ADAM, in the next place, defcribes a Conference which he held with his Maker upon the Subject of Solitude. The Poet here reprefents the fupreme Being, as making an Effay of his own Work, and putting to the tryal that reafoning Faculty, with which he had endued his Creature. Adam urges, in this divine Colloquy, the Impoffibility of his being happy, tho' he was the Inhabitant of Paradife, and Lord of the whole Creation, without the Converfation and Society of fome rational Creature, who thould partake thofe Bleffings with him. This Dialogue, which is fupported chiefly by the Beauty of the Thoughts, without other poetical Ornaments, is as fine a Part as any in the whole Poem: The more the Reader examines the Juftnefs and Delicacy of its Sentiments, the more he will find himfelf pleafed with it. The Poet has wonderfully preferved the Character of Majefty and Condefcenfion in the Creator, and at the fame time that of Humility and Adoration in the Creature, as particularly in thefe beautiful Lines:

Thus I prefumptuous; and the Vifion bright,
As with a Smile more brightned, thus reply'd, &c.
-I, with leave of Speech implor'd

And humble Deprecation, thus reply'd:
Let not my Words offend thee, Heav'nly Power,
My Maker, be propitious while I fpeak, &c.

ADAM then proceeds to give an account of his fecond Sleep, and of the Dream in which he beheld the Formation of Eve. The new Paffion that was awaken'd in him at the fight of her, is touch'd very finely.

Under his forming Hands a Creature grew,
Manlike, but different Sex: fo lovely fair,
That what feem'd fair in all the World, feem'd now
Mean, or in her fumm'dup, in her contain'd,
And in her Looks, which from that time infus'd
Sweetness into my Heart, unfelt before:
And into all things from her Air infpir'd
The Spirit of Love and amorous Delight.

ADAM'S

ADAM's Diftrefs upon lofing fight of this beautiful Phantom, with his Exclamations of Joy and Gratitude at the difcovery of a real Creature, who refembled the Apparition which had been presented to him in his Dream; the Approaches he makes to her, and his Manner of Courtfhip; are all laid together in a moft exquifite Propriety of Sentiments.

THO' this Part of the Poem is work'd up with great Warmth and Spirit, the Love which is described in it is If the Reaevery way fuitable to a State of Innocence. der compares the Defcription which Adam here gives of his leading Eve to the Nuptial Bower, with that which Mr. Dryden has made on the fame occafion in a Scene of his Fall of Man, he will be fenfible of the great care which Milton took to avoid all Thoughts on fo delicate a Subject,' that might be offenfive to Religion or Good-Manners. The Sentiments are chatte, but not cold; and convey to the Mind Ideas of the moft tranfporting Paffion, and of the greareft Purity. What a noble Mixture of Rapture and Innocence has the Author join'd together, in the Reflection which Adam makes on the Pleasures of Love, com pared to thofe of Senfe.

Thus have I told thee all my State, and brought
My Story to the fum of earthly Bliss,

Which I enjoy and must confefs to find

In all things elfe Delight indeed, but fuch

As us'd or not, works in the Mind no Change

Nor vehement Defire; thefe Delicacies

I mean of Tafte, Sight, Smell, Herbs, Fruits, and

Flowers,

Walks, and the Melody of Birds: but here

Far otherwife tranfported I behold,
Transported touch; here Paffion first I felt,
Commotion frange! in all Enjoyments elfe
Superiour and unmov'd, here only weak
Against the Charm of Beauty's powerful Glance
Or Nature fail'd in me, and left fome Part
Not proof enough fuch Object to fuftain;
Or from my Side fubducting, took perhaps
FS

Mora

More than enough; at least on her bestow'd
Too much of Ornament, in outward fhew
Elaborate, of inward lefs exact.

-When I approach

Her Loveliness, fo abfolute the feems
And in ber felf compleat, fo well to know
Her own, that what she wills to do or fay
Seems wifeft, vertuouseft, difcreeteft, best:
All higher Knowledge in her Prefence falls
Degraded: Wifdom in difcourfe with her
Lofes difcountenanc'd, and like Folly fhews;
Authority and Reafon on her wait,
As one intended first, not after made
Occafionally and to confummate all,
Greatnefs of Mind, and Nobleness their Seat
Build in her loveliest, and create an Awe
About her, as a Guard angelick plac'd,

THESE Sentiments of Love, in our firft Parent, gave the Angel fuch an infight into human Nature, that he feems apprehenfive of the Evils which might befal the Species in general, as well as Adam in particular, from the Excefs of this Paffion. He therefore fortifies him against it by timely Admonitions; which very artfully prepare the Mind of the Reader for the Occurrences of the next Book, where the Weakness of which Adam here gives fuch diftant Discoveries, brings about that fatal Event which is the Subject of the Poem. His Difcourfe, which follows the gentle Rebuke he received from the Angel, fhews that his Love, however violent it might appear, was ftill founded in Reason, and confequently not improper for Paradife.

