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in their way to or from Berne.-It is the fame thing if they begin contrarily, and finish at Bafie. In both cafes, in examining the Travels through Swifferland, and in confulting the map, we fee, that the road which we have taken makes an elbow, and there'fore one may take it as a particular excurfion, but it occafions the lofs of time in a general tour. Every traveller hurries to the Alps, not believing that he can leave behind him any objects worth retarding his progrefs. We should have done like others, if we had not been willing to go to Soleure in three days, and to employ the time in going to Bienne, to avoid returning any more on our steps. Be that as it may, I fhould advife every curious traveller, and admirer of the beauties of nature, to take that route, and to allow one or two days more, not only because the journey to Bienne is too great, but because it would be proper to ftop in the route, in order to know the regimen of the country, aud to be able to align the reafon of the difference between the lands of the Bishoprick and of thofe which he has feen and will fee, for there is no effect with out a caufe, and those causes appear to me curious and interesting.

I return to our route.-I have faid that we were willing to arrive at Lauffen. The road was only a preparation for that which was to follow; and, in effect, it seems as if Nature led you on by degrees to the great objects with which the astonishes the obferver. This road is a poem, of which the movement seems, if not regular, at least calculated to please, strike, and annihilate our little pride, under the weight of the "great works of Nature. To Delemont the valley, often picturefque, has yet nothing truly impofing; fome gay fituations, fet off by the fine masses of foreft with which the mountains are clothed; meadows which border the road, and cut in a thousand different manners; the verdure is delicious, and upon which the eye returns to repofe itfelf with new pleafure; in a word, the picturefque of the groups, and of the novel fituations common in the mountains, form a fcene with which one would be already enchanted, if we were to go no further. after having traverfed the plain of Delemont, and a village called Corendenin, we enter into a ravine rather than a valley, dug by the torrent which rolls beneath the road, and it is then that the true romantic begins. I cannot better give a general idea than by faying, that it is the fublime model of the finest pictures of Salvator Rofa. One seems annihilated beneath the enormous height of the rocks, which narrow in and contain the road and the torrent, varying their forms to in

But

finity, opening only to let cafcades efcape. This fcene, which engages the more as it is more new, is not interrupted within a league of the village, but by the widening of the valley, and then you have the view of a landfkip charming; a noble rivulet which turns a mill; houses, fome agreeably fituated; fome portions of meadow, and cultivated lands: a milder flope of the mountains, furnifhed with fine woods, form fuddenly a charming view which was not expected, and which the eye embraces at once, because all the objects are difpofed upon an immense amphitheatre, that makes the back ground of the picture, and is not one of its least beauties. Further, in following always a very picturesque way, you arrive at a place where the rocks approach each other; where the torrent changes its direction in quitting the left and turning to the right: you país it over a bridge half covered by two maffes of rock, which are naturally opened to the bottom; and all of a fudden you quit this fombre place, to enter an amphitheatre of which the chord may be 600 feet long. To the left the rock enlarges itself in an immenfe half circle; it has at least 400 feet of perpendicular elevation, and feems to have been dug by a mass of waters frightful to conceive. It feems as if you followed the current upon the rock; its furface is softened and polished by the friction of the waters. I may have deceived myself, but it seems written upon the rock in striking characters. All the interior of this prodigious amphitheatre is fuch as can be conceived only upon the spot. It is garnished with wood; the nakedness of the rock is interrupted by trees of a low growth, and some shrubs growing in the clefts and interftices. In following it ftill further, the scene only varies, but the aspect is not lefs fublime; and every hundred fteps you fee and hear the noise of currents that fall in cafcades, which have carried with them portions of the rock detached by the frofts, leaving buttreffes of rock, as if to fupport that immenfe wall, laying bare openings and immenfe clefts; and the top of this fuperb edifice is a fort of wall of perpendicular rock, which feems to menace the paffenger with its fall. I feek to recal to my mind for the future what I have feen, but I know the impoffibility of defcribing it to my friends; the variety, the fublimity, the impofing grandeur, the effect of the lights, the groups, the maffes of trees, and the verdure, forming a spectacle beyond what the most fervid imagination of a great painter can ever figure to itself.

The fcene continues for many leagues, but finishes short of Moutiers Grandval, (To be continued.)

For

For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

FRAGMENTS by LE O.

No. XIII.

A CRITIQUE on the SAMSON AGONISTES of MILTON, in REFUTA TION of the CENSURES of Dr. JOHNSON.

