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THE

TWELFTH BOOK

OF

PARADISE LOS T.

Bb 4

THE ARGUMENT.

The Angel Michael continues from the flood to relate what fhall fucceed; then, in the mention of Abraham, comes by degrees to explain, who that Seed of the Woman shall be, which was promised Adam and Eve in the fall; his incarnation, death, refurrection, and afcenfion; the state of the church till his fecond coming. Adam greatly fatisfied and recomforted by these relations and promifes defcends the hill with Michael; wakens Eve, who all this while had flept, but with gentle dreams compos'd to quietness of mind and fubmiffion. Michael in either hand leads them out of Paradife, the fiery fword waving behind them, and the Cherubim taking their stations to guard the place.

393

A

во о к XII.

S one who in his journey bates at noon,

Though bent on fpeed; fo here the Arch-
Angel paus'd

etwixt the world deftroy'd and world restor'd,
f Adam ought perhaps might interpofe;
'hen with transition sweet new speech resumes.
Thus thou haft feen one world begin and end;
And man as from a fecond stock proceed.
Much thou haft yet to fee, but I perceive
Thy mortal fight to fail; objects divine
Must needs impair and weary human sense:
Henceforth what is to come I will relate,

1. As one &c.] In the firft edion, before the last book was diided into two, the narration went n without any interruption; but pon that divifion in the fecond dition, these first five lines were ferted. This addition begins the ook very gracefully, and is ineed (to apply the author's own words) a fweet tranfition.

11. Henceforth what is to come I

will relate,] Milton, after aving reprefented in vifion the

5

ΤΟ

Thou

hiftory of mankind to the first great period of nature, difpatches the remaining part of it in narration. He has devifed a very handsome reafon for the Angel's proceeding with Adam after this manner; though doubtless the true reafon was the difficulty which the poet would have found to have fhadowed out fo mixed and complicated a ftory in vifible objects. I could wifh, however, that the author had done it, whatever pains it might

Thou therefore give due audience, and attend.
This fecond fource of men, while yet but few,
And while the dread of judgment paft remains
Fresh in their minds, fearing the Deity,
With fome regard to what is juft and right
Shall lead their lives, and multiply apace,
Lab'ring the foil, and reaping plenteous crop,

have coft him. To give my opinion freely, I think that the exhibiting part of the hiftory of mankind in vifion, and part in narrative, is as if an hiftory-painter fhould put in colors one half of his fubject, and write down the remaining part of it. If Milton's poem flags any where, it is in this narration, where in fome places the author has been fo attentive to his divinity, that he has neglected his poetry. The narration however rifes very happily on several occafions, where the fubject is capable of poetical ornaments, as particularly in the confufion which he defcribes among the builders of Babel, and in his fhort fketch of the plagues of Egypt. Addifon. Mr. Addifon obferves, that if Milton's poem flags any where, it is in this narration; and to be fure, if we have an eye only to poetic decoration, his remark is juft: but if we view it in another light, and confider in how fhort a compafs he has compris'd, and with what ftrength and clearnefs he has exprefs'd the various actings of God

Com

towards mankind, and the n fublime and deep truths both of the Jewish and Chriftian theology, muft excite no less admirationa the mind of an attentive reader, than the more fpritely scetes love and innocence in Eden, the more turbulent ones of ange war in Heaven. This contrivanc of Milton's to introduce into li poem fo many things pofterior the time of action fix'd in his fr plan, by a vifionary prophetic lation of them, is, it mult be low'd, common with our author Virgil and moft epic poets fince b time; but there is one thing to observ'd fingular in our Eng poet, which is, that whereas the have all done it principally, if m wholly, to have an opportunity complimenting their own coun and friends, he has not the les mention of, or friendly allufione his. The Reformation of Church from the errors and ranny of popery, which const tions he fo well defcribes and thetically laments, afforded b occafion fair enough, and no doch

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