rife of themselves from the Subject of which he treats. In a word, tho' they are natural, they are not obvious, which is the true Character of all fine Writing.

THE Impreffion which the Interdiction of the Tree of Life left in the Mind of our first Parent, is defcrib'd with great Strength and Judgment; as the Image of the feveral Beafts and Birds paffing in review before him is very beautiful and lively.

Each Bird and Beaft behold

Approaching two and two, thefe cowring low

With Blandifhment; each Bird floop'd on his Wing: I nam'd them as they pass'd

ADAM, in the next place, defcribes a Conference which he held with his Maker upon the Subject of Solitude. The Poet here reprefents the fupreme Being, as making an Effay of his own Work, and putting to the trial that reafoning Faculty, with which he had endued his Creature. Adam urges, in this divine Colloquy, the Impoffibility of his being happy, tho' he was the Inhabitant of Paradife, and Lord of the whole Creation, without the Converfation and Society of fome rational Creature, who fhould partake thofe Bleffings with him. This Dialogue, which is fupported chiefly by the Beauty of the Thoughts, without other poetical Ornaments, is as fine a Part as any in the whole Poem: The more the Reader examines the Juftness and Delicacy of his Sentiments, the more he will find himfelf pleased with it. The Poet has wonderfully preferved the Character of Majesty and Condescension in the Creator, and at the same time that of Humility and Adoration in the Creature, as particularly in the following Lines: Thus I prefumptuous; and the Vifion bright, As with a Smile more brightned, thus reply'd, &c. I with leave of Speech implor'd,

And humble Deprecation thus reply'd:

Let not my Words offend thee, Heav'nly Power,
My Maker, be propitious while I speak, &c.

ADAM then proceeds to give an account of his fecond Sleep, and of the Dream in which he beheld the Formation of Eve. The new Paffion that was awaken'd in him at the fight of her, is touch'd very finely.

Under

Under his forming Hands a Creature grew,
Manlike, but diff'rent Sex: fo lovely fair,
That what feem'd fair in all the World, feem'd nous
Mean, or in her fumm'd up, in her contain'd,
And in her Looks; which from that time infus'd
Sweetness into my Heart, unfelt before:
And into all things from her Air infpir'd
The Spirit of Love and amorous Delight

ADAM's Diftrefs upon lofing fight of this beautiful Phantom, with his Exclamations of Joy and Gratitude at the Discovery of a real Creature who refembled the Apparition which had been presented to him in his Dream; the Approaches he makes to her, and his Manner of Courtship; are all laid together in a moft exquifite Propriety of Sentiments.

THO' this Part of the Poem is work'd up with great Warmth and Spirit, the Love which is described in it is every way fuitable to a State of Innocence. If the Reader compares the Defcription which Adam here gives of his leading Eve to the Nuptial Bower, with that which Mr. Dryden has made on the fame Occafion in a Scene of his Fall of Man, he will be fenfible of the great Care which Milton took to avoid all Thoughts on fo delicate a Subject, that might be offenfive to Religion or Good-manners. The Sentiments are chafte, but not cold; and convey to the Mind Ideas of the moft tranfporting Paffion, and of the greatest Purity. What a noble Mixture of Rapture and Innocence has the Author join'd together, in the Reflexion which Adam makes on the Pleafures of Love, com, pared to thofe of Sense.

Thus have I told thee all my State, and brought ·
My Story to the fum of earthly Bliss,

Which I enjoy; and must confefs to find
In all things elfe Delight indeed, but fuch
As us'd or not, works in the Mind no Change

Nor vebement Defires; thefe Delicacies

I mean of Tafle, Sight, Smell, Herbs, Fruits, and Flowers, Walks, and the Melody of Birds: but here

Far other wife, transported. I behold,

E 5

Tranf

Transported touch; here Paffion firft I felt,
Commotion frange! in all Enjoyments elfe
Superiour and unmov'd, here only weak
Againft the Charms of Beauty's powerful Glance,
Or Nature fail'd in me, and left fome Part
Not proof enough fuch Object to fuftain;
Or from my Side fubducting, took perhaps
More than enough; at least on her beftor'd
Too much of Ornament in outward fhew
Elaborate, of inward lefs exa&t.

When I approach

Her Lovelinefs, fo abfolute fhe feems
And in berfelf compleat, fo well to know
Her own, that what he wills to do or fay
Seems wifeft, virtuoufeft, difcreeteft, beft:
All higher Knowledge in her Prefence falls
Degraded: Wisdom in difcourfe with her
Lofes difcountenanc'd, and like Folly Shews;
Authority and Reafon on her wait,
As one intended firft, not after made
Occafionally: and to confummate all,
Greatness of Mind, and Nobleness their Seat
Build in her lovelieft, and create an Awe
About her, as a Guard angelick plac'd.

