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It is poffible, that the traditions, on which the Iliad and Æneid were built, had more circumftances in them than the hiftory of the fall of Man, as it is related in Scripture. Befides it was easier for Homer and Virgil to dash the truth with fiction, as they were in no danger of offending the religion of their country by it. But as for Milton, he had not only a very few circumstances upon which to raise his poem, but was alfo obliged to proceed with the greatest caution in every thing that he added out of his own invention. And, indeed, notwithstanding all the reftraints he was under, he has filled his story with fo many furprifing incidents, which bear fo close analogy with what is delivered in holy Writ, that it is capable of pleafing the most delicate reader, without giving offense to the most fcrupulous.

The modern critics have collected from feveral hints in the Iliad and Æneid the space of time, which is taken up by the action of each of those poems; but as a great part of Milton's ftory was tranfacted in regions that lie out of the reach of the fun and the fphere of day, it is impoffible to gratify the reader with fuch a calculation, which indeed would be more curious than inftructive; none of the critics, either ancient or modern, having laid down rules to circumfcribe the action of an epic poem within any determined number of years, days, or hours.

HAVING examined the action of Paradife Loft, let us in the next place confider the actors. This is Ariftotle's method of confidering; firft the fable, and fecondly the manners, or as we generally call them in English, the fable and the characters.

Homer has excelled all the heroic poets that ever wrote, in the multitude and variety of his characters. Every God that is admitted into his poem, acts a part which would have been fuitable to no other Deity. His princes are as much diftinguished by their manners as by their dominions; and even thofe among them, whose characters feem wholly made up of courage, differ from one another as to the particular kinds of courage in which they excel. In fhort, there is fcarce a speech or action in the Iliad, which the reader may not afcribe to the person that speaks or acts, without feeing his name at the head of it.

Homer does not only out-fhine all other poets in the variety, but alfo in the novelty of his characters. He has introduced among his Grecian princes a perfon, who had lived in three ages of men, and converfed with Thefeus, Hercules, Polyphemus, and the first race of heroes. His principal actor is the fon of a Goddefs, not to mention the ofspring of other Deities, who have likewife a place in his poem, and the venerable Trojan prince who was the father of fo many kings and heroes. There is in these feveral characters of Homer, a certain dignity as well

But of this more particularly as novelty, which adapts them in hereafter, a more peculiar manner to the H4

nature

nature of an heroic poem. Tho' at the fame time, to give them the greater variety, he has defcribed a Vulcan, that is, a buffoon among his Gods, and a Therfites among his mortals.

Virgil falls infinitely fhort of Homer in the characters of his poem, both as to their variety and novelty. Æneas is indeed a perfect character, but as for Achates, tho' he is filed the heroe's friend, he - does nothing in the whole poem which may deferve that title. Gyas, Mnetheus, Sergeftus, and Cloanthus, are all of them men of the fame ftamp and character,

---- fortemque Gyan, fortemque Virg.

Cloanthum.

There are indeed several very natural incidents in the part of Afcanius; as that of Dido cannot be fufficiently admired. I do not fee any thing new or particular in Turnus. Pallas and Evander are remote copies of Hector and Priam, as Laufus and Mezentius are almost parallels to Pallas and Evander. The characters of Nifus and Eurialus are beautiful, but common. We must not forget the parts of Sinon, Camilla, and fome few others, which are fine improvements on the Greek poet. In short, there is neither that variety nor novelty in the perfons of the Eneid, which we meet with in thofe of the Iliad.

If we look into the characters of Milton, we shall find that he has introduced all the variety his fable was capable of receiving. The whole fpecies of mankind was in two perfons at the time to which the fubject of his poem is confined. We have, however, four diftin&

characters in these two perfons. We fee Man and Woman in the highest innocence and perfection, and in the most abject state of guilt and infirmity. The two laft characters are, indeed, very common and obvious, but the two first are not only more magnificent, but more new than any characters either in Virgil or Homer, or indeed in the whole circle of nature.

