telligible, and to deliver what is abftrufe of itself in fuch eafy Language as may be understood by ordinary Readers Befides, that the Knowledge of a Poet fhould rather feem born with him, or infpired, than drawn from Books and Syftems. I have often wondered, how Mr. Dryden could tranflate a Paffage out of Virgil, after the following Manner.

Tack to the Larboard, and ftand off to Sea,
Veer Starboard Sea and Land.-

Milton makes ufe of Larboard in the fame Manner. When he is upon Building, he mentions Doric Pillars, Pilafters, Cornice, Freeze, Architrave. When he talks of Heavenly Bodies, you meet with Ecliptic and Eccentric, the Trepidation, Stars dropping from the Zenith, Rays culminating from the Equator. To which might be added many Inftances of the like Kind in feveral other Arts and Sciences.

I fhall in my next Papers give an Account of the many particular Beauties in Milton, which would have been too long to infert under thofe general Heads I have already treated of, and with which I intend to conclude this Piece of Criticism.

SPEC

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I

SPECTATOR, N° 303.

-Volet hæc fub luce videri,

Judicis argutum quæ non formidat acumen.
-Some chufe the cleareft Light,
And boldly challenge the most piercing Eye.

Hor.

ROSCOM.

Have seen in the Works of a modern Philofopher, a Map of the Spots in the Sun. My laft Paper of the Faults and Blemishes in Milton's Paradife Loft, may be confidered as a Piece of the fame Nature. To purfue the Allufion: As it is obferved, that among the bright Parts of the luminous Body above-mentioned, there are some which glow more intenfely, and dart a ftronger Light than others; fo, notwithstanding I have already fhewn Milton's Poem to be very beautiful in general, I fhall now proceed to take notice of fuch Beauties as appear to me more exquifite than the reft. Milton has propofed the Subject of his Poem in the following Verfes.

Of Man's firft difobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whofe mortal tafte
Brought death into the world and all our woe,
With Lofs of Eden, 'till one greater Man
Reftore us, and regain the blissful Seat,
Sing Heav'nly Mufe-

THESE Lines are perhaps as plain, fimple and unadorned as any of the whole Poem, in which Particular the Author has conformed himself to the Example of Homer, and the Precept of Horace.

HIS Invocation to a Work which turns in a great Measure upon the Creation of the World, is very pro

perly

perly made to the Mufe who infpired Mofes in thofe Books from whence our Author drew his Subject, and to the Holy Spirit who is therein reprefented as operating after a particular Manner in the firft Production of Nature. This whole Exordium rifes very happily into noble Language and Sentiment, as I think the Tranfition to the Fable is exquifitely beautiful and natural.

Vid. Hefiod.

THE Nine-days Aftonishment, in which the Angels lay entranced after their dreadful Overthrow and Fall from Heaven, before they could recover either the Ufe of Thought or Speech, is a noble Circumftan e, and very finely imagined. The Divifion of Hell into Seas of Fire, and into firm Ground impregnated with the fame furious Element, with that particular Circumftance of the Exclufion of Hope from thofe infernal Regions, are Inftances of the fame great and fruitful Invention.

2

THE Thoughts in the first Speech and Defcription of Satan, who is one of the principal Actors in this Poem, are wonderfully proper to give us a full Idea of him. His Pride, Envy and Revenge, Obftinacy, Despair and Impenitence, are all of them very artfully interwoven. In fhort, his first Speech is a Complication of all those Paffions which difcover themfelves feparately in feveral other of his Speeches in the Poem. The whole Part of this great Enemy of Mankind is filled with fuch Incidents as are very apt to raife and terrify the Reader's Imagination. Of this Nature, in the Book now before us, is his being the firft that awakens out of the general Trance, with his Pofture on the burning Lake, his rifing from it, and the Defcription of his Shield and Spear.

Thus Satan talking to his nearest mate,
With head up-lift above the wave, and eyes
That Sparkling blaz'd, his ether farts befide
Prone on the Flood, extended long and large,

Lay

Lay floating many a rood

Forthwith upright he rears from off the pool
His mighty Stature; on each hand the flames

Driv'n backwards flope their pointing Spires, and rowl'd
In Billows leave i'th' midst a horrid vale.
Then with expanded wings he fteers his flight
Aloft, incumbent on the dusky Air

That felt unufual weight

His pond'rous Shield,

Ethereal Temper, mafy, large and round,
Behind him caft; the broad Circumference
Hung on his Shoulders like the Moon, whofe orb
Thro' Optic Glafs the Tuscan Artifts view
At Ev'ning from the top of Fefole,
Or in Valderno to defcry new Lands,
Rivers or Mountains on her Spotty Globe.
His Spear to equal which the tallest pine
Hewn on Norwegian Hills to be the Maft
Of fome great Ammiral, were but a wand,
He walk'd with to Support uneafy Steps
Over the burning Mari-

TO which we may add his Call to the fallen Angels that lay plunged and ftupified in the Sea of Fire.

He call'd fo loud, that all the hollow deep

Of Hell refounded

But there is no fingle Paffage in the whole Poem worked up to a greater Sublimity, than that wherein his Perfon is defcribed in thofe celebrated Lines.

He, above the rest

In Shape and Gefture proudly eminent, .
Stood like a Tower, &c.

HIS Sentiments are every way answerable to his Character, and fuitable to a created Being of the most exalted and moft depraved Nature. Such is that in which he takes Poffeffion of his Place of Torments.

-Hail Horrors, bail

Infernal World, and thou profoundest Hell
Receive thy new Poffeffor, one who brings
A Mind not to be chang'd by Place or time.

And afterwards,

Here at leaft

We shall be free; th' Almighty hath not built
Here for his Envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign fecure, and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition, the' in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, than ferve in Heaven.

AMIDST thofe Impieties which this Enraged Spirit utters in other Places of the Poem, the Au hor has taken care to introduce none that is not big with Abfurdity, and incapable of fhocking a Religious Reader; his Words, as the Poet defcribes them, bearing only a Semblance of Worth, not Subftance. He is likewife with great Art defcribed as owning his Adverfary to be Almighty. Whatever perverse Interpretation he puts on the Juftice, Mercy, and other Attributes of the Supreme Being, he frequently confeffes his Omnipotence, that being the Perfection he was forced to allow him, and the only Confideration which could fupport his Pride under the Shame of his Defeat.

NOR muft I here omit that beautiful Circumstance of his bursting out in Tears, upon his Survey of those innumerable Spirits whom he had involved in the fame Guilt and Ruin with himself.

-He