Nigh river's mouth or foreland, where the wind
Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her fail:
So varied he, and of his tortuous train
Curl'd many a wanton wreath in fight of Eve,
To lure her eye; fhe bufied heard the found
Of rufling leaves, but minded not, as us'd
To such disport before her through the field,
From every beaft, more duteous at her call,

515

520

Than

might ftill fay with truth that he pursued

Things unattempted yet in profe or rhime.

And in the general it may be faid, that resemblance is not plagiarifm. Different authors may poffibly hit upon the fame thought without borrowing from one another. An author, of great reading especially, may be ting'd and color'd as it were by his reading; his writings may have fomething of the tafte of the books which he has read without his knowing it, as the ftream partakes of the qualities of the earth thro' which it paffes; and he may fometimes make ufe of the thoughts of others, and ftill believe them his own. This may be the cafe with regard to thofe authors, whom he is known to have read; and much less can he be certainly charg'd with stealing from authors, when it is very uncertain whether he has read them or not.

522. Than

Than at Circean call the herd disguis'd.
He bolder now, uncall'd before her stood,
But as in gaze admiring: oft he bow'd
His turret creft, and fleek enamel'd neck,

525

Fawning, and lick'd the ground whereon she trod.

His gentle dumb expreffion turn'd at length
The eye of Eve to mark his play; he glad
Of her attention gain'd, with ferpent tongue
Organic, or impulfe of vocal air,

His fradulent temptation thus began.

539

Wonder not, sovran Mistress, if perhaps
Thou canft, who art fole wonder; much less arm
Thy looks, the Heav'n of mildness, with difdain,
Difpleas'd that I approach thee thus, and gaze 535
Infatiate, I thus fingle, nor have fear'd

Thy awful brow, more awful thus retir'd.
Fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair,

522. Than at Circean call the herd

difguis'd.] All beasts of the field used to play and fport before her, more obedient to her voice, than men turn'd into beafts by the famous inchantrefs Circe were at her beck. Ovid. Metam. XIV. 45.

perque ferarum Agmen adulantum media procedit ab aula. Hume,

Thee

530. Organic, or impulse of vocal

air,] That the Devil moved the ferpent's tongue, and used it as an inftrument to form that tempting fpeech he made to Eve, is the opinion of fome; that he form'd a voice by impreffion of the founding air, diftant from the ferpent, is that of others of which our author has left the curious to their choice.

:

Hume 531. His

Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine
By gift, and thy celeftial beauty' adore

540

With ravishment beheld, there best beheld

Where univerfally admir'd; but here

In this inclosure wild, these beafts among,
Beholders rude, and shallow to discern

Half what in thee is fair, one man except,

545

Who fees thee'? (and what is one?) who shouldst be seen

A Goddess among Gods, ador'd and ferv'd

By Angels numberlefs, thy daily train.

way,

550

So gloz'd the Tempter, and his proem tun'd; Into the heart of Eve his words made Though at the voice much marveling; at length Not unamaz'd she thus in answer spake. What may this mean? language of man pronounc'd By tongue of brute, and human fenfe exprefs'd? The firft at least of these I thought deny'd

531. His fraudulent temptation thus began.] We fee by this firft Speech of Satan what our author thought the most probable, the moft natural, and the most successful way of beginning a temptation upon a woman, namely flattery, extravagant admiration of her perfon, and fulfome commendations of her merit and beauty, and by these means engaging her attention, and fo deluding

555

Το

her to her ruin. This fpeech is much of the fame ftrain and spirit with that which Satan had made to her before in her dream, V. 37, &c: and it had a fatal effect, for

Into the heart of Eve his words

made way.

To cry her up as a Goddess was the
readieft way to make her a mere
mortal.
556.-wbes

1

To beafts, whom God on their creation-day
Created mute to all articulate found;

The latter I demur, for in their looks
Much reas'on, and in their actions oft appears.
Thee, Serpent, fubtleft beaft of all the field
I knew, but not with human voice indued;
Redouble then this miracle, and say,
How cam'ft thou speakable of mute, and how
To me fo friendly grown above the reft

Of brutal kind, that daily are in fight:
Say, for fuch wonder clames attention due.
To whom the guileful Tempter thus reply'd.
Empress of this fair world, refplendent Eve,
Easy to me it is to tell thee all

560

565

[obey'd:

What thou command'st, and right thou shouldft be'

I was at firft as other beafts that graze

571

The

556. whom God on their is ufed in an active as well as in a creation day Created mute] This is mere fillings, fays Dr. Bentley; for when could they be created, but on their creationday? But this is exactly in the ftile of Scripture, Gen. II. 4. Theje are the generations of the Heavens and of the Earth when they were created; in the day that the Lord God made the Earth and the Heavens.

563. How cam'ft thou speakable of
mute,] The word Speakable

paffive fenfe, and may fignify what can speak as well as what can be spoken. Here it is to be understood in the former fenfe, Speakable or able to fpeak, as comfortable, delectable, passable &c fignify able to comfort, to delight, to pass &c. And there are inftances of fuch words used fometimes actively and fometimes paffively in the best authors. Thus in Horace the word illacrymabilis is used in its paffive fignification. Od. IV. IX. 26.

fed

The trodden herb, of abject thoughts and low,
As was my food; nor ought but food discern'd
Or fex, and apprehended nothing high:
Till on a day roving the field, I chanc'd
A goodly tree far diftant to behold
Loaden with fruit of faireft colors mix'd,
Ruddy and gold: I nearer drew to gaze;
When from the boughs a favory odor blown,
Grateful to appetite, more pleas'd my sense
Than fmell of fweeteft fenel, or the teats

Of ewe or goat dropping with milk at even,
Unfuck'd of lamb or kid, that tend their play.
To fatisfy the sharp defire I had

Of tafting those fair apples, I refolv'd

Not to defer; hunger and thirst at once,
Pow'rful perfuaders, quicken'd at the fent

575

580

585

Of