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that he had made twenty tripods running on golden wheels; which, upon occasion, might go of themselves to the assembly of the gods, and when there was no more use for them, return again after the same manner. Scaliger has rallied Homer very severely upon this point, as M. Dacier has endeavoured to defend it. I will not pretend to determine, whether in this particular of Homer, the marvellous does not lose sight of the probable. As the miraculous workmanship of Milton's gates is not so extraordinary as this of the tripods, so I am persuaded he would not have mentioned it, had he not been supported in it by a passage in the scripture, which speaks of wheels in heaven that had life in them, and moved of themselves, or stood still in conformity with the cherubim, whom they accompanied.

There is no question but Milton had this circumstance in his thoughts; because in the following book he describes the chariot of the Messiah with living wheels, according to the plan in Ezekiel's vision.

-Forth rush'd with whirlwind sound

The chariot of paternal Deity,

Flashing thick flames, wheel within wheel undrawn,
Itself instinct with spirit-

I question not but Bossu, and the two Daciers, who are for vindicating every thing that is censured in Homer by something parallel in holy writ, would have been very well pleased had they thought of confronting Vulcan's tripods with Ezekiel's wheels.

Raphael's descent to the earth, with the figure of his person, is represented in very lively colours.

VOL. VII.-4

Several of the French, Italian,* and English poets, have given a loose to their imaginations in the description of angels; but I do not remember to have met with any so finely drawn, and so conformable to the notions which are given of them in scripture, as this in Milton. After having set him forth in all his heavenly plumage, and represented him as alighting upon the earth, the poet concludes his description with a circumstance which is altogether new, and imagined with the greatest strength of fancy.

· -Like Maia's son he stood,

And shook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance fill'd
The circuit wide.'t

Raphael's reception by the guardian angels; his passing through the wilderness of sweets; his distant appearance to Adam, have all the graces that poetry is capable of bestowing. The author afterwards gives us a particular description of Eve in her domestic employments.

'So saying, with despatchful looks in haste
She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent,
What choice to choose for delicacy best,
What order so contriv'd, as not to mix
Tastes not well join'd inelegant, but bring
Taste after taste, upheld with kindliest change;
Bestirs her then,' &c.

Though in this, and other parts of the same book, the subject is only the housewifery of our first parent, it is set off with so many pleasing

* See Tasso's description of Michael's descent from hea ven, 69. v. 60.

† Homer's Il. 24. v. 339. Virgil's Æn. 4. v. 238.

images and strong expressions, as make it none of the least agreeable parts in this divine work. The natural majesty of Adam, and at the same time his submissive behaviour to the superior being who had vouchsafed to be his guest; the solemn hail which the angel bestows upon the mother of mankind, with the figure of Eve ministering at the table, are circumstances which deserve to be admired.

Raphael's behaviour is every way suitable to the dignity of his nature, and to that character of a sociable spirit, with which the author has so judiciously introduced him. He had received instructions to converse with Adam as one friend converses with another, and to warn him of the enemy who was contriving his destruction; accordingly he is represented as sitting down at table with Adam, and eating of the fruits of Paradise. The occasion naturally leads him to his discourse on the food of angels. After having thus entered into conversation with man upon more indifferent subjects, he warns him of his obedience, and makes a natural transition to the history of that fallen angel who was employed in the circumvention of our first parents.

Had I followed Monsieur Bossu's method in my first paper on Milton, I should have dated the action of Paradise Lost from the beginning of Raphael's speech in this book, as he supposes the action of the Æneid to begin in the second book of that poem. I could allege many reasons for my drawing the action of the Eneid rather from its immediate beginning in the first book, than from its remote beginning in the second; and show why I have considered the sacking of

Troy as an episode, according to the common acceptation of that word. But as this would be a dry unentertaining piece of criticism, and perhaps unnecessary to those who have read my first paper, I shall not enlarge upon it. Whichsoever of the notions be true, the unity of Milton's action is preserved according to either of them; whether we consider the fall of man in its immediate beginning, as proceeding from the resolutions taken in the infernal council, or in its more remote beginning, as proceeding from the first revolt of the angels in heaven. The occasion which Milton assigns for this revolt, as it is founded on hints in holy writ, and on the opinion of some great writers, so it was the most proper that the poet could have made use of.

The revolt in heaven is described with great fore of imagination and a fine variety of circumstances. The learned reader can not but be pleased with the poet's imitation of Homer in the last of the following lines.

At length into the limits of the north

They came, and Satan took his royal seat

High on a hill, far blazing as a mount

Rais'd on a mount, with pyramids and tow'rs

From diamond quarries hewn, and rocks of gold,
The palace of great Lucifer, (so call

That structure in the dialect of men
Interpreted)

Homer mentions persons and things, which he tells us in the language of the gods are called by different names from those they go by in the language of men. Milton has imitated him with his usual judgment in this particular place where.

in he has likewise the authority of scripture to
justify him. The part of Abdiel, who was the
only spirit that in this infinite host of angels pre-
served his allegiance to his Maker, exhibits to
us a noble moral of religious singularity. The
zeal of the seraphim breaks forth in a becoming
warmth of sentiments and expressions, as the
character which is given us of him denotes that
generous scorn and intrepidity which attends he-
roic virtue. The author doubtless designed it
as a pattern to those who live among mankind in
their present state of degeneracy and corruption.
So spake the seraph Abdiel, faithful found
Among the faithless, faithful only he;
Among innumerable false, unmov'd,
Unshaken, unseduc'd, unterrifi'd,
His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal;
Nor number, nor example, with him wrought
To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind,
Though single. From amidst them forth he pass'd,
Long way through hostile scorn, which he sustain'd
Superior, nor of violence fear'd aught:

And with retorted scorn, his back he turn'd
On those proud tow'rs to swift destruction doom'd.

ADDISON.

L.

No. 328. MONDAY, MARCH 17.

Nullum à labore me reclinat otium.

No ease doth lay me down from pain.

'MR. SPECTATOR,

HOR.

CREECH.

As I believe this is the first complaint that ever was made to you of this nature, so you are the first person I ever could prevail upon myself

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