COMMENDATORY VERSES

ON

MILTON.

In Paradifum Amiffam fummi Poeta, Johannis Miltoni*.

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UI legis Amiffam Paradifum, grandia magni Carmina MILTONI, quid nifi cuncta legis? Res cunctas, et cunctarum primordia rerum, Et fata, et fines, continet ifte liber. Intima panduntur magni penetralia mundi, Scribitur et toto quicquid in orbe latet: Terraéque, tractúfque ma., cœlúmque profundum, Sulphureúmque Erebi, flammivomúmque fpecus: Quaéque colunt terras, pontúmque, et Tartara cæca, Quaéque colunt fummi lucida regna poli: Et quodcunque ullis conclufum eft finibus ufquam, Et fine fine Chaos, et fine fine Deus; Et fine fine magis, fi quid magis eft fine fine,

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*This poem by Dr. Barrow, and the next by Milton's friend Andrew Marvell, have been usually published in the editions of Paradife Loft, fince the edition of 1674, to which they are both prefixed. TODD.

Ver. 1.

Amiffam Paradifum,] Dr. Barrow has here rendered Paradifum feminine. The tranflators of the first book of Paradife Loft, both in 1685 and 1702, thus also entitle the poem "Paradifus Amisja." See alfo the fame title to other Latin tranflations in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. xvi. pp. 549, 661. The Greek and Latin writers, however, make Paradise masculine.

TODD.

In Chrifto erga homines conciliatus amor.
Hæc qui fperaret quis crederet effe futurum?

Et tamen hæc hodiè terra Britanna legit.
O quantos in bella duces! quæ protulit arma!
Quæ canit, et quantâ prælia dira tubâ!
Coeleftes acies! atque in certamine cœlum!
deceret agros!

pugna

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Et cœleftes quæ Quantus in æthereis tollit fe Lucifer armis ! Atque ipfo graditur vix Michaële minor! Quantis, et quàm funeftis concurritur iris, Dum ferus hic ftellas protegit, ille rapit! Dum vulfos montes ceu tela reciproca torquent, 25 Et non mortali defuper igne pluunt: Stat dubius cui fe parti concedat Olympus,

Et metuit pugnæ non fupereffe fuæ.

At fimul in cœlis Meffiæ infignia fulgent,
Et currus animes, armáque digna Deo,
Horrendúmque rotæ ftrident, et fæva rotarum
Erumpunt torvis fulgura luminibus,

Et flammæ vibrant, et vera tonitrua rauco
Admiftis flammis infonuere polo:

Excidit attonitis mens omnis, et impetus omnis,
Et caffis dextris irrita tela cadunt;

Ad pœnas fugiunt; et, ceu foret Orcus afylum,

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Ver. 15. quis crederet effe futurum?] So I print it from the edition of 1674. Dr. Newton reads futura. Toland, who has printed this excellent copy of verfes in his Life of Milton, reads futurum. Tonfon's editions of 1705, and 1711, and Tickell's in 1720, read the fame: But Fenton's in 1725, and Tonfon's of 1727 and 1746, read futura; as many other editions aifo read. Mr. Capel Lofft, in his edition of the First Book of Paradife Loft, 1792, has reftored futurum; and ingeniously explains it: "Quis crederet (nempe) aliquem futurum qui hæc fe fando affequi poffe fperaret?" TODD.

Infernis certant condere fe tenebris.
Cedite, Romani Scriptores; cedite, Graii;
Et quos fama recens vel celebravit anus.
Hæc quicunque leget tantùm ceciniffe putabit
Mæonidem ranas, Virgilium culices.

SAMUEL BARROW, M. D†.

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On Paradife Loft.

WHEN I beheld the Poet blind, yet bold,
In flender book his vaft defign unfold,
Meffiah crown'd, God's reconcil'd decree,
Rebelling Angels, the forbidden tree,
Heaven, Hell, Earth, Chaos, all; the argument
Held me a while mifdoubting his intent,

That he would ruin (for I faw him ftrong)
The facred truths to fable and old fong;

+ Of Dr. Samuel Barrow, the author of these verses, no account has been given by the editors of Milton. Toland only calls him a doctor of phyfick. Perhaps he was the physician to the army of General Monk. See Skinner's Life of General Monk, 1724, p. 166. "General Monk haftened to Berwick from Coldftream, Dec. 13. 1659, being attended with fome of his best Colonels, and Dr. Barrow the principal Physician, who about this time was made Judge Advocate of the army." See alfo Kennet's Register and Chronicle, 1728, pp. 34, 35, 133.

Of the poem I have feen two printed tranflations in English verfe; one, inferted in Mr. Bowle's interleaved Copy of Paradife Loft, apparently taken out of fome magazine or periodical publication; the other, much more diftinguishable for spirit and fidelity, in the Gentleman's Magazine of 1760, p. 291, to which no fignature is affixed. TODD.

(So Sampfon grop'd the temple's pofts in fpight,) The world o'erwhelming to revenge his fight.

Yet as I read, ftill growing less fevere, I lik'd his project, the fuccefs did fear; Through that wide field how he is way

fhould find,

O'er which lame Faith leads Understanding blind;
Left he'd perplex the things he would explain,
And what was eafy he should render vain.

Or if a work fo infinite he spann'd,
Jealous I was that fome lefs fkilful hand
(Such as difquiet always what is well,
And, by ill imitating, would excell,)
Might hence prefume the whole creation's day
To change in scenes, and fhow it in a play.
Pardon me, mighty Poet, nor defpife
My causeless, yet not impious, furmife.
But I am now convinc'd, and none will dare
Within thy labours to pretend a share.

Thou haft not mifs'd one thought that could be fit,
And all that was improper doft omit:

So that no room is here for writers left,
But to detect their ignorance or theft.

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That majesty, which through thy work doth reign,
Draws the devout, deterring the profane.
And things divine thou treat'ft of in such state
As them preferves, and thee, inviolate.

At once delight and horrour on us feife,
Thou fing'ft with fo much gravity and ease;
And above human flight dost foar aloft
With plume fo ftrong, fo equal, and fo foft.
The bird, nam'd from that Paradise you fing,
So never flags, but always keeps on wing.

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