Of his eternal empire, but the more To magnify his works, the more we know. Much of his race though steep; fufpenfe in Heaven, Or if the star of evening and the moon Hafte to thy audience, night with her will bring 105 98. And the great light of day yet wants to run &c.] Our author has improv'd upon Homer, Odyff. XI. 372. where Alcinous by the fame fort of arguments endevors to perfuade Ulyffes to continue his narration; only there it was night, and here the scene is by day. Nuž ♪'nde para μaxpn, altσ OаTC xde ww cps And lo! a length of night behind The evening ftars ftill mount th' thee tell, Thy woes on Earth, the wondrous fcenes in Hell, Silence, Till in the vault of Heav'n the stars decay, And the sky reddens with the rifing day. Broome. Mr. Thyer is of opinion, that there is not a greater inftance of our author's exquifite skill in the art of poetry, than this and the following lines. There is nothing more, really to be exprefs'd, than Adam's telling Raphael his defire to hear the continuance of his relation, and yet the poet by a series of ftrong and noble figures has work'd it up into half a fcore of as fine lines as any in the whole poem. Lord Shaftsbury has obferved, that Milton's beauties generally depend upon folid thought, ftrong reafoning, noble paffion, and a continued thread of moral doctrin; but in this place he has shown what an exalted fancy and mere force of poetry can do. 99.-fuf Silence, and fleep lift'ning to thee will watch, 110 Yet what thou canst attain, which beft may ferve 115 for after it is faid he is held fufpenfe in Heaven by thy voice, to lay he bears thy voice is poor and low indeed. He must first hear it before he can be held by it. We have therefore follow'd the punctuation of Dr. Pearce; and the fenfe feems plain, Το Et mutata fuos requierunt flumina curfus. Nay charms and verfes can bring the moon down from Heaven, Carmina vel cœlo poffunt deducere and well therefore may Milton fup- 103. unapparent deep:] Where as he has pointed thefe verfes, Held nothing was to be feen according to by thy potent voice, he hears fufpenfe Gen. I. 2. Darkness was upon the in Heaven, that is he ftops and face of the deep. Hume. hearkens, he stays and is attentive. The poets often feign the rivers to flop their courfe, and other inanimate parts of nature to hear the fongs of Orpheus and the like, Virg. Ecl. VIII. 4. 110. And thus the Godlike Angel anfwer'd mild] The Angel's encouraging our first parents in a modeft purfuit after knowledge, with the causes which he affigns for the To glorify the Maker, and infer Thee also happier, fhall not be withheld ; 120 125 Wisdom the creation of the world, are very ture use of this term, to which, I just and beautiful. Addison. make no doubt, Milton alluded. Prudens futuri temporis exitum Wisdom to folly', as nourishment to wind. 130 Know then, that after Lucifer from Heaven (So call him, brighter once amidst the host Their multitude, and to his Son thus spake. 135 At least our envious foe hath fail'd, who thought All like himself rebellious, by whose aid··· Of deity fupreme, us difpoffefs'd, He trusted to have feis'd, and into fraud been employ'd here, when he is fpeaking of things not reveal'd, fupprefs'd in night, to none communicable in Earth or Heaven, neither to Men nor Angels, as it is faid of the day of judgment, Mat. XXIV. 36. Of that day and bour knoweth no Man, no not the Angels of Heaven, but my Father only. 135. Into his place,] As the traitor Judas is faid likewife to go to his own place, Acts I. 25. 139. At leaft] I don't like taking liberties with the original text, or elfe I should choose to read At laft. Thyer. VOL. II. 140 Drew 143. Drew many,] Fraud in common acceptation means no more than deceit, but often fignifies misfortune. Milton, who fo conftantly makes Latin or Greek of English, does it here, and extends the idea to the mifery, the punishment confequent upon the deceit, as well as the deceit itfelf. So that Satan is faid here, not only to have drawn many into fraud, not only that he Drew many, whom their place knows here no more; Yet far the greater part have kept, I see, 145 Their ftation, Heav'n yet populous retains, Though wide, and this high temple to frequent But left his heart exalt him in the harm 150 155 They tion was inftantaneous, but the ef- 160. And Earth be chang' dto Heav'n and Heav'n to Earth,] Milton's meaning feems to have been this, That Earth would be fo happy in being inhabited by obedient creatures, that it would be chang'd to i. e. re femble Heaven; and Heaven by receiving those creatures would in this resemble Earth, that it would be stock'd with men for its inhabi tants. Pearce. Or thus in fhort, the |