ARefpectable writer has fome time ago, in a periodical paper, thought proper to pafs a very fevere fentence on. that excellent tragedy, the Samfon Ago. niftes of Milton. After having given his epitome of it, "This is undoubtedly, "(fays he) a juft and regular catastrophe, "and the poem therefore has a begin"ning and an end which Ariftotle him"felf could not have difapproved. But "it must be allowed to want a middle, "fince nothing paffes between the first "act and the lait that either haftens or "delays the death of Samfon. The "whole drama, if its fuperfluities were "cut off, would fcarcely fill a fingle act, "yet this is the tragedy which ignorance "has admired, and bigotry applauded." But confident and dogmatical as this fevere cenfure is, we doubt not of convincing the reader that it is extremely illfounded. The ftory of Samfon certainly affords a proper and eligible fubject for at tragedy on the Greek model, and that mo. del Milton has preferred. To judge justly therefore of Samfon Agoniftes, we muit confider the conduct of fome of the moft celebrated of the Greek tragedies. The different tragedies on the ftory of Edipus, have, fince the days of Ariftotle, been efteemed the models of perfection; and the middle of every one of them confifts of new light and information breaking in by degrees, which by degrees alfo produces an alteration of mind in dipus; and that alteration of mind, in the most natural and regular manner, produces the catastrophe. Exactly in the fame manner is the conduct of the Samfon Agoniftes; and if it is found that the cataftrophe of Milton's tragedy is dependant on, and produced by, an alteration of mind in Samfon, which alteration is produced by a train of circumftances and converfations, it must follow that it has a juft and regular middle, in the true fpirit of the Greek tragedy.

And that the Samfon Agonistes has fuch a middle, will be evident from the following impartial epitome of its con

duct.

The beginning.-The Philistines keep a high festival in honour of their God VOL. XIII,

Dagon, to whom they afcribe the overthrow and captivity of their great enemy Samfon. Samfon, their prifoner, has had his eyes put out, and is a flave to grind at their public mill; but is refpited from labour on this holiday. The poem here opens with Samfon fpeaking to a guide:

To thefe dark steps, a little farther on;
A little onward lend thy guiding hand
For yonder bank hath choice of fun or shade:

There I am wont to fit when any chance
Relieves me from my task of fervile toil-

*

Samfon having difmiffed his guide, falls into a very natural foliloquy on the prophecies of his birth, that he was to deliver Ifrael, and defcribes and laments his blindnefs in the most pathetic man

ner:

This day a folemn feaft the people hold
To Dagon their fea-idol, and forbid
Laborious works; unwillingly this reft
Their fuperftition yields me-

-Promife was that I
Should Ifrael from Philiftian yoke deliver;
Afk for this great deliverer now, and find him
Eyelefs in Gaza, at the mill with flaves,
Himself in bonds under Philiftian yoke.

And as the feftival must have been known round the neighbourhood, nothing can be more natural than that Samfon's friends fhould take that opportunity of his refpite to vifit him. And a chorus of Danites (his tribe) accordingly come to fee, and converfe with him. And old Manoah his father next arrives. Here ends the beginning, which, as our fevere critic allows, is fuch as "Ariftotle himfelf could not have difapproved."-The middle now commences in the true fpirit and manner of the Greek tragedy. Samfon's mind is worked upon by different vifitors, and by extremely natural and proper gradations is brought to a deter mination which as naturally produces the catastrophe. Manoah laments the deplorable condition of his fon, and Samon feverely condemns himself. The following is strikingly pointed: Fif

-foul

foul Effeminacy held me yok'd Hér bond-flave; O indignity! O blot To honour and religion! Servile mind, Rewarded well with fervile punishment ! The bafe degree to which I now am fall'n, These rags, this grinding is not yet so base As was my former fervitude; ignoble, Unmanly, ignominious, infamous,

True flavery, and that blindness worse than this,

That faw not how degenerately I ferv'd.

Manoah replies, equally condemning his fubjection to Philiftine women, but ftill with a mixture of paternal tendernefs :

-Thou bear'st

Enough; and more, the burden of that fault;
Bitterly haft thou paid, and still art paying
That rigid fcore. A worfe thing yet remains.
This day the Philiftines a popular feast
Here celebrate in Gaza, and proclaim
Great pomp and facrifice, and praises loud
To Dagon, as their god who hath delivered
Thee, Samfon, bound and blind, into their
hands-

So Dagon fhall be magnified, and God, Befides whom is no God, compared with idols,

Difglorified, blafphem'd, and had in fcorn--Which to have come to pafs by means of thee, Samfon, of all thy fufferings think the heavieft,

Of all reproach the most with shame that ever Could have befall'n thee or thy father's house.

