heroes, who in pursuit of did. He was unwilling perhaps to falfe glory had done what Cæfar give his readers occafion to reflect, that there was a Cæfar in his own time and country, whom he had prais'd, admir'd, and ferv'd. Calton. 81. Then fwell with pride, and must be titled Gods, &c] The fecond Antiochus king of Syria was called Antiochus or the God: and the learned author De Epoch. Syro-Macedonum p. 151. fpeaks of a coin of Epiphanes infcrib'd 8 FTIQaves. The Athenians gave Demetrius Poliorcetes, and his father Antigonus the titles of Evepystal Benefactors, and ZwTapes Deliverers. The laft was a divine title; [See Suidas in voce EwTnp] and they finish'd the compliment by calling their Head-magiftrate, instead of Archon, Iepds EwTnpwv, Prieft of the Deliverers. Plut. in vita Demetrii. Calton. 96. Poor One is the fon of Jove, of Mars the other; Him whom thy wrongs with faintly patience borne 96. Poor Socrates (who next more memorable?) &c.] Milton here does not fcruple with Erafmus to place Socrates in the foremost rank of Saints; an opinion more amiable at least, and agreeable to that fpirit of love which breathes in the Gospel, than the fevere orthodoxy of those rigid textuaries, who are unwilling to allow falvation to the moral virtues of the Heathen. Thyer. 98. lives now Equal in fame to proudest conquerors.] And therefore the very ingenious author of the vifion of 85 90 95 Poor a place there with Alexander, and Cæfar, and the most celebrated heroes of antiquity. See the Tatler N° 81 by Mr. Addison. And the no lefs ingenious author of the Temple of Fame has made him the principal figure among the better fort of heroes. Much-fuff'ring heroes next their honors clame, Those of less noify, and lefs guilty fame, Fair Virtue's filent train: fupreme of these Here ever shines the godlike So crates. the Table of Fame has given him And if. Mr. Addison had completed his Poor Socrates (who next more memorable?) By what he taught and fuffer'd for fo doing, Yet if for fame and glory ought be done, Shall I feek glory then, as vain men feek, 100 105 Oft not deferv'd? I seek not mine, but his his defign of writing a tragedy of Socrates, his fuccefs in all probability would have been greater, as the fubject would have been better than that of Cato. 101. if young African for committed in Italy during the fe cond Punic war. 106. I feek not mine, but bis Who fent me', and thereby witness whence I am.] I honor my Fafame ther, I feek not mine own glory, fays His wafted country freed from Pu- our Saviour in St. John's Gofpel nic rage,] This fhows plainly VIII. 49, 50: and this he urgeth that he had fpoken before of the as a proof of his divine miffion, elder Scipio Africanus; for he VII. 18. He that speaketh of himonly can be faid with propriety Self, feeketh his own glory: but he to have freed his wafted country that feeketh his glory that fent him, from Punic rage, by transferring the the fame is true, and no unrighteoufwar into Spain and Africa after nefs is in him. the ravages which Hannibal had VOL. I. Think not fo flight of glory; therein least Glory from men, from all men good or bad, Wife or unwife, no difference, no exemption; 115 Above all facrifice, or hallow'd gift Glory' he requires, and glory he receives Promifcuous from all nations, Jew, or Greek, 109. Think not fo flight of glory; &c] There is nothing throughout the whole poem more expreffive of the true character of the Tempter than this reply. There is in it all the real falfhood of the father of lies, and the glozing fubtlety of an infidious deceiver. The argument is falfe and unfound, and yet it is veil'd over with a certain plaufible air of truth. The poet has alfo by introducing this furnifh'd himfelf with an opportunity of explaining that great queftion in divinity, why God created the world, and what is meant by that glory which he expects from his creatures. This may be no improper place to obferve to the reader the author's great art in weaving into the body of fo fhort a work fo From many grand points of the Chriftian theology and morality. Thyer. 118. Promifcuous from all nations,] The poet puts here into the mouth of the Devil the abfurd notions of the apologifts for Paganism. See Themiftius Orat. XII. de Relig. Valent. Imp. Tauta voμIČE JEVED &c. p. 160: Warburton. 121. To whom our Saviour fer vently reply'd.] As this poem confifts chiefly of a dialogue between the Tempter and our Saviour, the poet must have labor'd under fome difficulty in compofing a fufficient variety of introductory lines to the feveral fpeeches, and it required great art and judgment to vary and adapt them fo properly as he hath done to the subject in hand. We took notice of a beauty of From us his foes pronounc'd glory' he exacts. of this kind in a note upon II. 432 and here we have another instance not unworthy of our observation. When the Tempter had proposed to our Saviour the baits and allurements of glory, he was nothing mov'd, but reply'd with great calmness and compofure of mind, ver. 43. To whom our Saviour calmly thus reply'd : but now the Tempter reflects upon the glory of God, our Saviour is warm'd upon the occafion, and anfwers with fome eagerness and fervor. To whom our Saviour fervently reply'd. And this is perfectly just, and a 120 125 130 Contempt greeable to the true character of our Saviour, who was all meeknefs and forbearance in every thing that related to himself, but where God's honor was concern'd, was warm and zealous; as when he drove the buyers and sellers out of the temple, infomuch that the difciples apply'd to him the faying of the Pfalmift, The zeal of thine boufe hath eaten me up. John II. 17. 128. The flighteft, eafieft, readieft recompenfe] The fame fentiment in the Paradife Loft, IV.46. What could be less than to afford |