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phetick 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.

To the compleatness or integrity of the defign nothing can be objected; it has diftinctly and clearly what Aristotle 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 fhield. The fhort digreffions at the beginning of the third, feventh, and ninth books, might doubtless be fpared; but fuperfluities fo beautiful, who would take

away?

away? or who does not wish that the

author of the Iliad had gratified fuc

ceeding ages with a little knowledge of

himfelf? Perhaps no paffages are more frequently or more attentively read than thofe extrinfick 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 raifed by fuch readers as draw their principles of judgement rather from books than from reason. Milton, though he intituled Paradife Loft only a poem, yet calls it himself beroick fong. Dryden, petulantly

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lantly and indecently, denies the heroifin of Adam, because he was overcome; but there is no reafon why the hero fhould not be unfortunate, except eftablished practice, fince fuccefs and virtue do not go neceffarily together. Cato is the hero of Lucan; but Lucan's authority will not be fuffered by Quintilian to decide. However, if fuccefs be neceffary, Adam's deceiver was at last crushed; Adam was reftored to his Maker's favour, and therefore may fecurely refume his human rank.

After the fcheme and fabrick of the

poem, must be confidered its component parts, the fentiments and the diction.

The

The fentiments, as expreffive of manners, or appropriated to characters, are, for the greater part, unexceptionably

juft.

Splendid paffages, containing leffons of morality, or precepts of prudence, occur feldom. Such is the original formation of this poem, that, as it admits no human manners till the Fall, it can give little affiftance to human conduct. Its end is to raise the thoughts above fublunary cares or plea➡ fures. Yet the pra fe of that fortitude, with which Abdiel maintained his fingularity of virtue against the fcorn of multitudes, may be accommodated to all times; and Raphael's reproof of Adam's curiofity after the planetary motions,

with the answer returned by Adam, may be confidently oppofed to any rule of life which any poet has delivered.

The thoughts which are occafionally called forth in the progrefs, are fuch as could only be produced by an imagination in the highest degree fervid and active, to which materials were fupplied by inceffant ftudy and unlimited curiofity. The heat of Milton's mind might be faid to fublimate his learning, to throw off into his work the fpirit of fcience, unmingled with its groffer parts.

He had confidered creation in its whole extent, and his defcriptions are therefore learned. He had accustomed his imagination to unreftrained indulgence,

and

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