Samfon with generous contrition a knowledges,

--I this honour, I this pomp have brought
To Dagon, and advanc'd his praises high
Among the heathen round; to God have
brought

Dishonour, obloquy, and op'd the mouths
Of idolifts and atheists; have brought scandal
To Ifrael, diffidence of God, and doubt
In feeble hearts-

And with confufion blank his worshippers. Manoab. With cause this hope relieves thee, and these words

I as a prophecy receive———

Progreffive impreffions on the mind of Samfon have in the above citations been artfully delineated, and continued in juft fucceffion. Manoah informs his fon that he intends to treat with the Philistine lords for his ransom, of which he expreffes good hope. But this the perturbed mind of Samfon at first rejects.

Samfon. Spare that propofal, father, fpare

the trouble

Of that folicitation; let me here, As I deferve, pay on my punishment, And expiate, if poffible, my crimeAnd with manly feeling he resents the idea of his being an useless and idle bur den at home:

To what can I be useful, wherein ferve
My nation, and the work from heaven im-
pos'd,

But to fit idle on the household hearth,
A burd'nous drone, to vifitants a gaze,
Or pity'd object-

-till length of years And fedentary numbnefs craze my limbs, Here rather let me drudge, and earn mỹ To a contemptible old age obscure. bread,

Till vermin, or the draff of fervile toil
Confume nie-

Man. Wilt thou then ferve the Philiftines
with that gift

Which was exprefsly given thee to annoy them ?

Better at home lie bed-rid, not only idle, Inglorious, unemploy'd, with age out-worn. But God, who caus'd a fountain at thy prayer From the dry ground to spring

--can as eafy

Caufe Night again within thy eyes to spring, Wherewith to ferve him better than thos haft:

Which is my chief affliction, shame and for And Iperfuade me fo: Why else this strength,

row,

The anguish of my foul, that suffers not Mine eye to harbour fleep, or thoughts to reft.

This only hope relieves me, that the ftrife
With ine hath end; all the contest is now
'Twixt God and Dagon; Dagon hath pre-
fum'd,

Me overthrown, to enter lifts with God.
He, be fure,

Will not connive or linger thus provok’d;
But will arife, and his great name affert :
Dagon must stoop, and thali ere long receive
Sucia a difcomfit, as shall quite defpoil him
Of all thefe boafled trophies won on me,

Miraculous, yet remaining-

His might continues in thee not for nought, Nor fhall his wond'rous gifts be frustrate thus. Sam. All otherwife to me my thoughts

portend

But yield to double darkness nigh at hand:
So much I feel my genial spirits droop,
My hopes all flat, nature within me feems
In all her functions weary of herself,
My race of glory run, and race of shame,
And I fhall fhortly be with them that rest.

The hopes with which Manoah endeavours to impress the mind of his fon, and Samfon's prefage that his death was

nigh

Righ at hand, in the above moft beautiful fpeech, are truly in the fpirit and conduct of the Grecian tragedy, in leading on the minds of its beroes, fo as in the moft natural manner to produce the cataftrophe. The father thus replies: Believe not these fuggeftions, which proceed From anguish of the mind, and humours black That mingle with thy fancy. I, however, Muft not omit a father's timely care To profecute the means of thy deliverance By ranfom, or how elfe: meanwhile be

calm,

And healing words from thefe thy friends admit.

To fay, that in thefe expoftulations, between Manoah and his fon, the Drama is advancing towards no event, is perverfenefs indeed. Manoah is now difmiffed, and Samfon and the Chorus continue preparatory difcourfes of the fame progreffive nature. And Samfon's per turbation of mind and dark forebodings, like thofe of Edipus, are gradually heightened by the appearance of Dalila and Harapha, a gigantic boafter.

Dalila, his wife and traitrefs, perfumed and richly dreffed, with a damfel train approaches. She pretends remorfe for betraying him, implores forgiveness, and boasts of the love and affection with which she will attend him after having obtained his deliverance. Samfon's refentments of her former treachery will not truft her. After fome dialogue highly characteristic, Dalila throws off the mask of affection, boafts of what she had done to her country's enemy, and bafely infults Kim. The agitation of Samfon's mind thus increased, is ftill farther gravated by the boats of the giant Harapha, who, on Samfon's thrice challenging him to fingle combat, retires, threatening the revenge of a coward:

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Har, By Afhtaroth, ere long, thou shalt lament

Thefe braveries in irons loaden on thee.

Cho. He will directly to the Lords, I fear, And with malicious counsel stir them up Some way or other yet farther to afflict thee,

Undaunted by the worft of prospects, Samfon replies,

But come what will, my deadliest foe will

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Thou know'ft I am an Hebrew, therefore tell them,

Our law forbids at their religious rites
My prefence; for that cause I cannot come.

