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being partly, or utterly, brutified by evil, could feel little or nothing.

But it is fair to the critic to let him say all he can say on the subject of the character which his ideas, still vague, jumble with the conduct of the poem. As to that conduct, with its slight plot and action, the subject may be briefly dismissed here, by saying, that Satan is a monologue, as Paradise Regained is a dialogue, and that the action resembles that of Childe Harold.

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The Literary Journalist terms the poem an broken soliloquy, in the course of which he (Satan) speaks of the changes that have taken place in empires, indulges in a good many hits at crowned heads, says a few words of Napoleon, then descants on India, America, the slave-trade, Europe and its different countries; then moralizes (rather odd, is it not, that Satan should moralize?) on man, his nature, and crimes; delicately touches on the tender subject of original sin, and the introduction of Christianity; falls into a pathetic mode of thinking concerning war and its miseries; gives a great deal of good advice to England, especially suggesting to her not to be so fond of money as she seems to be; visits London, and looks into her palaces, her senate, her ball-rooms, theatres, academies, &c.; and, in conclusion, leaves the full conviction on the mind of the reader, that Satan is, on the whole, a very respectable person, who has been rather harshly treated.'

Against this series of mistakes, all originating in a careless or distorted estimate of the poet's character of Satan, I cannot do better, as the subject has been already sufficiently sifted, than oppose the fair and dispassionate appreciation of another critic in the Imperial Magazine. He ably touches the key-note, and seizes the elucidating clue to the perspicuous unity of the poem.

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There can be no question, that his infernal majesty may be exhibited in a great variety of attitudes. Cloven feet, a long tail, and a frightful pair of horns, are not essential to the fidelity of representation. He may transform himself into an angel of light, visit the pulpit, the senate, or the bar, or admire the paintings. at Somerset-house, without displaying those terrific appendages to which fanciful superstition has given a monstrous birth. There are not many positions in which he can be placed, that will be wholly inconsistent with his real character. Satan is the only personage who either meditates or speaks. It (the poem) is a long soliloquy, which proceeds from beginning to end, without any interruption, containing observations on historical incidents, on passing occurrences, and on events which are as yet embosomed in futurity. To the dark workings of the infernal mind, no one is presumed to be privy; the poet has therefore a fair opportunity of representing Satan under the influence of feelings, and as uttering expressions, which he can have no inducement to disguise. Thus

circumstanced, we feel no astonishment that he should bear his testimony to the truths of Revelation, and half regret the miseries, as well as triumph over the degraded condition, of human nature.

course.

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If the keen vibration of bright truth be Hell," we may well allow Satan in solitude to become a genuine moralist, and even a preacher of righteousness, when there is no hearer to be benefited by his disIn much of this character the poet presents him to our view. For a season he sustains the part assumed with consummate address, but various incidents breaking in upon the reveries of his meditation, rage and passion burst forth in terrible violence, and all the devil burns and heaves with infernal fury.'

Another critic, who has tact to see that an intellectual being like Satan must recognize different enemies and friends than the world would assign to him, -that to him pigmies must often appear giants, and giants pigmies, that to him the perfidious undercurrent, which often converts prosperity into adversity, and desperation into prudence, must be always visible -says of the poem: New worlds of thought are opened to the reader's view. The universe of matter is made subservient to the development of the universe of mind.'

The Edinburgh Literary Journalist next 'hesitates dislike' to the action of the poem.

'We are introduced,' he says, 'to Satan standing on the top of Mount Ararat.'

We are introduced to no such thing.

We are introduced to Satan on the Mount of temptation in the wilderness-on the exact spot of the chief action of Paradise Regained. In this the reader will see another beauty. That is a dialogue between the Saviour and Satan, previous to the Christian Atonement-this a monologue of Satan 1800 years after, on the human effects of that event.

