prefent, univerfally exploded by all the masters of polite writing.

The laft fault which I fhall take notice of in Milton's Style, is the frequent ufe of what the learned call technical words, or terms of art. It is one of the great beauties of poetry to make hard things intelligible, and to deliver what is abstruse of itself in fuch onfy language as may be understood by ordinary readers befides that, the knowledge of a poet should rather feem born with him, or inspired, than drawn from books and systems. I have often wondered how Mr. Dryden could translate a passage out of Virgil after the following manner.

Tack to the larboard and stand off to sea,

Veer ftarboard fea and land.....

Milton makes ufe of larboard in the fame manner. When he is upon building, he mentions Doric pillars, pilafters, cornice, freeze, architrave. When he talks of heavenly bodies, you meet with ecliptic and eccentric, the trepidation, stars dropping from the zenith, rays culminating from the equator. To which might be added many inftances of the like kind in feveral other arts and fciences.

I fhall, in my next papers, give an account of the many particular beauties in Milton, which would have been too long to infert under thofe general heads I have already treated of, and with which I intend to conclude this piece of Criticifin.

I have feen in the works of a modern philofophor a map of the spots in the fun. My last paper of the faults and blemishes in Milton's Paradife Loft may be confidered as a piece of the fame nature. To purfue the allufion; as it is obferved that among the bright parts of the luminous body above mentioned there are some which glow more intenfely, and dart a ftronger light than others; fo, notwithstanding I have already shown Milton's Poem to be very beautiful in general, I shall now proceed to take notice of fuch beauties as appear to me more exquisite than the reft*.

*This he accordingly did in twelve different papers in the Spectator.

IN

PARADISUM AMISSAM

SUMMI POETE

JOHANNIS MILTONI.

Qui legis Amiffam Paradisum, grandia magni
Carmina Miltoni, quid nisi cuncta legis?
Res cunctas, et cunctarum primordia rerum,
Et fata, et fines continet ifte liber.
Intima panduntur magni penetralia mundi,
Scribitur et toto quicquid in orbe latet:
Terræque, tractufque maris, cœlumque profundum,
Sulphureumque Erebi, flammivomumque fpecus:
Quæque colunt terras, pontumque, et Tartara cæca,
Quæque colunt fummi lucida regna poli:
Et quodcunque ullis conclufum est finibus usquam,
Et fine fine Chaos, et fine fine Deus :
Et fine fine magis, si quid magis est sine fine,

In Chrifto erga homines conciliatus amor.
Hæc qui fperaret quis crederet effe futura?

Et tamen hæc hodie terra Britanna legit.
O quantos in bella duces! quæ protulit arma!
Quæ canit, et quanta prælia dira tuba!
Cœleftes acies! atque in certamine cœlum!
Et quæ cœleftes pugna deceret agros!

ΙΟ

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Quantus in æthereis tollit fe Lucifer armis !
Atque ipfo graditur vix Michaele minor!
Quantus, et quam funeftis concurritur iris,
Dum ferus hic ftellas protegit, ille rapit!
Dum vulfos montes ceu tela reciproca torquent, 25
Et non mortali defuper igne pluunt :
Stat dubius cui fe parti concedat Olympus,
Et metuit pugnæ non fupereffe fuæ.
At fimul in cœlis Meffiæ infignia fulgent,
Et currus animes, armaque digna Deo,
Horrendumque rotæ strident, et fæva rotarum

Erumpunt torvis fulgura luminibus,

Et flammæ vibrant, et vera tonitrua rauco
Admiftis flammis infonuere polo:

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Excidit attonitis mens omnis, et impetus omnis, 35
Et caffis dextris irrita tela cadunt;
Ad pœnas fugiunt, et ceu foret Orcus afylum,
Infernis certant condere fe tenebris.

Cedite Romani fcriptores, cedite Graii,
Et quos fama recens vel celebravit anus.
Hæc quicunque leget tantùm cecinisse putabit
Mæonidem ranas, Virgilium culices.

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SAMUEL BARROW, M. D.

WH

HEN I beheld the Poet blind, yet bold,
In flender book his vast design unfold,
Meffiah crown'd, God's reconcil'd decree,
Rebelling angels, the forbidden tree,
Heaven, hell, earth, chaos, all; the argument
Held me a while misdoubting his intent,
That he would ruin (for I saw him strong)
The facred truths to fable and old fong;
(So Sampfon grop'd the temple's posts in spite)
The world o'erwhelming to revenge his fight.

Yet as I read, ftill growing less fevere,

I lik'd his project, the fuccess did fear,
Through that wide field how he his way should find,
O'er which lame Faith leads Understanding blind;
Left he perplex'd the things he would explain,
And what was eafy he should render vain.

Or if a work fo infinite he spann'd,

Jealous I was, that some less skilful hand (Such as difquiet always what is well,

And by ill imitating would excel)

Might hence presume the whole creation's day
To change in scenes, and show it in a play.
Pardon me, mighty Poet! nor despise
My causeless, yet not impious, furmise.
But I am now convinc'd, and none will dare
Within thy labours to pretend a share.

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