Beatitude past utterance; on his right Hell and the gulf between, and Satan there 65 70 In In the dun air fublime, and ready now Only begotten Son, feeft thou what rage fpeakers. One may, I think, obferve that the author proceeds with a kind of fear and trembling, whilst he describes the fentiments of the Almighty. He dares not give his imagination its full play, but chooses to confine himself to fuch thoughts as are drawn from the books of the most orthodox divines, and to fuch expreffions as may be met with in Scripture. The beauties therefore, which we are to look for in thefe fpeeches, are not of a poetical nature, nor fo proper to fill the mind with fentiments of grandeur, as with thoughts of devotion. The paffions, which they are defign'd to raife, are a divine love and religious fear. The particular beauty of the fpeeches in the third book confifts in that fhortnefs and perfpicuity of ftile, in which the poet bas couch'd the greatest myfteries VOL. II. 75. 80 Prefcrib'd, of Christianity, and drawn toge ther in a regular scheme the whole difpenfation of Providence with refpect to Man. He has repitfented all the abftrufe doctrins of predettination, free-will and grace, as alfo the great points of incarna tion and redemption (which naturally grow up in a poem that trea s of the fall of Man) with great energy of expreffion, and in a clearer and fronger light than I ever met with in any other writer. As thefe points are dry in themfelves to the generality of readers, the concife and clear manner, in which he has treated them, is very much to be admired, as is likewile that particular art which he has made ufe of in the interfperfing of all thofe graces of poetry, which the fubject was capable of receiving. Satan's approach to the confines of the creation is finely imaged way Prescrib'd, no bars of Hell, nor all the chains 85 90 95 Such imaged in the beginning of the fpeech, which immediately follows. Addijen. 101.- both them who stood and them who fail'd;] Both the antitheton and the repetition in the next line fhow that the author gave it, -both them who flood and them 108.(reafon alfo is choice)] "Pro Such I created all th' ethereal Powers 100 And Spirits, both them who stood and them who fail'd; Where only what they needs must do appear'd, 105 Their will, difpos'd by abfolute decree 115 Or high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed Their own revolt, not I; if I foreknew, "Providence for fuffering Adam "to tranfgrefs. Foolish tongues! "when God gave him reafon, he gave him freedom to choose, for "reafon is but choofing: he had "been else a mere artificial Adam, . See his Speech for the liberty of unlicenc'd printing, p. 149, and 150. Edit. 1738. Fore 117.-if I foreknew,] If here does not imply the leaft doubt or uncertainty; but is used, as it is fometimes in the best authors, in the fenfe of Though. Though I foreknew, that foreknowledge had no influence. Q 2 121. Or Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, 120 They trefpafs, authors to themselves in all Their freedom, they themselves ordain'd their fall. The foreseen as to be immutable. If Milton had dictated immutable, he would probably have faid, Or ought immutable by me fore- The effects of this speech in the cients. It is very well known that |