'He there looks round him, entirely contrary to the established laws of optics, on all the world.' Pigmies against giants! A A mole-hill rivalling Olympus. This critical arrow, directed really against Milton, falls as harmlessly short of the mark, as the powerless dart of Priam. Does not the Miltonian voice startle the objector, as the 'Dare you do it?' of the dungeoned Marius. repulsed his trembling assailant? Has the critic forgot this passage, which answers his minute quibble so completely as to seem oracular*?

*Milton might be reviewed in this fashion by every puny whipster;' and did he live now, having the ungregarious pride of genius to keep him aloof from the homunculi of the coteries, seeking no exchange of praise (a)'-being comparatively poor, and not be longing to the ordinary literary guilds-no doubt, would have a cutting up, to punish him for setting up poet for himself without their municipal license. One may fancy a critic of the modern school reviewing Paradise Regained in this manner :

'Of Mr. John Milton's good intentions, devoutness, and all that, in this attempt, we do not doubt; but what can he know of Paradise (except his garret in Paradise Row, Barbican), more than any other old pedagogue, whom we may find every day of our lives, "teaching the young idea how to fire," in morning gown and slippers? What can a blind man know of a view of the world? Accordingly we are introduced to Satan looking round him, entirely contrary to the esta

(a) Johnson's Life of Milton.

Presented to his eyes

Above the height of mountains interposed
(By what strange parallax or optic skill

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blished law of optics, on all the world. Why Mr. Barker would not employ this dunderhead as a showman to the panorama of a single city!! His style by no means "smacks" of elevation. His Satan is a garrulous old gentleman," who "bows his gray dissimulation" in the most tiresome manner, while he indulges in long speeches, de omnibus, more than fare in a Paddington cad; in "the course of which he speaks of the changes that have taken place in empires," "indulges in a good many hits at crowned heads," especially the pleasant but wrong improprietés de gallantry,' as M. O'Boil (Boileau ?) terms them, of Tiberius at " Capræ;";"-" descants" on the "bearings of politics between the Parthians and the Romans"-twaddles "pretty d- -d considerably" about the various "Coriphæi" (should not his eye (i) be knocked out?) of the tiresome schools of philosophy at Athens, inflicting on us, as he proceeds, some pedantic stuff about the "humbug" Demosthenes "shaking the arsenal:" moralizes (rather odd, is it not, that Satan should moralize?) about his admiration for virtue, and his surprise that men should mistakenly consider him to be a (b) foe; gives good advice to "Rome," especially suggesting to her not to be so fond of money [omnia Romæ cum pretio, says the Greek poet Virgilius (c)]; and, in conclusion, leaves the full conviction on the mind that Mr. John Milton's "Satan" is a very respectable person, who has been very harshly treated.

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In conclusion, we shall take the liberty-although he is "no chicken" of giving Mr. John Milton a little bit of useful advice. "We have taken a cup of cold water," and are now cool and cholerless, (collarless,) though not shirtless and shoeless as of old, or we should have flayed him alive." Let him be thankful for our mercy : He is a visionary nincompoop without common sense. By the bye, our profound familiarity with Latin, especially in association with a goose, enables us to assure the reader that this word (nincompoop) is derived from the abstruse phrase "non compus." His poem is "no go." It is true, he has some little rhyming talents, but such talents render men most unfit for business, or acting a useful part in life. Instead of the pen, therefore, we recommend him to stick to the birch in Bread Street, Cheapside, or wherever else he may find it cheapest to get his bread; instead of riding his hard-mouthed Pegasus, let him horse his refractory tyros. With the help of Dilworth (though nil worth) he may make a respectable schoolmaster; but not all the pedantry about art and science, philosophy, &c., which he puts into the mouth of the "Great Devil," will ever make him a Great Poet,' &c. &c.

(b) Men generally think me much a foe

To all mankind. Why should I?-Par. Reg. bk. I. (c) Should not this be Juvenal?-Note by Dr. Pangloss.

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