the Tyrrhene Seas, and within Sight of Italy, because the Action propofed to be celebrated was that of his fettling himself in Latium. But because it was neceffary for the Reader to know what had happened to him in the taking of Troy, and in the preceding Parts of his Voyage, Virgil makes his Hero relate it by way of Episode in the fecond and third Books of the Eneid. The Contents of both which Books come before thofe of the first Book in the Thread of the Story, tho' for preferving of this Unity of Action, they follow them in the Difpofition of the Poem. Milton, in Imitation of these two great Poets, opens his Paradife Loft with an Infernal Council plotting the Fall of Man, which is the Action he proposed to ce lebrate; and as for those great Actions, which preceded in Point of Time, the Battle of the Angels, and the Creation of the World, (which would have entirely deftroyed the Unity of his principal Action, had he related them in the fame Order that they happened) he caft them into the fifth, fixth, and seventh Books, by way of Epifode to this noble Poem.

ARISTOTLE himfelf allows, that Homer has nothing. to boast of as to the Unity of his Fabie, tho' at the fame Time that great Critick and Philofopher endeavours to palliate this Imperfection in the Greek Poet, by imputing it in fome Measure to the very Nature of an Epic Poem. Some have been of Opinion, that the Eneid alfo labours in this Particular, and has Episodes which may be looked upon as Excrefcencies rather than as Parts of the Action. On the contrary, the Poem which we have now under our Confideration, hath no other Episodes than fuch as naturally arife from the Subject, and yet is filled with fuch a Multitude of aftonishing Incidents, that it gives us at the fame Time a Pleasure of the greatest Variety, and of the greatest Simplicity; uniform in its Nature, tho" diverfified in the Execution.

I must observe alfo, that as Virgil in the Poem which was defigned to celebrate the Original of the Roman Empire, has described the Birth of its great Rival, the Carthaginian Commonwealth: Milton, with the like Art, in his Poem on the Fall of Man, has related the Fall of those Angels who are his profeffed Enemies. Befides the many other Beauties in fuch an Episode, its running parallel

with the great Action of the Poem, hinders it from breaking Unity fo much as another Episode would have done, that had not fo great an Affinity with the principal Subject. In fhort, this is the fame kind of Beauty which the Criticks admire in the Spanish Fryar, or the Double Difcovery, where the two different Plots look like Counterparts and Copies of one another.

THE fecond Qualification required in the Action of an Epic Poem, is, that it should be an entire Action An Action is entire when it is compleat in all its Parts; or, as Ariftotle defcribes it, when it confifts of a Beginning, a Middle, and an End. Nothing fhould go before it, be intermixed with it, or follow after it, that is not related to it. As on the contrary, no fingle Step fhould be omitted in that juft and regular Procefs which it must be supposed to take from its Original to its Confummation. Thus we fee the Anger of Achilles in its Birth, its Continuance and Effects; and Æneas's Settlement in Italy, carried on thro all the Oppofitions in his Way to it both by Sea and Land. The Action in Milton excels (I think) both the former in this Particular; we fee it contrived in Hell, executed upon Earth, and punished by Heaven. The Parts of it are told in the most distinct Manner, and grow out of one another in the most natural Method.

THE third Qualification of an Epic Poem is its Greatnefs. The Anger of Achilles was of fuch Confequence,, that it embroil'd the Kings of Greece, deftroyed the Heroes of Troy, and engaged all the Gods in Factions. Eneas's Settlement in Italy produced the Cafars, and gave Birth to the Roman Empire. Milton's Subject was ftill greater than either of the former; it does not determine the Fate of fingle Perfons or Nations, but of a whole Species. The united Powers of Hell are joined together for the Deftruction of Mankind, which they effected in Part, and would have compleated, had not Omnipotence itself interpofed. The principal Actors are, Man in his greatest Perfection, and Woman in her higheft Beauty. Their Enemies are the fallen Angels: The Meffiah their Friend, and the Almighty their Protector. In fhort, every thing that is great in the whole Circle of Being, whether within the Verge of Nature, or out of it, has a proper Part affigned it in this admirable Poem.

IN Poetry, as in Architecture, not only the whole, but the principal Members, and every Part of them, fhould be great. I will not prefume to fay, that the Book of Games in the Eneid, or that in the Iliad, are not of this Nature, nor to reprehend Virgil's Simile of the Top, and many other of the fame Kind in the Iliad, as liable to any Cenfure in this Particular; but I think we may fay,without derogating from thofe wonderful Performances, that there is an indifputable and unqueftioned Magnificence in every Part of Paradife Loft, and indeed a much greater than could have been formed upon any Pagan System.

