To forrow' abandon'd, but worfe felt within, Thus to difburden fought with fad complaint. O miferable of happy' is this the end Of this new glorious world, and me fo late and it is now time to fee how Adam is affected with them, and whether The diforders within are not even worse than those without. 718. And in a troubled fea of paf fion toft, Thus to disburden fought with fad complaint.] A metaphor taken from a ship in a tempeft, unlading, disburd'ning to preferve itself from finking by its weight. Richardfon. 720. O miferable of happy! &c.] The parts of Adam and Eve, or the human perfons come next under our confideration. Milton's art is no where more shown than in his conducting the parts of these our first parents. The reprefentation he gives of them, without falfifying the ftory, is wonderfully contriv'd to influence the reader with pity and compaffion towards them. Though Adam involves the whole fpecies in mifery, his crime proceeds from a weakness which every man is inclin'd to pardon and commiferate, as it feems rather the frailty of human nature, than of the perfon who offended. Every one is apt to excufe a fault which he himself might have fallen into. It was the excess of love for Eve, that ruin'd Adam and his pofterity. I need not add, that the author is justify'd in this particular by 720 The many of the fathers, and the most orthodox writers. Milton has by this means filled a great part of his poem with that kind of writing which the French critics call the tender, and which is in a particular manner engaging to all forts of readers. Adam and Eve, in the book we are now confidering, are likewife drawn with fuch fentiments, as do not only intereft the reader in their afflictions, but raise in him the most melting paffions of humanity and commiferation. When Adam fees the feveral changes in nature produced about him, he appears in a diforder of mind fuitable to one who had forfeited both his innocence and his happiness; he is filled with horror, remorse, defpair; in the anguish of his heart he expoftulates with his Creator for having given him an unask'd existence. Did I requeft thee, Maker, from To mold me Man? &c. my clay He immediately after recovers from his prefumption, owns his doom to be juft, and begs that the death which is threaten'd him.may be inflicted on him, The glory of that glory, who now become Is propagated curfe. O voice once heard Now death to hear! for what can I increase This whole fpeech is full of the like emotion, and varied with all those sentiments which we may fuppose natural to a mind fo broken and disturb'd. I must not omit that generous concern which our firft father shows in it for his pofterity, and which is fo proper to affect the reader. Who can afterwards behold the father of mankind extended upon the earth, uttering his midnight complaints, bewailing his exiftence, and wishing for death, without fympathizing with him in his distress? Addifon. 728. All that I eat or drink, or fall beget, 725 730 735 For Is propagated curfe.] Meat and drink propagate it by prolonging life, and children by carrying it on to pofterity. The thought is bor row'd and improv'd from Grotius. Adamus Exul. A& V. Quod comedo, poto, gigno, diris fubjacet. 740. On me as on their natural ter light Heavy, though in their place,] Dr. Bentley has really made fome very juft objections to feveral lines here together. He finds fault with Adam's not keeping up a due decorum, and in that heavy feriousness and anxiety leaving For this we may thank Adam; but his thanks Mine own that bide upon me, all from me On me as on their natural center light 740 From darkness to promote me, or here place 745 leaving his true topics, and catching at trifles, quirks, jingles, and other fuch prettineffes. He cenfures him, as Mr. Addison had done before, for ufing fuch low phrafes, as For this we may thank Adam; and then for foaring fo high inter nubes et inania; refluxes and natural centers; heavy, though in their place. Adam, it seems, was already a Peripatetic in his notions: he fuppofes here, that elementary bodies do not gravitate in their natural places; not air in air, not water in water: from which he fetches a pretty lamentation, That contrary to the course of nature, his afflictions will weigh heavy on him, though they All be in their proper place. Is not he forely afflicted (fays the Doctor) that talks at this rate? And yet the worst of it is, this notion is falfe, and long fince exploded by the modern philofophy: water weighs in water, as much as it does out of it. And therefore the Doctor is for lopping off with a bold hand ten lines together: and we heartily wish indeed that no fuch paffages had been admitted into any part of the poem, and efpecially into fo fine a speech as this before us, and all that we can fay for them is, Aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus. 758. Thou All I receiv'd, unable to perform 750 755 Thy terms too hard, by which I was to hold That proud excuse? yet him not thy election, 765 God made thee' of choice his own, and of his own To ferve him; thy reward was of his grace, 758. Thou didst &c.] The change of perfons, fometimes fpeaking of himself in the first and fometimes to himself in the fecond, is very remarkable in this fpeech, as well as the change of paffions. And in like manner he speaks fometimes of God and fometimes to God. 773. Fix'd on this day?] For God Thy had faid In the day that thou eate thereof, thou shalt furely die, Gen II. 17. But it may be queftion'd whe ther it was now this day; for the night of this day is mention'd before in ver. 342 and the jun's rifing is taken notice of in ver. 329: but Milton is not always very exact in marking the time; he neglects those Thy punishment then justly' is at his will, 770 Why am I mock'd with death, and lengthen'd out Infenfible, how glad would lay me down 775 Would thunder in my ears, no fear of worse 780 Pursues me ftill, left all I cannot die, Left that pure breath of life, the fpi'rit of Man 785 With God formed man of the duft of the Hefter |