We are now entring upon the fixth book of Paradife Loft, in which the poet describes the battel of Angels; having raised his reader's expectation, and prepared him for it by feveral paffages in the preceding books. I omitted quoting thefe paffages in my obfervations upon the former books, having purpofely referved them for the opening of this, the fubject of which gave occafion to them. The author's imagination was fo inflam'd with this great scene of action, that wherever he speaks of it, he rifes, if poffible, above himfelf. Thus where he mentions Satan in the beginning of his poem, 44. &c.

I.

-Him the almighty Power Hurl'd headlong flaming from th' ethereal sky,

With hideous ruin and combuftion, down

To bottomless perdition, there to dwell

In adamantin chains and penal fire,

Who durft defy th' Omnipotent

to arms.

We have likewife feveral noble hints of it in the infernal confeence, I. 128, &c.

O Prince! O chief of many throned Powers

VI.

That led th' imbattel'd Seraphim

to war,

Too well I fee and rue the dire event,

That with fad overthrow and foul defeat

Hath loft us Heav'n, and all this mighty hoft

In horrible deftruction laid thus low.

But fee! the angry victor hath recall'd

His minifters of vengeance and pursuit

Back to the gates of Heav'n: the fulphurous hail

Shot after us in ftorm, o'erblown hath laid

The fiery furge, that from the precipice

Of Heav'n receiv'd us falling; and the thunder,

Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage,

Perhaps hath ipent his fhafts, and ceafes now

To bellow through the vaft and

boundless deep.

There are feveral other very fublime images on the fame fubject in the first book, as alfo in the fecond, II. 165. &c.

What when we fled amain, purfued and ftruck With Heav'n's afflicting thunder, and befought

The

held his

There is a cave

5

Lodge

Pour'd out by millions her victorious bands

Purfuing.

It requir'd great pregnancy of invention and ftrength of imagina tion, to fill this battel with fuch circumstances as fhould raife and aftonish the mind of the reader; and at the fame time an exactnefs of judgment, to avoid every thing that might appear light or trivial. Thofe who look into Homer, are furpris'd to find his battels ftill rifing one above another, and improving in horror, to the conclufion of the Iliad. Milton's fight of Angels is wrought up with the fame beauty. It is ufher'd in with fuch figns of wrath as are suitable to Omnipotence incenfed. The firft engagement is carried on under a cope of fire, occafion'd by the flights of innumerable burning darts and arrows which are difcharged from either hoft. The fecond onfet is ftill more terrible, as it is fill'd with thofe artificial thunders, which feem to make the victory doubtful, and produce a