There are feveral other ftrokes in the first book wonderfully poctical, and inftances of that fublime genius fo peculiar to the author. Such is the defcription of Azazel's stature, and the infernal ftandard which he unfurls; as alfo of that ghaftly light, by which the fiends appear to one another in their place of torments. The shout of the whole hoft of fallen Angels when drawn up in battle array: The review, which the Leader makes of his infernal army: The flash of light which appeared upon the drawing of their fwords: The fudden production of the Pande-. monium: The artificial illumination made in it.

There are alfo feveral noble fimiles and allufions in the first book. And here I must observe, that, when Milton alludes either to things. or persons, he never quits his fimile until it rifes to some very great idea, which is often foreign to the occasion that gave birth to it. The resemblance does not, perhaps, last above a line or two, but the poet runs on with the hint until he has raised out of it fome glorious image or fentiment, proper to inflame the mind of the reader, and to give it that fublime kind of entertainment, which is fuitable to the nature of an heroick poem. Thofe, who are acquainted with Homer's and Virgil's way of writing, cannot but be pleased with this kind of ftructure in Milton's fimilitudes. I am the more particular on this head,

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because ignorant readers, who have formed their tafte upon the quaint fimilies and little turns of wit, which are fo much in vogue among modern poets, cannot relish these beauties which are of a much higher nature, and are therefore apt to cenfure Milton's comparifons in which they do not see any surprising points of likeness. Monfieur Perrault was a man of this vitiated relish; and, for that very reafon, has endeavoured to turn into ridicule feveral of Homer's fimilitudes, which he calls comparaisons à longue queue, long-tail'd comparisons." I fhall conclude my remarks on the first book of Milton with the answer which Monfieur Boileau makes to Perrault on this occafion : 66 Comparisons," fays he," in odes and epick poems, are not introduced only to illustrate and embellish the difcourfe, but to amuse and relax the mind of the reader; by frequently dif engaging him from too painful an attention to the principal fubject, and by leading him into other agreeable images. Homer excelled in this particular, whose comparisons abound with such images of nature as are proper to relieve and diverfify his fubjects. He continually instructs the reader, and makes him take notice, even in objects which are every day before his eyes, of fuch circumstances as he fhould not otherwife have obferved." To this he adds, as a maxim univerfally acknowledged, "That it is not neceffary

in poetry for the points of the comparison to correspond with one another exactly, but that a general resemblance is fufficient; and that too much nicety in this particular favours of the rhetorician and epigrammatift."

In short, if we look into the conduct of Homer, Virgil, and Milton; as the great fable is the foul of each poem, fo, " to give their works an agreeable variety, their episodes are so many short fables, and their fimiles fo many short episodes; to which you may add, if you please, that their metaphors are fo many fhort fimiles. If the reader confiders the comparisons, in the first book of Milton, of the fun in an eclipfe, of the fleeping Leviathan, of the bees fwarming about their hive, of the fairy dance, in the view wherein I have here placed them, he will easily discover the great beauties that are in each of those paffages.—

I have before observed in general, that the perfons, whom Milton introduces into his Poem, always discover such sentiments and behaviour,

to give their works an agreeable variety,] It is obferved alfo by another eminent critick, that Milton has a peculiar talent in embellishing the principal fubject of his fimiles with others that are agreeable. Similes of this kind have, befide, a separate effect: They diverfify the narration by new images that are not strictly neceffary to the comparison: They are fhort episodes, which, without drawing us from the principal subject, afford great delight by their beauty and variety: As in B. i. 288-291, 589599. B. iii. 431-441. B. iv. 142-165. See Elements of Cri ticifm, viith edit. vol. ii. 196.

as are in a peculiar manner conformable to their respective characters. Every circumftance in their speeches, and actions, is, with great justness and delicacy, adapted to the persons who fpeak and act. As the poet very much excels in this confiftency of his characters, I shall beg leave to confider feveral paffages of the SECOND BOOK in this light. That fuperiour greatness, and mock majefty, which are afcribed to the Prince of the fallen Angels, are admirably preferved in the beginning of this book. His opening and clofing the debate: His taking on himself that great enterprife at the thought of which the whole infernal affembly trembled: His encountering the hideous phantom who guarded the gates of Hell, and appeared to him in all his terrours; are inftances of that proud and daring mind which could not brook fubmiffion, even to Omnipotence.

The fame boldnefs and intrepidity of behaviour difcovers itself, in the feveral adventures which he meets with, during his paffage through the regions of unformed matter; and particularly in his addrefs to thofe tremendous Powers, who are defcribed as prefiding over it.

The part of Moloch is likewife, in all its circumftances, full of that fire and fury, which diftinguifh this Spirit from the rest of the fallen Angels. He is defcribed in the first book as befmeared with the blood of human facrifices,

and delighted with the tears of parents, and the cries of children. In the fecond book he is marked out as the fierceft Spirit that fought in Heaven: and, if we confider the figure which he makes in the fixth book, where the battle of the Angels is defcribed, we find it every way answerable to the fame furious, enraged, character.

It may be worth while to obferve, that Milton has represented this violent impetuous Spirit, who is hurried on by fuch precipitate paffions, as the first that rifes in that affembly, to give his opinion upon their prefent pofture of affairs. Accordingly, he declares himself abruptly for war; and appears incenfed at his companions, for lofing fo much time as even to deliberate upon it. All his fentiments are rafh, audacious, and defperate. Such is that of arming themselves with their tortures, and turning their punishments upon him who inflicted them.

His preferring annihilation to shame or mifery, is also highly fuitable to his character; as the com fort he draws from their difturbing the peace of Heaven, that, if it be not victory, it is revenge, is a fentiment truly diabolical, and becoming the bitterness of this implacable Spirit.

Belial is defcribed in the first book, as the idol of the lewd and luxurious. He is in the fecond book, pursuant to that defcription, characterised as timorous and flothful; and, if we look into