BUT Ariftotle, by the Greatness of the Action, does not only mean that it should be great in its Nature, but alfo in its Duration, or in other Words, That it should have a due Length in it, as well as what we properly call Greatnefs. The juft Measure of this kind of Magnitude, he explains by the following Similitude. An Animal, no bigger than a Mite, cannot appear perfect to the Eye, because the Sight takes it in at once, and has only a confused Idea of the whole, and not a distinct Idea of all its Parts; if on the contrary you should fuppofe an Animal of ten thousand Furlongs in length, the Eye would be fo filled with a fingle Part of it, that it could not give the Mind an Idea of the whole. What these Animals are to the Eye, a very fhort or a very long Action would be to the Memory. The firft would be, as it were, loft and fwallowed up by it, and the other difficult to be contained in it. Homer and Virgil have shown their principal Art in this Particular; the A&tion of the Iliad, and that of the Eneid, were in themfelves exceeding fhort, but are fo beautifully extended and diverfified by the Invention of Epifodes, and the Machinery of Gods, with the like poetical Ornaments, that they make up an agreeable Story, fufficient to employ the Memory without overcharging

it.

Milton's Action is enriched with fuch a Variety of Circumftances, that I have taken as much Pleasure in reading the Contents of his Books, as in the best invented Story I ever met with. It is poffible, that the Traditions on which the Iliad and Eneid were built, had more Circumftances in them than the Hiftory of The Fall of Man, as it is related in Scripture. Besides, it was easier for Homer and Virgil to dash the Truth with Fiction, as they +

were

No. 268. were in no Danger of offending the Religion of their Country by it. But as for Milton, he had not only a very few Circumftances upon which to raife his Poem, but was alfo obliged to proceed with the greatest Caution in every Thing that he added out of his own Invention. And, indeed, notwithstanding all the Restraints he was under, he has filled his Story with fo many furprizing Incidents, which bear fo close an Analogy with what is delivered in holy Writ, that it is capable of pleafing the moft delicate Reader, without giving Offence to the moft fcrupulous.

THE modern Criticks have collected, from feveral Hints in the Iliad and Æneid, the Space of Time which is taken up by the Action of each of those Poems; but as a great Part of Milton's Story was tranfacted in Regions that lie out of the Reach of the Sun and the Sphere of Day, it is impoffible to gratify the Reader with fuch a Calculation, which indeed would be more curious than inftructive; none of the Criticks, either antient or modern, having laid down Rules to circumfcribe the Action of an Epic Poem with any determin'd Number of Years, Days or Hours.

This Piece of Criticism on Milton's Paradife Loft hall be carried on in the following Saturdays Papers.

L

No. 268. Monday, January 7.

IT

Minus aptus acutis

Naribus Horuen Hominum.

Hor.

T is not that I think I have been more witty than I ought of late, that at prefent I wholly forbear any Attempt towards it: I am of Opinion that I ought fometimes to lay before the World the plain Letters of my Correfpondents in the artless Drefs in which they haftily fend them, that the Reader may fee I am not Accufer and Judge myself, but that the Indictment is properly and fairly laid, before I proceed against the Criminal.

Mr. SPEC

6

.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

A

S you are Spectator-General, I apply myself to you in the following Cafe, viz. I do not wear a Sword, but I often divert myself at the Theatre, where I frequently fee a Set of Fellows pull plain People, by Way of Humour and Frolick, by the Nofe, upon frivolous or no Occafions. A Friend of mine the other Night applauding what a graceful Exit Mr Wilks made, one of these Nose-wringers over-hearing him, pinched him by the Nofe. I was in the Pit the other Night, (when it was very much crowded) a Gentleman leaning upon me, and very heavily, I very civilly requested him to remove his Hand; for which he pulled me by the Nofe. • I would not resent it in fo publick a Place, because I was unwilling to create a Disturbance; but have fince ⚫ reflected upon it as a Thing that is unmanly and difingenuous, renders the Nofe-puller odious, and makes the Perfon pulled by the Nose look little and contemptible. This Grievance I humbly requeft you would endeavour to redress.

.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I am your Admirer, &c.

James Eafy.

YOUR Discourse of the 29th of December on Love

Y and Marriage is of fo ufeful a Kind, that I can

6 not forbear adding my Thoughts to yours on that Subject. Methinks it is a Misfortune, that the Marriage State, which in its own Nature is adapted to give us the compleateft Happiness this Life is capable of, fhould be fo uncomfortable a one to fo many as it daily proves. But the Mischief generally proceeds from the ⚫ unwife Choice People make for themfelve, and an Expectation of Happiness from Things not capable of giving it. Nothing but the good Qualities of the Perfon beloved, can be a Foundation for a Love of Judg⚫ment and Difcretion; and whoever expects Happiness from any thing but Virtue, Wisdom, Good-humour, and a Similitude of Manners, will find themfelves widely mistaken. But how few are there who feek after thefe Things, and do not rather make Riches

⚫ their