Samfon perfifts, the meffenger retires, and the Chorus, apprehenfive that his report may produce greater evils to Samfon, intimate their wifh, that he had obeyed the fummons. He replies, urging the impiety of

Vaunting bis ftrength in honour to their Dagon:

and fays, that "not dragging" fhould conftrain him to the temple of the idol. Yet his dark forebodings more and more agitate his mind.

To the officer's departing speech,

I am forry what this ftoutnefs will produce, he had replied,

Perhaps thou fhalt have cause to forrow in

deed.

And now having mentioned how un. pardonable he would be in the fight of God, were he to be willingly prefent at idol-worship, his revolving mind adds, Yet that he may dispense with me or thee Prefent in temples at idolatrous rites, For fome important cause, thou need'ft not doubt.

The middle is here pointedly drawing to a conclufion. The Chorus perceive that the agitation of his mind is about fomething important, that his temper is now worked up, and big with a change of conduct.

Cho, How thou wilt here come off, fur

mounts my reach.

Sam. Be of good courage! I begin to feel Some roufing motions in me, which dispose To fomething extraordinary in my thoughts. I with the meffenger will go along, Nothing to do, be fure, that may dishonour Our law, or ftain my vow of Nazarite. If there be aught of prefage in the mind, Fffa Thi

This day will be remarkable in my life
By fome great act, or of my days the last.

After addreffing himself to the meffenger, who is now returned, he again affures his brethren, the Chorus,

Happen what may, of me expect to hear Nothing dishonourable, impure, unworthy Our God, or law, my nation, or myself, The laft of me or no I cannot warrant, Cho. Go, and the Holy One

Of Ifrael be thy guide

To what may ferve his glory best-
Send thee the angel of thy birth, to stand
Faft by thy fide-

that spirit that first rush'd on thee

In the camp of Dan

"poets, unequalled yet by any, and the " beft rule to all who endeavour to write "tragedy."

Our critic has allowed that the Samfon Agoniftes" has a beginning and an "end which Ariftotle himself could not

have difapproved." And we trust our reader is now convinced, that it has alfo a juft and regular middle, which produces the catastrophe. The progressive change of temper in Samfon is evidently the cause of his confenting to go to the temple of Dagon. The Chorus remains, and old Manoah, "with youthful "fteps," almot immediately joins them, elated with the hopes of procuring his fon's liberty by ranfom, when he ab

Be efficacious in thee now at need-
But wherefore comes old Manoah in fuch ruptly exclaims,

hafte

With youthful steps

Here the middle is evidently fummed up; and he who reads the Samfon Agoniftes, and cannot perceive the progreffive workings of the mind of Samion, arifing naturally from the incidents which follow the opening or beginning of the tragedy, muft either be grofsly inattentive, or prejudiced indeed. That Samfon's mind is in a very different ftate, when he bids the Chorus farewell, from that in which they found him, is fo felfevident on attentive perufal, that it is truly aftonishing how a refpcctable critic could hazard the affertion, that "nothing palles between the first act and the laft, that either haftens or delays the death of Samfon." Every thing, on the contrary, tends to haften it, by artfully producing, by degrees, that temper of mind which leads Samfon to the temple of Dagon. The tragedy had therefore a juft and true middle, on the Greek model. And frange it is, that our fevere critic Should have difregarded or overlooked Milton's own defence of the conduct of his own fable. "Divition into act and *fcene," fays our great and learned poet; referring chiefly to the stage (to which this work never was intended) is here

* omitted.

"It fuffices if the whole drama be found not produced beyond the fifth "act. Of the style and uniformity, and that commonly called the plot, whether intricate or explicit, which is nothing indeed but fuch economy, or difpofition of the fable as may ftand beft with verifimilitude and decorum, they only will beft judge who are not unacquainted with Eichylus, Sophos cles, and Euripides, the three tragic

What noife or fhout was that? It tore the sky. Cho. Doubtless the people shouting to be

hold

Their once great dread, captive and blind before them,

Or at fome proof of ftrength before them fhewn.

Man. His ranfom, if my whole inheri

tance

May compafs it, fhall willingly be paid And number'd down. Much rather and I fhall choofe

To live the pooreft in my tribe, than richest, And he in that calamitous prifon left.

Old Manoah thus immediately recurring to the ransom of his son, It shall be my delight to tend his eyes, And fee him fitting in the house, ennobled With all thofe high exploits by him atchiev'd. is finely expreffive of the feelings of the father. Another fhout is heard, noah is the first to obferve it:

O what noife!

Ma

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