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the most artful Snares and most powerful Temptations, which the other eludes and defeats with confummate Prudence, with the greatest Strength of Reason, with a Spirit furpaffing every thing human, and becoming a Perfon of Divine Extraction.

THE Exordium is as plain and simple, as that imputed to Virgil, Ille ego qui quondam, &c. which Milton imitates.

I who e'er while the happy Garden fung,
By one Man's Difobedience loft, now fing
Recover'd Paradife to all Mankind.

BUT his Plainnefs and Simplicity are gradually laid afide, and are exchang'd for the richest Ornaments. He rifes from low Beginnings to a furprizing Heighth.

Non fumum ex fulgore, fed ex fumo dare lucem
Cogitat, ut Speciofa debinc miracula promat.

i

THE Invocation is perfectly agreeable to the Poet's Undertaking, and is neither ftrain'd too high, nor drawn out too far into Length.

Thou Spirit who ledit this glorious Eremite
Into the Defart, his victorious Field,

Against the spiritual Foe, and broughtst him thence

By

1

A

By Proof th' undoubted Son of God, infpire,
As Thou art wont, my prompted Song elfe mute,
And bear through Heighth or Depth of Nature's Bounds
With profperous Wing full fumm'd, to tell of Deeds
Above heroic, tho' in fecret done,

I

Worthy t' have not remain'd fo long unfung.

THERE are several beautiful Lines describing the Defart and our Saviour's Abode in it, particularly these following:

Full forty Days he pafs'd, whether on Hill
Sometimes, anon in fhady Vale, each Night
Under the Covert of fome ancient Oak,
Or Cedar, to defend him from the Dew,
Or harbour'd in one Cave, is not reveal'd;
Nor tafted human Food, nor Hunger felt
Till those days ended, hunger'd then at last
Among wild Beafts: They at his Sight grew mild,

Nor fleeping him, nor waking harm'd; his Walk
The fiery Serpent fled and noxious Worm,

The Lion and fierce Tyger glar'd aloof.

THE Picture of Satan at his first meeting the Son of God is artfully and judiciously drawn:

But

But now an aged Man in rural Weeds,
Following, as feem'd, the Queft of fome stray Ewe,
Or wither'd Sticks to gather, which might serve
Against a Winter's Day, when Winds blow keen,
To warm him wet return'd from Field at Eve,
He faw approach, who first with curious Eye
Perus'd him, then with Words thus utter'd spake.

THE Conference between our Saviour and the Tempter, which takes up what remains of the first Book, is full of the highest Wisdom on one fide, and of the deepest Subtlety on the other. How welldrawn a Character is that of Satan! and how artful are the following Speeches, in which he endeavours to infinuate himself into the good Opinion of our Saviour, by means of Flattery, and a feigned Admiration of his Virtue and Merit!

377

Though I have lost

Much Luftre of my native Brightness, loft
To be beloved of God, I have not loft
To love, at least contemplate and admire
What I fee excellent in good, or fair,

Or virtuous; I fhould fo have loft all Sense.

What can be less in me than Defire

Το

To fee thee, and approach thee, whom I know
Declared the Son of God, to hear attent

Thy Wisdom, and behold thy godlike Deeds?

And lin. 478.

Hard are the Ways of Truth, and rough to walk, Smooth on the Tongue difcourfed, pleafing to the Ear, And tuneable as fylvan Pipe or Song.

What wonder then if I delight to hear

Her Dictates from thy Mouth? Moft Men admire
Virtue, who follow not her Lore: permit me
To hear thee when I come (fince no Man comes)
And talk at least, tho' I despair to attain.

SATAN having boafted that he sometimes is admitted into the Heaven of Heavens, and into the Prefence of God, is excellently well answer'd in these Lines.

The happy Place

Imports to Thee no Happiness, no Joy
Rather inflames thy Torment, representing
Loft Bliss to Thee no more communicable,
So never more in Hell than when in Heaven.

NOTHIN

NOTHING can be more poetical than the close of the firft Book:

He added not; and Satan, bowing low

His grey Diffimulation, disappear'd

Into thin Air diffus'd. For now began

Night with her fullen Wings to double-shade

The Defart; Fowls in their clay Nefts were couch'd,

And now wild Beafts came forth the Woods to roam!

CHAP.

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