Beatitude past utterance; on his right Of mankind, in the happy garden plac'd, In blissful folitude; he then furvey'd Hell and the gulf between, and Satan there Coasting the wall of Heav'n on this side Night 65 70 In the happiness of the Saints to or air, but without firmament, withconfift. Thyer. out any sphere of fixed ftars over it, as over the earth. The fphere of fixed ftars was itself comprehended in it, and made a part of it. 77. Him God beholding from bis profpect high, Wherein past, prefent, future he beholds,] Boethius, an author not unworthy of our poet's imitation, describing the Deity uses exactly the fame terms. Qui cum ex alta providentiæ fpecula refpicit, quid cuique eveniat. De Conf. Philof. L. 4. Quæ fint, quæ fuerint, veniant que Spake.] If Milton's majefty forfakes him any where, it is in thofe parts of his poem, where the divine Perfons are introduced as fpeakers. In the dun air fublime, and ready now To stoop with wearied wings and willing feet Only begotton Son, feest thou what rage 75 80 Prefcrib'd, fpeakers. One may, I think, ob- of Chriftianity, and drawn togeferve that the author preceeds with ther in a regular scheme the whole a kind of fear and trembling, difpenfation of Providence with whilft he describes the fentiments refpect to Man. He has repreof the Almighty. He dares not fented all the abftrufe doctrins of give his imagination its full play, predeftination, free-will and grace, but chooses to confine himself to as alfo the great points of incarnafuch thoughts as are drawn from tion and redemption (which natuthe books of the moft orthodox di- rally grow up in a poem that treats vines, and to fuch expreffions as of the fall of Man) with great may be met with in Scripture. The energy of expreffion, and in a beauties therefore, which we are clearer and ftronger light than I to look for in these speeches, are ever met with in any other writer. not of a poetical nature, nor fo As thefe points are dry in themproper to fill the mind with fen- felves to the generality of readers, timents of grandeur, as with the concife and clear manner, in thoughts of devotion. The paf- which he has treated them, is very fions, which they are defign'd to much to be admired, as is likeraise, are a divine love and reli- wife that particular art which he gious fear. The particular beauty has made ufe of in the interfperfof the fpeeches in the third book ing of all thofe graces of poetry, confifts in that shortnefs and per- which the fubject was capable of fpicuity of ftile, in which the poet receiving. Satan's approach to the has couch'd the greatest mysteries confines of the creation is finely Prefcrib'd, no bars of Hell, nor all the chains Heap'd on him there, nor yet the main abyss Through all reftraint broke loose he wings his way 85 90 95 Such - both them who stood and them who fell; Freely they flood who flood, and fell who fell. Bentley. 108. (reafon alfo is choice)] The author had exprefs'd the fame fentiment before in profe. "Many "there be that complain of divine "Provi Such I created all th' ethereal Powers 100 And Spirits, both them who stood and them who fail'd; Where only what they needs must do appear'd, 105 When will and reafon (reafon alfo' is choice) As if predestination over-rul'd Their will, difpos'd by abfolute decree 115 Or high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed Fore 117. if I foreknew,] If here does not imply the leaft doubt or uncertainty; but is ufed, as it is fometimes in the beft authors, in the fenfe of Though. Though I foreknew, that foreknowledge had no influence. 121. Or 120 Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, Their freedom, they themselves ordain'd their fall. 121. Or ought by me immutably forefeen,] To forefee immutably (fays Dr. Bentley) are two ideas that cannot unite: he thinks therefore that Milton must have given it immutably foredoom'd. His objection is right, but his emendation is wrong, I think. Milton feems rather to have dictated, Or ought by me immutable fore feen, where ought immutable may fignify any event that cannot be chang'd or alter'd. Pearce. Ammutably forefeen feems to mean fo The foreseen as to be immutable. If Milton had dictated immutable, he would probably have said, Or ought immutable by me foreseen. 135. Thus while God fpake, &c.] The effects of this fpeech in the bleffed Spirits, and in the divine Person to whom it was address'd, cannot but fill the mind of the reader with a fecret pleasure and complacency. Addifon. Our Milton here fhows, that he was no fervile imitator of the Ancients. It is very well known that |