V. 372. To draw the proud King Ahab into fraud. That is, into mifchief; as fraus fometimes means in Latin. See Par. Loft, IX. 643. v. 385, 397. Satan fays to Christ, Men generally think me much a foe At first, it may be; but, long fince, with wo I think it will not be cavilling to say, that "each MAN'S peculiar load" fhould not be put in the mouth of Satan; who was no man; who had confeffed to Chrift that he was the unfortunate Arch-Fiend; and who speaks of hir aware of it, he would.. If Milton had been prrected it thus: Nor lightens augach one's peculiar load. Or in fome ot.. Befides, the word man is repeated here too offen. Nor lightens ough man's peculiar load. Small confolation then, were man adjoin'd: This wounds me moft (what can it lefs?) that man, Man, fall'n fhall be reftor'd, I never more. v. 424. V. 424. Chrift demands of Satan, What but thy malice mov'd thee to misdeem Of righteous Job, then cruelly to afflict him With all inflictions, but his patience won ? So Edit. 1671. and 1713. Diftinguish thus; With all inflictions?-but his patience won. v. 455, No more fhalt thou by oracling abufe The Gentiles; henceforth oracles are ceas'd, &c. I would not cenfure Milton for mentioning the filence of Oracles at our Saviour's appearing in the world, both here and in his elegant Hymn on Chrift's Nativity; because, it adorns the poems, though it be a vulgar error.. B. II. 56. Mock us with his bleft fight, then fnatch him hence. Virgil, En. I. 407. Falfis Ludis imaginibus? Æn. VI. 869. Oftendent terris hunc tantùm fata, neque ultrà Effe finent. V. 355. v. 355. - Naiades. Milton is not to be blamed for writing, as others did in his time. But, fince the criticks have determined to write Naïdes, in three fyllables, or Naïades in four, it is time for the English Poets to call the Nymphs Naïds, and not Naiads. B. III. 21, &c. Satan fays to Christ: These Godlike virtues, wherefore doft thou hide, To whom our Saviour calmly thus reply'd : -What is glory, but the blaze of fame, Things vulgar, and well weigh'd fcarce worth the praise ? They praise, and they admire, they know not what, And know not whom, but as one leads the other: And what delight, to be by fuch extoll'd? To live upon their tongues, and be their talk, Y Of Of whom to be difprais'd were no small praise ? This paffage deferves attention. The love of glory is a paffion deeply rooted in us, and with difficulty kept under. Τὴν κενοδοξίαν, ὡς τελευταῖον χιλῶνα, ἡ ψυχή πέφυκεν ἀποτίθεσθαι, fays Plato. Helvidius Prifcus, as Tacitus relates, was poffeffed of all the virtues which make a great and a good man. He was a Stoic into the bargain; and therefore bound, by the principles of his philofophy, to fet a small value upon the ra x ' And yet, erant ἡμῖν· quibus appetentior fame videretur: quando etiam fapientibus cupido gloria noviffima exuitur. Hift. IV. 5. As at Rome, and in Greece, a fpear, a crown of oak of laurel, a ftatue, a public commendation, was esteemed an ample recompenfe for many brave actions; so it is as true, that not a few of their great men were over-fond of fame, and meer flaves to the love of it. Let us fee what the Philofophers have said concerning a greedy defire of glory,-fuch a defire of it, as leads men to make it the ruling principle of their actions; and incites them to do well, only, or chiefly, in order to be admired. We shall find them condemning it, and faying things agreeable enough to what Milton puts into the mouth of our Saviour. Illud autem te admoneo, ne eorum more, qui non profcere, fed confpici volunt, facias aliqua. Seneca, Epift. V. Qui virtutem fuam publicari vult, non virtuti laborat, fed gloriæ. Non vis efe juftus fine gloria. At, mehercules, fæpe juftus effe debebis cum infamiâ, et tunc, fi fapis, mala opinio bene parta dele&tat. Idem, Epift. CXIII. Cavenda eft gloriæ cupiditas, is a leffon delivered by one, who in that particular did not practise what he taught. De Officiis: I. Laudis amore tumes? funt certa piacula, quæ te Horace, Epift. I. 1. 35. An quidquam ftultius, quam, quos fingulos, ficut operarios barbarofque contemnas, eos effe aliquid putare univerfos? Cicero, Tufc. Difp. V. 36. upon which Dr. Davies remarks, σε Egregium hoc monitum Socrati debetur, qui Alcibiadem, in concionem populi prodire veritum, ita excitavit: Ου καταφρονεῖς (εἶπε Σωκράτης) ἐκείνα τα σκυτοτόμο ; τὸ ὄνομα εἰπὼν αὐτε. φήσαν]ῷ δὲ τῇ ̓Αλκιβιάδα, ὑπολαβὼν πάλιν ὁ Σωκράτης, Ἔτι δὲ ἐκείνα τῇ ἐν . τοῖς κύκλοις κηρύττον© ; ἢ ἐκείνα τα σκηνοῤῥάφο; Ομολογενια σε Epictetus, Enchir. XLV. fays, Σημεία προκόπτον ἐδένα ψέγει, ἐδένα ἐπαινεῖ, ἐδένα μέμφεται, ἐδενὶ ἐγκαλεῖ, ἐδὲν |