works for his future employment: an epick poem, the history of his country, and a dictionary of the Latin tongue. To collect a dictionary, seems a work of all others least practicable in a state of blindness, because it depends upon perpetual and minute inspection and collation. Nor would Milton probably have begun it, after he had loft his eyes; but, having had it always before him, he continued it, fays Philips, almoft to bis dying-day; but the papers were fo difcompofed and deficient, that they could not be fitted for the prefs. The compilers of the Latin dictionary, printed at Cambridge, had the use of them in three folios; but what was their fate afterwards is not known. To compile a history from various authors, when they can only be confulted by other eyes, is not easy, nor poffible, but with more skilful and attentive help than can be commonly obtained; and it was probably the difficulty of confulting and comparing that stopped Milton's narrative at the Conquest; a period at which affairs were not yet very very intricate, nor authors very nume rous. For the fubject of his epick poem, after much deliberation, long chufing, and beginning late, he fixed upon Paradife Loft; a design fo comprehenfive, that it could be juftified only by fuccefs. He had once defigned to celebrate King Arthur, as appears from his verses to Manfus; but Arthur was referved, fays Fenton, to another destiny, It appears, by fome fketches of poetical projects left in manufcript, and to be seen în a library at Cambridge, that he had digested his thoughts on this fubject into one of those wild dramas which were anciently called Mysteries; and Philips had feen what he terms part of a tragedy, beginning with the firft ten lines of Satan's addrefs to the Sun. Thefe Mysteries confift of allegorical perfons; fuch as Justice, Mercy, Faith. Of the tragedy or mystery of Paradife Loft there are two plans: The because it is with God in the mount; declares the like of Enoch and Eliah; befides the purity of the place, that certain pure winds, dews, and clouds, preferve it from corruption; whence exhorts to the fight of God; tells, they cannot fee Adam in the state of innocence, by reason of their fin. Lucifer, contriving Adam's ruin. Chorus fears for Adam, and relates Lucifer's rebellion and fall. ACT Confcience cites them to God's examination. Chorus bewails, and tells the good Adam has loft. AC TV. Adam and Eve driven out of Paradise. prefented by an angel with Labour, Grief, Hatred, Envy, War, Famine, Peftilence, rance, Fear, Death, Mutes. To whom he gives their names. Likewife Winter, Heat, Tempeft, &c. Faith, Hope, Charity, comfort him, and inftruct him. Chorus briefly concludes. Such was his first design, which could have produced only an allegory, or mystery. The following sketch feems to have attained more maturity. Adam |