them, and moved of themselves, or stood ftill, in Con formity with the Cherubims whom they accompanied. THERE is no Queftion but Milton had this Circumftance in his Thoughts, because in the following Book he describes the Chariot of the Meffiah with living Wheels, according to the Plan in Ezekiel's Vifion. -Forth rub'd with Whirlwind Sound The Chariot of Paternal Deity, Flashing thick Flames, Wheel within Wheel undrawn, Itself inftinct with Spirit I queftion not but Bou, and the two Daciers, who are for vindicating every Thing that is cenfured in Homer by fomething parallel in Holy Writ, would have been very well pleafed, had they thought of confronting. Vulcan's Tripodes with Ezekiel's Wheels. RAPHAEL's Defcent to the Earth, with the Figure of his Perfon, is reprefented in very lively Colours. Several of the French, Italian, and English Poets have given a loose to their Imaginations in the Defcription of Angels: But I do not remember to have met with any fo finely drawn, and fo conformable to the Notions which are given of them in Scripture, as this in Milton. After having fet him forth in all his heavenly Plumage, and reprefented him as alighting upon the Earth, the Poet concludes his Defcription with a Circumftance, which is altogether new, and imagined. with the greatest Strength of Fancy. -Like Maia's Son he flood, And book his Plumes, that heav'nly Fragrance fill'd' The Circuit wide RAPHAEL's Reception by the Guardian Angels; his paffing through the Wildernefs of Sweets; his diftant Appearance to Adam; have all the Graces that Poetry is capable of beflowing. The Author afterwards E 3. gives gives us a particular Defcription of Eve in her Domes tic Employments. So faying, with dispatchful Looks in Hafe THOUGH in this, and other Parts of the fame Book, the Subject is only the Housewifry of our First Parent, it is fet off with so many pleafing Images and ftrong Expreffions, as make it none of the leaft agreeable Parts in this divine Work. THE natural Majefty of Adam, and at the fame Time his fubmiffive Behaviour to the fuperior Being, who had vouchsafed to be his Gueft; the folemn Hail which the Angel beftows on the Mother of Mankind, with the Figure of Eve miniftring at the Table, are Circumftances which deferve to be admired. RAPHAEL's Behaviour is every way fuitable to the Dignity of his Nature, and to that Character of a Sociable Spirit with which the Author has fo judiciously introduced him. He had received Inftructions to converfe with Adam, as one Friend converfes with another, and to warn him of the Enemy, who was contriving his Destruction. Accordingly he is reprefented as fitting down at a Table with Adam, and eating of the Fruits of Paradife. The Occafion naturally leads him to his Difcourfe on the Food of Angels. After having thus entered into Converfation with Man upon more indifferent Subjects, he warns him of his Obedience, and makes a natural Tranfition to the Hiftory of that fallen Angel, who was employed in the Circumvention of our first Parents. HAD HAD I followed Monfieur Bofu's Method in my first Paper on Milton, I fhould have dated the Action of Paradife Loft from the Beginning of Raphael's Speech in this Book, as he fuppofes the Action of the Æneid to begin in the fecond Book of that Poem. I could alledge many Reasons for my drawing the Action of the Eneid rather from its immediate Beginning in the first Book, than from its remote Beginning in the fecond, and fhew why I have confidered the facking of Troy as an Episode, according to the common Acceptation of that Word. But as this would be a dry unentertaining Piece of Criticism, and perhaps unneceffary to those who have read my first Paper, I fhall not enlarge upon it. Which ever of the Notions be true, the Unity of Milton's Action is preferved according to either of them; whether we confider the Fall of Man in its immediate Beginning, as proceeding from the Refolutions taken in the infernal Council; or in its more remote Beginning, as proceeding from the first Revolt of the Angels in Heaven. The Occasion which Milton affigns for this Revolt, as it is founded on Hints in Holy Writ, and on the Opinion of fome great Writers, fo it was the most proper that the Poet could have made use of. THE Revolt in Heaven is described with great Force of Indignation, and a fine Variety of Circumflances. The learned Reader cannot but be pleased with the Poet's Imitation of Homer in the laft of the following Lines. At length into the Limits of the North They came, and Satan took his Royal Seat That Structure in the Dialect of Men E 4 HO. HOMER mentions Perfons and Things, which he tells us in the Language of the Gods are called by different Names from thofe they go by in the Language of Men. Milton has imitated him with his ufual Judgment in this particular Place, wherein he has likewife the Authority of Scripture to juftify him. The Part of Abdiel, who was the only Spirit that in this infinite Host of Angels preferved his Allegiance to his Maker, exhibits to us a noble Moral of religious Singularity. The Zeal of the Seraphim breaks forth in a becoming Warmth of Sentiments and Expreffions, as the Character which is given us of him denotes that generous Scorn and Intrepidity which attends heroic Virtue. The Author doubtless defigned it as a Pattern to thofe who live among Mankind in their prefent State of Degeneracy and Corruption. So fake the Seraph Abdiel faithful found, His Loyalty he kept, his Love, his Zeal: And with retorted Scorn his Back he turn'd On thofe proud Tow'rs to fwift Deftruction doom'd. SPEC SPECTATOR, N° 333. vocat in certamina Divos. He calls embattled Deities to Arms. WE VIRG. E are now entering upon the Sixth Book of Paradife Loft, in which the Poet defcribes the Battle 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 on the former Books, having purpofely referved them for the Open- ing of this, the Subject of which gave Occafion to them. The Author's Imagination was fo inflamed with this great Seene of Action, that wherever he fpeaks of it, he rifes, if poffible, above himself. Thus where he mentions Satan in the Beginning of his Poem. -Him the Almighty Power Hurl'd beadlong flaming from th' Etherial Sky, Who durft defy th' Omnipotent to Arms. WE have likewife feveral noble Hints of it in the infernal Conference. Prince, O Chief of many throned Powers |