Of Theologians; but with keen dispatch 440 Deserving logians: this fame word he uses in bold trials and experiments (eure: his Tetrachordon, p. 223. Vol. i. erreo in Greek from when a trial Edit. 1738. or experiment) without much skill 428. – what redounds, transpires and knowledge in the art, like a &c. This artfully avoids the inde- quack in physick. And they must cené idea, which would else have be strange empirics indeed, who can been apt to have arisen on the hope to find out the philosopher's Angels feeding, and withal gives stone, and turn metals of droflieft ore a delicacy to these Spirits, which to perfe£i gold. But it is not strange finely distinguishes them from us in that our author so frequently alone of the moft humbling circum- ludes to alchemy (as he does in Itances relating to our bodies. II. 517. III. 6o9. as well as here) Richardson. when Johnson has written a whole 439. — nor wonder; if by fire &c.) comedy upon it. Nor is it a wonder, that the Angels 445. With pleafant liquors crown'd: have conco&tive heat in their sto. To crown their cups was a phrase inachs sufficient to tranfubftantiate, among the Greeks and Romans to turn their food and nourishment for filling them above the brim, into their own substance, to ahimi- but yet not so as to run over. late as it was said before, and turn Thus it is used by Homer, Iliad. corporeal to incorporeal; if by fire 1.470. the alchemift can turn or thinks to turn all metals to gold. The em- Kr@g! fully xpntnegs 67856 farlo 007010. piric alchemijt, is one who makes and Deserving Paradise! if ever, then, . - 450 Divine and by Virgil, Georg. II. 528. Autap !TH T051G roceduru e ceoverlo. et socii cratera coronant. Homer. Iliad. I. 469. 447. Then had the fons of God ex. Poftquam exempta fames epulis, cufé &c.] The doubling of menlæque remotæ. the then adds great force and em Virg. Æn. I. 216. phasis; if ever, then, then had the Poltquam exempta fames et amor Jons of God excufe &c. and this is compressus edendi. said in allusion to that text, Gen. ... Æn. VIII. 184. VI. 2. The fomas of God saw the Our author fays the same thing, daughters of men, that they were but at the same time insinuates a fair, and they took them wives of all fine moral of the true end of eatmbat they chose, as if the fons of God ing and drinking, which is to la. there signified Angels. See note on tisfy but not to burden nature; and III. 463. this sort of temperance he not only recommends as in the beginning of ..451. Thus when with meats and this book and XI. 530. &c, but re markably practic'd himself. Not burden'd nature, ] 455. above his world,] This drinks they had sufficd; Divine effulgence, whose high pow'r fo far . Exceeded human, and his wary speech . . . Thus to th’empyreal minister he fram’d. 460 Inhabitant with God, now know I well ! Thy favor, in this honor done to Man, Under whose lowly roof thou hast vouchsaf'd To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste, Food not of Angels, yet accepted so, 465 As that more willingly thou couldst not seem At Heav'n's high feasts to have fed: yet what compare? To whom the winged Hierarch reply'd. O Adam, one Almighty is, from whom . All is the reading in Milton's own edi. 468. To whom the winged Hierarch tions, and not above this world as reply'd. ] Raphael's behaMr. Fenton and Dr. Bentley have viour is every way suitable to the caus d it to be printed. dignity of his nature, and to that 456. whose excellence &c.] character of a sociable Spirit, with Excellence is a general word; and which the author has so judiciously he branches the excellence of An introduced him. He had received instructions to converse with Adam, gels into two particulars, their ra- ; as one friend converses with anodiant forms (which were the efful ther, and to warn him of the enegence of the Deity) and their high my who was contriving his depower. Pearce. struction: accordingly he is repre. 467. get what compare? ) sented as fitting down at table with His speech was wary; and he was Adam, and eating of the fruits of afraid to ask the Angel directly of Paradise. The occasion naturally the different conditions of Men and leads him to his discourse on the Angels; but yet intimates his de- food of Angels. After having thus sire to know by questioning whe- enter'd into conversation with Man ther there was any comparison be. upon more indifferent subjects, he tween them. warns him of his obedience, and makos All things proceed, and up to him return, - 470 If not depravid from good, created all Such to perfection, one first matter all, Indued with various forms, various degrees Of substance, and in things that live, of life; But more refin’d, more spiritous, and pure, 475 As nearer to him plae'd or nearer tending Each in their several active spheres affign'd, Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportion’d to each kind. So from the root Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence the leaves More aery, last the bright consummate flower 481 Spirits odorous breathes: flow'rs and their fruit, Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublim'd, To makes a natural transition to the As nearer to him plac'd er zearer history of that fallen Angel, who tending &c.] So Spenser in was employ'd in the circumvention his Hymn of heavenly Beauty, of our first parents. Addison. speaking of the earth, the air, and 471. created all above that the pure cryftallin, Such to perfeétion, one first matter By view whereof it plainly may all, &c.] That is, created appear, all good, good to perfečtion, not ab. That still as every thing doth up T folutely so, but perfect in their dif ward tend, ferent kinds and degrees; and all And farther is from earth, so ftill consisting of one first matter, which more clear firft matter is indued, (indutus) ! And fair it grows &c. Thyer. clothed upon, with various forms, 478. Till body up to spirit work, 475. But more refin'd, more spiri- &c.] Our author ihould have contous, and pure, sidered things better, for by attri &c. To vital spirits aspire, to animal, To intellectual ; give both life and sense, 485 Fancy and understanding; whence the soul Reason receives, and reason is her being. Discursive, or intuitive; discourse . Is oftest yours, the latter most is ours, Differing but in degree, of kind the same. 490 Wonder not then, what God for you saw good. If I refuse not, but convert, as you, To proper substance: time may come, when Men With Angels may participate, and find No inconvenient di'et, nor too light fare; And from these corporal nutriments perhaps Your bodies may at last turn all to fpirit, Improv'd 495 buting his own false notions in phi- philosophy, so was too much of a. losophy to an Arch-Angel he has systematiit in his divinity. really lessen'd the character, which 482. Spirits odorous ] We must he intended to raise. He is as much take notice in reading this verse, mistaken here in his metaphysics, that Spirits is here a word of two as he was before in his physics. syllables, tho' it is often contracted This notion of matter refining into into one or pronounc'd as two fhort spirit is by no means observing the ones, and particularly in the se. bounds proportion'd to each kind. I cond line after this suppose, he meant it as a com To vital spi'rits aspire ; ment on the doctrin of a natural body changed into a spiritual body, and the second fyllable in odorous is as in i Cor. XV. and perhaps bor- to be pronounced long, tho' the row'd it from some of his systems of poet makes it fort in other places, divinity. For Milton, as he was IV. 166. too much of a materialist in his |