THESE Sentiments of Love, in our firft Parent, gave the Angel fuch an Infight into human Nature, that he feems apprehenfive of the Evils which might befal the Species in general, as well as Adam in particular, from the Excefs of this Paffion. He therefore fortifies him against it by timely Admonitions; which very artfully prepare the Mind of the Reader for the Occurrences of the next Book, where the Weakness of which Adam here gives fuch dlftant Discoveries, brings about the fatal Event which is the Subject of the Poem. His Difcourfe, which followsthe gentle Rebuke he receiv'd from the Angel, fhews that his Love, however violent it might appear, was ftill founded in Reason, and confequently not improper for Paradise. Neither her outfide Form fo fair, nor aught

In Procreation common to all kinds,
(Tho' higher of the genial Bed by far,
And with myfterious Reverence I deem)

So much delights me, as thofe graceful Acts,
Thofe thousand Decencies that daily flow

From all her Words and Actions, mixt with Love
And fweet Compliance, which declare unfeign'd
Union of Mind, or in us both one Soul;
Harmony to behold in wedded Pair!

ADAM's Speech, at parting with the Angel, has in it a Deference and Gratitude agreeable to an inferior Nature, and at the fame time a certain Dignity and Greatness fuitable to the Father of Mankind in his State of Innocence. L.

No 346. Monday, April 7.

Confuetudinem benignitatis largitioni munerum longè antepono. Hæc eft gravium hominum atque magnorum; Illa quafi affentatorum populi, multitudinis levitatem voluptate quafi titillantium. Tull.

Wh

HEN we confider the Offices of human Life, there is, methinks, fomething in what we ordinarily call Generofity, which when carefully examined, feems to flow rather from a loose and unguarded Temper,than an honeft and liberal Mind. For this reason it is abfolutely neceffary that all Liberality should have for its Bafis and Support Frugality. By this means the beneficent Spirit works in a Man from the Convictions of Reason, not from the Impulfes of Paffion. The generous Man, in the ordinary Acceptation, without refpect to the Demands of his own Family will foon find upon the Foot of his Account, that he has facrificed to Fools, Knaves, Flatterers, or the defervedly Unhappy, all the Opportunities of affording any future Affiftance where it ought to be. Let him therefore reflect, that if to bestow, be in it felf laudable, fhould not a Man take care to fecure an Ability to do things praise-worthy as long as he lives? Or could there be a more cruel Piece of Rallery upon a Man who should. have reduc'd his Fortune below the Capacity of acting ac

cording

cording to his natural Temper, than to fay of him, That Gentleman was generous? My beloved Author therefore has, in the Sentence on the Top of my Paper, turned his Eye with a certain Satiety from beholding the Addreffes to the People by Largeffes and publick Entertainments, which he afferts to be in general vicious, and are always to be regulated according to the Circumftances of Time and a Man's own Fortune. A conftant Benignity in Commerce with the rest of the World, which ought to run through all a Man's Actions, has Effects more useful to those whom you oblige, and lefs oftentatious in yourfelf. He turns his Recommendation of this Virtue in commercial Life: and according to him a Citizen who is frank in his Kindneffes, and abhors Severity in his Demands; he who in buying, felling, lending, doing acts of good Neighbourhood, is juft and eafy; he who appears naturally averse to Difputes, and above the Sense of little Sufferings; bears a nobler Character, and does much more good to Mankind, than any other Man's Fortune without Commerce can poffibly fupport. For the Citizen above all other Men has Opportunities of arriving at that highest Fruit of Wealth, to be liberal without the leaft Expence of a Man's own Fortune. It is not to be denied but fuch a Practice is liableto hazard; but this therefore adds to the Obligation, that, among Traders, he who obliges is as much concerned to keep the Favour a Secret, as he who receives it. The unhappy Diftinctions among us in England are fo great, that to celebrate the Intercourfe of commercial Friendship, (with which I am daily made acquainted) would be to raife the virtuous Man fo many Enemies of the contrary Party. I am obliged to conceal all I know of Tom the Bounteous, who lends at the ordinary Intereft, to give Men of lefs Fortune Opportunities of making greater Advantages. He conceals, under a rough Air and diftant Be haviour, a bleeding Compaffion and womanish Tendernefs. This is governed by the most exact Circumfpection, that there is no Industry wanting in the Person whom he is to ferve, and that he is guilty of no improper Expences. This I know of Tom, but who dare fay it of so known a Tory? The fame Care I was forced to ufe fome time ago in the Report of another's Virtue, and said fifty instead of an hundred, because the Man I pointed at was a Whig Actions