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F. Hayman inv: et del:

Book 4.

ISMüller fe

THE

FOUR ΤΗ ΒΟΟΚ

O F

PARADISE LOST.

THE ARGUMENT.

Satan now in profpect of Eden, and nigh the Place where he muft now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many paffions, fear, envy, and defpair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradife whofe outward profpect and fituation is defcribed, overleaps the bounds, fits in the fhape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as higheft in the garden, to look about him. The garden defcrib'd; Satan's first fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy ftate, but with refolution to work their fall; overhears their difcourfe, thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation by feducing them to tranfgrefs: then leaves them a while, to know further of their ftate by fome other means. Mean while Uriel defcending on a funbeam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradife, that fome evil Spirit had escap'd the deep, and pafs'd at noon by his fphere in the fhape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcovered after by his furious geftures in the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve dif courfe of going to their reft their bower defcrib'd; their evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the found of Paradife, appoints two ftrong Angels to Adam's bower, left the evil Spirit fhould be there doing fome harm to Adam or Eve fleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom queftion'd, he fcornfully anfwers, prepares refiftance, but hinder'd by a fign from Heaven, flies out of Paradife.

253

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK IV.

For that warning voice, which he who faw
Th' Apocalyps heard cry

Thofe who know how many volumes have been written on the poems of Homer and Virgil, will eafily pardon the length of my difcourfe upon Milton. The Paradife Loft is looked upon, by the beft judges, as the greatest production, or at least the nobleft work of genius in our language, and therefore deferves to be fet before an English reader in its full beauty. For this reason, tho' I have endevor'd to give a general idea of its graces and imperfections in my fix firft papers, I thought myself obliged to bestow one upon every book in particular. The three first books I have already difpatched, and am now entering upon the fourth. I need not acquaint my reader that there are multitudes of beauties in this great author, efpecially in the defcriptive parts of his poem, which I have not touched upon, it being my intention to point out those only, which appear to me the moft exquifite, or thofe which are not fo obvious to ordinary readers. Every one that has read the critics who have written upon the Odyffey, the Iliad, and the Eneid, knows very well, that

in Heav'n aloud,

Then

though they agree in their opinions of the great beauties in those poems, they have nevertheless each of them discovered feveral mafterftrokes, which have escaped the obfervation of the reft. In the fame manner, I question not, but any writer who fhall treat of this fubject after me, may find several beauties in Milton, which I have not taken notice of. I must likewife obferve, that as the greatest mafters of critical learning differ among one another, as to fome particular points in an epic poem, I have not bound myself fcrupuloufly to the rules which any one of them has laid down upon that art, but have taken the liberty fometimes to join with one, and fometimes with another, and fometimes to differ from all of them, when I have thought that the reafon of the thing was on my fide.

Addifon.

1. O for that warning voice, &c.] The poet opens this book with a with in the manner of Shakespear, O for a mufe of fire &c. Prolog. to Henry V. O for a falkner's voice &c. Romeo and Juliet, Act II. and in order to raise the horror and at

tention

Then when the Dragon, put to second rout,
Came furious down to be reveng'd on men,
Woe to th' inhabitants on earth! that now,

While time was, our first parents had been warn'd
The coming of their fecret foe, and fcap'd,
Haply fo fcap'd his mortal fnare: for now
Satan, now firft enflam'd with rage, came down,
The tempter ere th' accufer of mankind,
To wreck on innocent frail man his lofs

Of that first battel, and his flight to Hell:
Yet not rejoicing in his fpeed, though bold
Far off and fearlefs, nor with cause to boaft,
Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth
Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breaft,

tention of his reader, introduces his relation of Satan's adventures upon earth by wifhing that the fame warning voice had been utter'd now at Satan's firft coming, that St. John, who in a vifion faw the Apocalyps or Revelation of the moft remarkable events which were to befall the Chriftian Church to the end of the world, heard when the Dragon (that old Serpent, called the Devil and Satan) was put to fecond rout. Rev. XII. 12. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the fea, for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath.

10. th' accufer of mankind]

5

10

15

And

As he is reprefented in that fame. chapter of the Revelation, which the poet is ftill alluding to. For the accufer of our brethren is caft down, which accufed them before our God day and night, ver. 10.

13. Yet not rejoicing in bis Speed,] Does not this confirm what I have obferved of ver. 741. of the preceding book, and prove that Milton did not intend by it to attribute any sportive motion to Satan for joy that he was fo near his journey's end? Thyer. No more than II. 1011. But glad that now his fea should find a shore, and III. 740. Sped with hop'd fuccefs,

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