First fruits, the green ear, and the yellow fheaf, 436 The inwards and their fat, with incenfe ftrow'd, them offer both upon the fame altar, for the word brought in Scripture (which Milton likewife retains) is understood of their bringing their offerings to fome common place of worship: and this altar he makes of turf, of graffy ford, as the first altars are represented to be, and describes the facrifice fomewhat in the manner of Homer. The Scripture fays only that the Lord had refpect unto Abel, and to his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering he had not refpect: The poet makes this refpect unto Abel's offering to be a fire from Heaven confuming it; and herein he is juftified by the authority of the 445 Dif beft commentators Jewish and Chriftian; and there are several instances of fuch acceptance in Scripture. Cain's was not fo accepted, for (fays the poet) his was not fincere. And Cain was very wroth- And Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and flew him. The poet makes Cain to smite him into the midriff or diaphragm, a nervous muscle feparating the breaft from the belly, with a fione, fuppofing it the most natural and the most ready inftrument at hand, and fo Cowley, David. I. and in his note 16: but how Dismay'd, and thus in hafte to th' Angel cry'd. O Teacher, fome great mischief hath befall'n 450 To that meek man, who well had facrific'd; Is piety thus and pure devotion paid? T'whom Michael thus, he alfo mov'd, reply'd. These two are brethren, Adam, and to come Out of thy loins; th' unjuft the juft hath flain, 455 For envy that his brother's offering found From Heav'n acceptance; but the bloody fact Will be aveng'd, and th' other's faith approv'd Lose no reward, though here thou see him die, Rolling in duft and gore. To which our fire. 460 Alas, both for the deed and for the cause! But have I now feen Death? Is this the way Hebrews, who bears this teftimony to it, XI. 4. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent facrifice nefs, that he was righteous, God than Cain, by which he obtained witteftifying of his gifts; and by it he being dead, yet fpeaketh. 462. But have 1 now feen Death? Is this the way &c.] Our author, in making Adam fo ignorant of what death was and the way to it, feems to have forgot what he had put in the mouth of Eve in the preceding book, ver, 1001. I must return to native duft? O fight Horrid to think, how horrible to feel! 46.5 To whom thus Michaël. Death thou haft feen In his first fhape on man; but many hopes 470 In meats and drinks, which on the earth shall bring Diseases dire, of which a monftrous crew Before thee fhall appear; that thou mayst know 475 What misery th' inabftinence of Eve Shall mille ad hanc aditus patent. 477-Immediately a place &c. F The fecond vifion fets before him the image of death in a great variety of appearances. The Angel, to give him a general idea of thofe effects which his guilt had brought upon his pofterity, places before him a large hofpital or lazar-house, fill'd with perfons lying under all kinds. of mortal difeafes. How finely has the poet told us that the fick perfons languifh'd under lingring and incurable distempers, by an apt and judicious ufe of fuch imaginary beings as thofe F mention'd in my laft paper! Shall bring on men. Immediately a place 480 Inteftin stone and ulcer, colic pangs, 485 And moon-struck madness, pining atrophy, Marasmus, and wide-wafting peftilence, Dropfies, and afthma's, and joint-racking rheums, Dire was the toffing, deep the groans; Despair Tended the fick bufieft from couch to couch; 490 And paper! The paffion, which likewife rifes in Adam on this occafion, is very natural. The discourse between the Angel and Adam which follows, abounds with noble morals. Addifon. 487. Marafmus,] The word is Greek, and it fignifies a kind of confumption, accompanied with a fever wafting the body by degrees; but we should obferve that these verses, Demoniac phrenzy, moaping me- Marafmus, and wide-wasting pesti. lence, were not in the first, but were added by the author in the fecond edition, to fwell the horror of the defcription. Dr. Bentley is for ftriking them out again, but Mr. Pope fays they are three admirable lines. 489. Dire was the toffing, deep the groans; Defpair &c.] This is entirely in the picturesque manner of Spenfer, and feems to allude particularly to that beautiful paffage, where defcribing the way to Plato's grify reign, he reprefents Pain, Strife, Revenge, &c. as fo many perfons Z 2 affem And over them triumphant Death his dart 500 What And over them triumphant Death his dart Shook, but delay'd to strike. it is excellently exprefs'd with the As the image is wonderfully fine, fo paufe upon the first fyllable of the verfe, hook. One thinks one almost fees the dart fhaking. How much better is this than Virgil's Æn. XI. 767. et certam quatit improbus hattam! If the line was to be alter'd, as thus, And o'er them Death triumphant fhook his dart, much |