Milton was fo fenfible of this defect in the fubject of his poem, and of the few characters it would afford him, that he has brought into it two actors of a fhadowy and fictitious nature, in the perfons of Sin and Death, by which means he has wrought into the body of his fable a very beautiful and wellinvented allegory. But notwithftanding the fineness of this allegory may atone for it in fome measure; I cannot think that perfons of fuch a chimerical existence are proper actors in an epic poem; because there is not that measure of probability annexed to them, which is requifite in writings of this kind, as I fhall fhow more at large hereafter.

Virgil has, indeed, admitted Fame as an actress in the Æneid, but the part fhe acts is very short, and none of the most admired circumftances in that divine work. We find in mock-heroic poems, particularly in the Difpenfary and the Lutrin, feveral allegorical perfons of this nature, which are very beautiful in thofe compofitions, and may, perhaps, be used as an argument, that the authors of them were of opinion, fuch characters might have a place in an epic work. For my own part, I fhould be glad

the

the reader would think fo, for the sake of the poem I am now examining, and muft further add, that if fuch empty unfubftantial beings may be ever made use of on this occafion, never were any more nicely imagined, and employed in more proper actions, than thofe of which I am now speaking.

Another principal actor in this poem is the great enemy of mankind. The part of Ulyffes in Homer's Odyffey is very much admired by Ariftotle, as perplexing that fable with very agreeable plots and intricacies, not only by the many adventures in his voyage, and the fubtlety of his behaviour, but by the various concealments and discoveries of his perfon in feveral parts of that poem. But the crafty being I have now mentioned, makes a much longer voyage than Ulyffes, puts in practice many more wiles and ftratagems, and hides himself under a greater variety of fhapes and appearances, all of which are severally detected, to the great delight and furprise of the reader.

We may likewise obferve with how much art the poet has varied feveral characters of the perfons that speak in his infernal affembly. On the contrary, how has he reprefented the whole Godhead exert ing itself towards Man in its full benevolence under the three-fold diftinction of a Creator, a Redeemer, and a Comforter!

Nor must we omit the perfon of Raphael, who, amidst his tendernefs and friendship for Man, fhows fuch a dignity and condefcenfion in all his fpeech and behaviour, as are fuitable to a fuperior nature. The

Angels are indeed as much diverfified in Milton, and distinguished by their proper parts, as the Gods are in Homer or Virgil. The reader will find nothing ascribed to Uriel, Gabriel, Michael, or Raphael, which is not in a particular manner fuitable to their respective cha

racters.

There is another circumftance in the principal actors of the Iliad and Eneid, which gives a peculiar beauty to thofe two poems, and was therefore contrived with very great judgment. I mean the authors having chofen for their heroes perfons who were so nearly related to the people for whom they wrote. Achilles was a Greek, and Eneas the remote founder of Rome. By this means their countrymen (whom they principally propo fed to themselves for their readers) were particularly attentive to all the parts of their ftory, and fympathized with their heroes in all their adventures. A Roman could not but rejoice in the escapes, fucceffes, and victories of Æneas, and be grieved at any defeats, misfortunes, or difappointments that befel him; as a Greek must have had the fame regard for Achilles. And it is plain, that each of those poems have loft this great advantage, among those readers to whom their heroes are as ftrangers, or indifferent perfons.

Milton's poem is admirable in this refpect, fince it is impoffible for any of its readers, whatever nation, country or people he may belong to, not to be related to the perfons who are the principal actors in it; but what is ftill infinitely more to its advantage, the principal

actors

actors in this poem are not only be fuppofed to fquare exactly with

our progenitors, but our reprefentatives. We have an actual intereft in every thing they do, and no less than our utmost happiness is concerned, and lies at stake in all their behaviour.

I fhall fubjoin as a corollary to the foregoing remark, an admirable obfervation out of Ariftotle, which hath been very much misreprefented in the quotations of fome modern critics. If a man of perfect ⚫ and confummate virtue falls into a misfortune, it raises our pity, ⚫ but not our terror, because we do ⚫ not fear that it may be our own cafe, who do not resemble the fuffering perfon. But as that great philofopher adds, If we fee a man of virtue, mixt with infirmities, fall into any misfortune, ⚫ it does not only raife our pity but our terror; because we are afraid that the like misfortunes may happen to ourselves, who refemble the character of the fuf⚫fering perfon.

