Action, or to fill up little Intervals of Difcourfe, I can bear with them; but then they must not use it when ' another is fpeaking, who ought to be heard with too much refpect, to admit of offering at that time from hand to hand the Snuff-Box. But Flavilla is fo far taken ' with her Behaviour in this kind, that the pulls out her Box (which is indeed full of good Brazile) in the mid'dle of the Sermon; and to shew she has the Audacity of C a well-bred Woman, fhe offers it the Men as well as 'the Women who fit near her: But fince by this Time all 'the World knows fhe has a fine Hand, I am in hopes ' she may give her self no further trouble in this matter. 'On Sunday was fevennight, when they came about for the Offering, fhe gave her Charity with a very good Air, but at the fame Time asked the Church-warden if he 'would take a Pinch. Pray, Sir, think of these things in time, and you will oblige, T Sir, your most humble Servant. N° 345. Saturday, April 5. Sanctius his animal, mentifque capacius alta T Ov. Mes HE Accounts which Raphael gives of the Battel of Angels, and the Creation of the World, have in them thofe Qualifications which the Criticks judge requifite to an Episode. They are nearly related to the principal Action, and have a just Connection with the Fable. THE eighth Book opens with a beautiful Defcription of the Impreffion which this Difcourfe of the Archangel made on our first Parent. Adam afterwards, by a very natural Curiofity, enquires concerning the Motions of thofe Celeftial Bodies which make the moft glorious Appearance a F 2 mong mong the fix days Works. The Poet here, with a great deal of Art, represents Eve as withdrawing from this part of their Converfation, to Amusements more fuitable to her Sex. He well knew, that the Episode in this Book, which is filled with Adam's Account of his Paffion and Esteem for Eve, would have been improper for her hearing, and has therefore devised very juft and beautiful Reasons for her retiring. Se fpake our Sire, and by his Count'nance feem'd Of what was high: Such Pleasure fhe reserved, Not Words alone pleas'd her. O when meet now THE Angel's returning a doubtful Answer to Adam's Enquiries, was not only proper for the moral Reafon which the Poet affigns, but because it would have been highly abfurd to have given the Sanction of an Archangel to any particular Syftem of Philofophy. The chief Points in the Ptolemaick and Copernican Hypothefis are defcribed with great Concifenefs and Perfpicuity, and at the fame time dreffed in very pleafing and poetical Images. ADAM, to detain the Angel, enters afterwards upon his own Hiftory, and relates to him the Circumstances in which which he found himself upon his Creation; as alfo his Converfation with his Maker, and first meeting with Eve There is no part of the Poem more apt to raise the Attention of the Reader, than this Difcourfe of our great Anceftor; as nothing can be more furprizing and delightful to us, than to hear the Sentiments that arofe in the firft Man while he was yet new and fresh from the Hands of his Creator. The Poet has interwoven every thing which is delivered upon this Subject in Holy Writ with fo many beautiful Imaginations of his own, that nothing can be conceived more just and natural than this whole Episode. As our Author knew this Subject could not but be agreeable to his Reader, he would not throw it into the Relation of the fix days Works, but referved it for a diftinct Episode, that he might have an opportunity of expatiating upon it more at large. Before I enter on this part of the Poem, I cannot but take notice of two fhining Paffages in the Dialogue between Adam and the Angel. The firft is that wherein our Anceltor gives an account of the pleasure he took in converfing with him, which contains a very no~ ble Moral. For while I fit with thee, I feem in Heav'n, THE other I fhall mention, is that in which the Angel gives a reason why he fhould be glad to hear the Story Adam was about to relate. For I that day was abfent, as befel, Bound on a Voyage uncouth and obfcure; Squar'd in full Legion (fuch Command we had ); F 3 Left Left he, incens'd at fuch Eruption bold, 1 THERE is no queftion but our Poet drew the Image in what follows from that in Virgil's fixth Book, where Eneas and the Sibyl ftand before the Adamantine Gates, which are there defcrib'd as fhut upon the Place of Torments, and liften to the Groans, the Clank of Chains, and the Noife of Iron Whips, that were heard in those Regions of Pain and Sorrow. Faft we found, faft shut The difmal Gates, and barricado'd ftrong; ADAM then proceeds to give an account of his Condition and Sentiments immediately after his Creation. How agreeably does he reprefent the Pofture in which he found himself, the beautiful Landskip that furrounded him, and the Gladness of Heart which grew up in him on that occafion? As new waked from foundest Sleep, Soft on the flow'ry Herb 1 found me laid AD AM is afterwards defcrib'd as furprized at his own Existence, and taking a furvey of himself, and of all the Works Works of Nature. He likewife is reprefented as difcovering by the Light of Reason, that he and every thing about him must have been the Effect of fome Being infinitely good and powerful, and that this Being had a right tohis Worship and Adoration. His firft Addrefs to the Sun, and to thofe Parts of the Creation which made the most diftinguished Figure, is very natural and amufing to the Imagination. -Thou Sun, faid I, fair Light, And thou enlightened Earth, fo fresh and gay, HIS next Sentiment, when upon his firft going to fleep he fancies himself lofing his Existence, and falling away into nothing, can never be fufficiently admired. His Dream, in which he still preferves the Consciousness of his Existence, together with his Removal into the Garden which was prepared for his Reception, are alfo Circumftances finely imagined, and grounded upon what is delivered in Sacred Story. THESE and the like wonderful Incidents in this Part of the Work, have in them all the Beauties of Novelty, at the fame time that they have all the Graces of Nature. They are fuch as none but a great Genius could have thought of, tho', upon the perufal of them, they seem to rife of themselves from the Subject of which he treats. In a word, tho' they are natural, they are not obvious, which is the true Character of all fine Writing. THE Impreffion which the Interdiction of the Tree of Life left in the Mind of our firft Parent, is described with great Strength and Judgment; as the Image of the feveral Beafts and Birds paffing in review before him iş very beautiful and lively. Each Bird and Beast behold Approaching two and two, thefe cowring low With Blandifhment; each Bird ftoop'd on his Wing: F 4 ADAM, |