Similies fo many fhort Epifodes, to which you may add, if you please, that their Metaphors are fo many fhort Similies. If the Reader confiders the Comparifons in the first Book of Milton, of the Sun in an Eclipfe, of the fleeping Leviathan, of the Bees fwarming about their Hive, of the fairy Dance, in the View wherein I have here placed them, he will eafily discover the great Beauties that are in each of thofe paffages.

SPECTATOR, N° 309.

Di, quibus imperium eft animarum, umbræque filentes,
Et Chaos & Phlegethon, loca nocte filentia late;
Sit mihi fas audita loqui: fit numine veftro
Pandere res alta mente & caligine merfas.

I

Ye Realms, yet unreveal'd to human Sight,
Ye Gods who rule the Regions of the Night;
Ye gliding Ghosts, permit me to relate
The mystic Wonders of your filent State.

Virg.

DRYDEN.

Have before obferved in general, that the Perfons whom Milton introduces into his Poem always dif

cover fuch Sentiments and Behaviour, as are in a peculiar Manner conformable to the refpective Characters. Every Circumftance in their Speeches and Actions, is with great Juftnefs and Delicacy adapted to the Perfons who speak and act. As the Poet very much excels in this Confiftency of his Characters, I fhall beg leave to confider feveral Paffages of the Second Book in this Light. That fuperior Greatnefs, and Mock-Majefty, which it ascribed to the Prince of the fallen Angels, is admirably preferved in the Begin ning of this Book. His opening and closing the Debate; his taking on himfelf that great Enterprize

5

at

at the Thought of which the whole infernal Affembly trembled; his encountring the hideous Phantom who guarded the Gates of Hell, and appeared to him in all his Terrors, are Inftances of that proud and daring Mind which could not brook Submiffion even to Omnipotence.

SATAN was now at hand, and from his Seat

The Monfier moving onward came as faft

With horrid Strides.

Hell trembled as he strode, Th' undaunted Fiend what this might be admir'd, Admir'd, not fear'd

THE fame Boldnefs and Intrepidity of Behaviour difcovers itself in the feveral Adventures which he meets with during his Paffage through the Regions of unformed Matter, and particularly in his Addrefs to thofe tremendous Powers who are described as prefiding

over it.

THE Part of Molosh is likewife in all its Circumftances full of that Fire and Fury, which diftinguish this Spirit from the reft of the fallen Angels. He is defcribed in the firft Book as befmeared with the Blood of human Sacrifices, and delighted with the Tears of Parents and the Cries of Children. In the fecond Book he is marked out as the fierceft Spirit that fought in Heaven; and if we confider the Figure which he makes in the fixth Book, where the Battle of the Angels is defcribed, we find it every way answerable to the fame furious enraged Character.

Where the might of Gabriel fought,

And with fierce Enfigns pierc'd the deep array
Of Moloc, furious King who him defy'd,
And at his Chariot wheels to drag him bound
Threaten'd, nor from the holy one of Heav'n
Refrain'd his Tongue blafphemous; but anon

Down

Down cloven to the wafte, with shatter'd arms
And uncouth pain fled bellowing.

IT may be worth while to obferve, that Milton has reprefented this violent impetuous Spirit, who is hurried on by fuch precipitate Paffions, as the firft that rises in that Affembly, to give his Opinion upon their prefent Pofture of Affair. Accordingly he declares himfelf abruptly for War, and appears incenfed at his Companions for lofing fo much Time as even to deliberate upon it. All his Sentiments are rafh, audacious and defperate. Such is that of arming themfelves with their Tortures, and turning their Punishments upon him who inflicted them.

No, let us rather chufe,

Arm'd with Hell-flames and Fury, all at once
O'er Heav'ns high tow'rs to force refiftless Way,
Turning our Tortures into horrid Arms

Again the Tort'rer; when to meet the Noife
Of his almighty engine he shall hear

Infernal Thunder, and for Lightning See
Black fire and horror, fhot with equal Rage
Among his Angels: and his Throne itself
Mixt with Tartarean Sulphur, and ftrange Fire,
His own invented Torments

HIS preferring Annihilation to Shame or Mifery is alfo highly fuitable to his Character, as the Comfort he draws from their difturbing the Peace of Hea ven, that if it be not Victory it is Revenge, is a Sentiment truly diabolical, and becoming the Bitterness of this implacable Spirit.

BELI AL is defcribed, in the firft Book, as the Idol of the lewd and luxurious. He is in the second Book, pursuant to that Defcription, characterised as timorous and flothful; and if we look into the fixth

Book,

Book, we find him celebrated in the Battle of Angels for nothing but that Scoffing Speech which he makes to Satan, on their fuppofed Advantage over the Enemy. As his Appearance is uniform, and of a piece in these three feveral Views, we find his Sentiments in the infernal Affembly every way conformable to his Character. Such are his Apprehenfions of a fecond Battle, his Horrors of Annihilation, his preferring to be miferable rather than not to be. I need not observe, that the Contraft of Thought in this Speech, and that which precedes it, gives an agreeable Variety to the Debate.

MAMMO N's Character is fo fully drawn in the firft Book, that the Poet adds nothing to it in the Second. We were before told, that he was the first who taught Mankind to ranfack the Earth for Gold and Silver, and that he was the Architect of Pandamonium, or the infernal Palace, where the evil Spirits were to meet in Council. His Speech in this Book is every where fuitable to fo depraved a Character. How proper is that Reflexion of their being unable to tafte the Happiness of Heaven, were they actually there, in the Mouth of one, who, while he was in Heaven, is faid to have his Mind dazzled with the outward Pomps and Glories of the Place, and to have been more intent on the Riches of the Pavement, than on the Beatific Vifion. I fhall alfo leave the Reader to judge how agreeable the following Sentiments are to the fame Character.

This deep World

Of Darkness do we dread? How oft amidst
Thick Cloud and dark doth Heav'n's all-ruling Sire
Chufe to refide, bis Glory unbfur'd,

And with the Majesty of Darkness round

Covers his Throne; from whence deep Thunders roar
Muffring their Rage, and Heav'n resembles Hill?
As be our Darkness, cannot we bis Light

་

Imitate when we pleafe? This defert Soil
Wants not her hidden Luftre, Gems and Gold ;
Nor want we Skill or Art from whence to raise
Magnificence, and what can Heav'n fhew more!

BEELZEBUB, who is reckoned the fecond in Dignity that fell, and is, in the first Book, the fecond that awakens out of the Trance, and confers with Satan upon the Situation of their Affairs, maintains his Rank in the Book now before us. There is a wonder

ful Majefty defcribed in his rifing up to fpeak. He acts as a Kind of Moderator between the two oppofite Parties, and propofes a third Undertaking which the whofe Affembly gives into. The Motion he makes of detaching one of their Body in fearch of a new World is grounded upon a Project devised by Satan, and curforily proposed by him in the following Lines of the firft Book.

Space may produce new Worlds, whereof fo rife
There went a Fame in Heav'n, that he ere long
Intended to create, and therein plant

A Generation, whom his choice regard
Should favour equal to the Sons of Heav'n :
Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps
Our firft Eruption, thither or elsewhere :
For this infernal Pit fhall never hold
Celestial Spirits in bondage, nor th' Abys
Long under Darkness cover.
Full Counfel muft mature :

But thefe Thoughts

IT is on this Project that Beelzebub grounds his Pro pofal.

What if we find

Some eafier Enterprize? There is a Place
(If antient and prophetic Fame in Heav'n

Err