I fhall only remark in this place, that the foregoing obfervation of Ariftotle, tho' it may be true in other occafions, does not hold in this; because in the prefent cafe, though the perfons who fall into misfortune are of the most perfect and confummate virtue, it is not to be confidered as what may poffibly be, but what actually is our own cafe; fince we are embark'd with them on the fame bottom, and must be partakers of their happiness or mifery.

In this, and fome other very few inftances, Ariftotle's rules for epic poetry (which he had drawn from his reflections upon Homer) cannot

the heroic poems which have been made fince his time; fince it is evident to every impartial judge his rules would still have been more perfect, could he have perused the Eneid which was made fome hundred years after his death.

In my next, I fhall go through other parts of Milton's poem; and hope that what I fhall there advance, as well as what I have already written, will not only ferve as a comment upon Milton, but upon Aristotle.

WE have already taken a general furvey of the fable and characters in Milton's Paradife Loft: The parts which remain to be confider'd, according to Ariftotle's method, are the fentiments and the language. Before I enter upon the firft of thefe, I must advertise my reader, that it is my defign as foon as I have finished my general reflections on these four feveral heads, to give particular inftances out of the poem now before us of beauties and imperfections which may be observed under each of them, as alfo of fuch other particulars as may not properly fall under any of them. This I thought fit to premise, that the reader may not judge too haftily of this piece of criticifm, or look upon it as imperfect, before he has feen the whole extent of it.

The fentiments in an epic poem are the thoughts and behaviour which the author afcribes to the perfons whom he introduces, and are juft when they are conformable to the characters of the several perfons. The fentiments have like

wife a relation to things as well as perfons, and are then perfect when they are fuch as are adapted to the fubject. If in either of these cases the poet endevors to argue or explain, to magnify or diminish, to raife love or hatred, pity or terror, or any other paffion, we ought to confider whether the fentiments he makes use of are proper for thofe ends. Homer is cenfured by the critics for his defect as to this particular in feveral parts of the Iliad and Odyssey, tho' at the fame time those who have treated this great poet with candor, have attributed this defect to the times in which he lived. It was the fault of the age, and not of Homer, if there wants that delicacy in fome of his fentiments, which now appears in the works of men of a much inferior genius. Befides, if there are blemishes in any particular thoughts, there is an infinite beauty in the greateft part of them. In fhort, if there are many poets who would not have fallen into the meannefs of fome of his fentiments, there are none who could have rifen up to the greatness of others. Virgil has excelled all others in the propriety of his fentiments. Milton fhines likewife very much in this particular: Nor muft we omit one confideration which adds to his honor and reputation. Homer and Virgil introduced perfons whofe characters are commonly known among men, and fuch as are to be met with either in hiftory, or in ordinary converfation. Milton's characters, moft of them, lie out of nature, and were to be formed purely by his own invention. It fhows a greater

genius in Shakespear to have drawn his Calyban, than his Hotspur or Julius Cæfar: The one was to be fupplied out of his own imagination, whereas the other might have been formed upon tradition, history and obfervation. It was much eafier therefore for Homer to find proper fentiments for an affembly of Grecian generals, than for Milton to diverfify his infernal council with proper characters, and inspire them with a variety of fentiments. The loves of Dido and Æneas are only copies of what has paffed between other perfons. Adam and Eve before the fall, are a different fpecies from that of mankind, who are defcended from them; and none but a poet of the most unbounded invention, and the most exquifite judgment, cou'd have filled their converfation and behaviour with fo many apt circumftances during their state of innocence.

Nor is it fufficient for an epic poem to be filled with fuch thoughts as are natural, unless it abound alfo with fuch as are fublime. Virgil in this particular falls fhort of Homer. He has not indeed fo many thoughts that are low and vulgar; but at the fame time has not fo many thoughts that are fublime and noble. The truth of it is, Virgil feldom rifes into very aftonifhing fentiments, where he is not fired by the Iliad. He every where charms and pleases us by the force of his own genius; but feldom elevates and tranfports us where he does not fetch his hints from Homer.

Milton's chief talent, and indeed his diftinguishing excellence lies in the fublimity of his thoughts. There

are

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