Page images
PDF
EPUB

7

of angels and of man; of angels good and evil; of man in his innocent and finful state.

Among the angels, the virtue of Raphael is mild and placid, of eafy condescension and free communication; that of Michael is regal and lofty, and, as may feem, attentive to the dignity of his own nature. Abdiel and Gabriel appear occafionally, and act as every incident requires; the folitary fidelity of Abdiel is very amiably painted.

Of the evil angels the characters are more diverfified. To Satan, as Addifon obferves, fuch fentiments are given as fuit the most exalted and most depraved being. Milton has been cenfured by Clarke, for the impiety which fometimes breaks from Satan's mouth. For there are thoughts, as he justly remarks, which no obfervation of character can justify, because no good man would willingly permit them to pass, however tranfiently, through his own mind. To make Satan speak as a rebel, without any fuch expreffions as might taint the reader's imagination, was indeed

* Author of the "Effay on Study." Dr. J. VOL. I. R

one

[graphic]

one of the great difficulties in Milton's undertaking, and I cannot but think that he has extricated himself with great happinefs. There is in Satan's fpeeches little that can give pain to a pious ear. The language of rebellion cannot be the fame with that of obedience. The malignity of Satan foams in haughtiness and obftinacy; but his expreffions are commonly general, and no otherwife offenfive than as they are wicked.

[graphic]

The other chiefs of the celeftial rebellion are very judicioufly difcriminated in the first and fecond books; and the ferocious character of Moloch appears, both in the battle and the council with exact confiftency.

To Adam and to Eve are given, during their innocence, fuch fentiments as innocence pure can generate and utter. Their love is benevolence and mutual veneration; their repafts are without luxury, and their diliwithout toil. Their addreffes to their gence Maker have little more than the voice of admiration and gratitude. Fruition left them nothing to afk; and Innocence left them nothing to fear.

But

But with guilt enter diftruft and difcord, mutual accufation, and ftubborn felf-defence; they regard each other with alienated minds, and dread their Creator as the avenger of their tranfgreffion. At laft they seek shelter in his mercy, foften to repentance, and melt in fupplication. Both before and after the Fall, the fuperiority of Adam is diligently fuftained.

Of the probable and the marvellous, two parts of a vulgar epick poem, which immerge the critick in deep confideration, the Paradife Loft requires little to be faid. It contains the hiftory of a miracle, of Creation and Redemption; it difplays the power and the mercy of the Supreme Being; the probable therefore is marvellous, and the marvellous is probable. The fubftance of the narrative is truth; and as truth allows no choice, it is, like neceffity, fuperior to rule. To the accidental or adventitious parts, as to every thing human, fome flight exceptions may be made. But the main fabrick is immovably fupported.

[blocks in formation]
[graphic]

It is justly remarked by Addifon, that this poem has, by the nature of its fubject, the advantage above all others, that it is univerfally and perpetually interefting. All mankind will, through all ages, bear the fame relation to Adam and to Eve, and muft partake of that good and evil which extend to themselves.

Of the machinery, fo called from Ed's ἀπὸ μηχανῆς, by which is meant the occafional interpofition of fupernatural power, another fertile topick of critical remarks, here is no room to speak, becaufe every thing is done under the immediate and visible direction of Heaven; but the rule is fo far obferved, that no part of the action could have been accomplished by any other means.

Of episodes, I think there are only two, contained in Raphael's relation of the war in heaven, and Michael's prophetic account of the changes to happen in this world. Both are closely connected with the great action; one was neceffary to Adam as a warning, the other as a confolation.

[ocr errors][merged small]

To the compleatnefs or integrity of the defign nothing can be objected; it has distinctly and clearly what Ariftotle requires, a beginning, a middle, and an end. There is perhaps no poem, of the fame length, from which fo little can be taken without apparent mutilation. Here are no funeral games, nor is there any long defcription of a shield. The fhort digreffions at the beginning of the third, seventh, and ninth books, might doubtlefs be fpared; but fuperfluities fo beautiful, who would take away or who does not wish that the author of the Iliad had gratified fucceeding ages with a little knowledge of himself? Perhaps no paffages are more fre quently or more attentively read than those extrinfic paragraphs; and, fince the end of poetry is pleasure, that cannot be unpoetical with which all are pleased.

The queftions, whether the action of the poem be ftrictly one, whether the poem can be properly termed heroick, and who is the hero, are raised by fuch readers as draw their principles of judgement rather from books than from reafon. Milton, though he intituled

R 3

« PreviousContinue »