Neither her outfide Form fo fair, nor aught

In Procreation common to all kinds,
(Tho' higher of the genial Bed by far,
And with mysterious Reverence I deem)
So much delights me, as thofe graceful Acts,
Thofe thousand Decencies that daily flow

From all her Words and Actions, mixt with Love
And Sweet Compliance, which declare unfeign'd

Union of Mind, or in us both one Soul;
Harmony to behold in wedded Pair!

ADAM's Speech, at parting with the Angel, has in it ́ a Deference and Gratitude agreeable to an inferior Nature, and at the fame time a certain Dignity and Greatness fuitable to the Father of Mankind in his State of Innocence.

L

No 346. Monday, April 7.

Confuetudinem benignitatis largitioni munerum longe ante-pono. Hac eft gravium hominum atque magnorum; Illa quafi affentatorum populi, multitudinis levitatem voluptate quafi titillantium.

W

Tull.

WHEN we confider the Offices of human Life, there is, methinks, fomething in what we ordinarily call Generofity, which when carefully examined, feems to flow rather from a loose and unguarded -Temper, than an honeft and liberal Mind. For this reafon it is abfolutely neceffary that all Liberality fhould have for its Bafis and Support Frugality. By this means the beneficent Spirit works in a Man from the Convictions of Reason, not from the Impulfes of Paffion. The generous Man, in the ordinary acceptation, without refpect to the De-mands of his Family, will foon find, upon the Foot of his Account, that he has facrificed to Fools, Knaves, Flatterers, or the deservedly Unhappy, all the Opportunities of affording any future Affiftance where it ought to be. Let him therefore reflect, that if to bestow be in it felf lauda ble, fhould not a Man take care to fecure an Ability to do things praife-worthy as long as he lives? Or could there be a more cruel Piece of Raillery upon a Man who fhould ! have reduc'd his Fortune below the Capacity of acting according to his natural Temper, than to fay of him, That Gentleman was generous? My beloved Author therefore

has,

N° 346. has, in the Sentence on the top of my Paper, turned his Eye with a certain Satiety from beholding the Addreffes to the People by Largeffes and publick Entertainments, which he afferts to be in general vicious, and are always to be regulated according to the Circumftances of Time and a Man's own Fortune. A conftant Benignity in Commerce with the rest of the World, which ought to run through all a Man's Actions, has Effects more useful to those whom you oblige and lefs oftentatious in your felf. He turns his Recommendation of this Virtue in commercial Life: and according to him a Citizen who is frank in his Kindneffes, and abhors Severity in his Demands; he who in buying, felling, lending, doing Acts of good Neighbourhood, is juft and eafy; he who appears naturally averfe to Difputes, and above the Senfe of little Sufferings; bears a nobler Character, and does much more good to Mankind, than any other Man's Fortune without Commerce can poffibly fupport. For the Citizen above all other Men bas Opportunities of arriving at the highest Fruits of Wealth, to be liberal without the leaft Expence of a Man's own Fortune. It is not to be denied but fuch a Practice is liable to hazard; but this therefore adds to the Obligation, that, among Traders, he who obliges is as much concerned to keep the Favour a Secret, as he who receives it. The unhappy Diftinctions among us in England are fo great, that to celebrate the Intercourfe of commercial Friendship, (with which I am daily made acquainted) would be to raife the virtuous Man fo many Enemies of the contrary Party. I am obliged to conceal all I know of Tom the Bounteous, who lends at the ordinary Interest, to give Men of lefs Fortune Opportunities of making greater Advantages. He conceals, under a rough Air and diftant Behaviour, a bleeding Compaffion and womanish Tendernefs. This is governed by the most exact Circumfpection, that there is no Industry wanting in the Perfon whom he is to ferve, and that he is guilty of no improper Expences. This I know of Tom, but w dares fay it of fo known a Tory? The fame Care I was forced to use fome time ago in the Report of another's Virtue, and faid fifty instead of an hundred, because the Man I pointed at was a Whig. Actions