Says Bellerophon was. 21 Half yet remaines Unfung, Half what? the Context if Attended to Explains This Matter. He fays he had been led up by the Mufe to draw Empyreal Air and he is Now Coming to his Own Native Element. he had in the Perfon of the Angel given an Account of Things above Humane Reach, a moft Arduous Enterprize; Now, More Safe he Sings of what was done within This Vifible World; Thefe are the two Great Subjects of this Noble Episode, the Warr in Heaven, and the New Creation. 'tis the Half of The Episode Not of the Whole Work is Here Meant. for when his Poem was divided into but Ten Books he calls the Four that Then remain'd the Half of Thofe, That Edition had This Paffage at the Beginning of the 7th as Now. Nor could he Mean that he had been Rapt above the Pole 'till Now, and was Hereafter to keep within the Bounds of the New Creation. He had been in Hell, in Chaos, in Heaven, and on Earth, All which he has given Moft Sublime Ideas of; and of Paradife and the Happy Life There, whilst this World was in it's Virgin Bloom of Beauty and Innocence, he has given the Moft Engaging, Interefting and Edifying Picture that Imagination, the Beft Inform'd and Purify'd, and the most Lively and Expert can Poffibly bestow upon the World: This however is not being Rapt above the Pole; as in What is yet U to Come he is not Confin'd to This Diurnal Sphere; Heaven, Hell, and Chaos is Again Sometimes the Scene of Action; though indeed the Principal is Some Part of the Happy Life, (but That Soon Loft) the Temptation, and the Fall, Ending with the Hiftory of the Church of God to the Confummation of things; in which, Befides the Importance, and Variety of the Subject, there is a Simplicity and Beauty of Narration Perhaps Not to be Equall'd by any Humane Writer Ancient or Modern. 22 Diurnal Spheare Diurnal is Daily. This Sphere wherein we have a Daily return of the Sun's Light. Intra Anni Solifque Vias. 23 Rapt Snatcht, Caught with Violence. 24 Mortal Voice, Æn. VI. 796. Diftinguish'd from That when he drew Empyreal Air [14] his Style therefore you will find more Eafy and Intelligible. He Writes as well as he Did; Thofe Lofty Subjects he has Sung have not Crack'd his Vioce; nor is he Difcourag'd, he Goes on in fuch a Manner as his Prefent Subject requires. 26 On Evil Dayes though fall'n, anl Evil Tongues, in Darkness and with Dangers compass'd round and Solitude; yet not Alone while Thou Vifitft my Slumbers Nighty, or when Morn Purples the Eaft This is explain'd by a piece of Secret History for which we have Good Authority. Paradife Loft was Written after the Restorat on when Milton Apprehended himself to be in Danger of his Life, Firft from Publick Vengeance (having been very Deeply engag'd against the Royal Party) and, when Safe by a Pardon, from Private Malice and Refentment He was Always in Fear; Much Alone, and Slept Ill; when Restless he would Ring for the Person who Wrote for him, (which was his Daughter Commonly) to Write what he Compos'd, which Sometimes flow'd with Great Eafe. my Celestial Patronefs who deigns ber Nightly Vifitation un-implor'd and Dictates to me Slumbring, or Infpires Eafy my Un-premeditated Verje. IX. 21. &c. III. 32. Nightly I Vifit. Sometimes he could do Nothing, or would deftroy what he had done. 33 Revellers from Refveiller to keep Awake, to Watch. So do Those who spend the Night defign'd for Reft in Disorderly Diverfions; Generally Drunkeness, &c. 34 the Thracian Bard Orpheus, the Son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope, born in Thrace, a Poet and Philofopher; he loft his Beloved Wife Eurydice and was very Chafte, the Ciconian Women, mad Worhipers of Bacchus, tore him to pieces on The Mountain Rhodope. The Trees and Stones are faid to have liften'd to him. 35 to Rapture bad Eares the Woods and Rocks not only Heard, but were Ravish'd with the Mufick. So in his Epiftle to his Father, v. 53. Qui tenuit Fluvios & Quercubus Addidit Those that have Ears find Mufick in the Sweet Notes of Our Bard, and 'tis not from Any Defect in Him if they are not Alfo Transported with Delight; They have not Ears to Rap ture. for while I Sit with Thee I feem in Heav'n. VIII. 210. 40 Say Goddess, Urania or Divine Wisdom, the Same Mufe he It must be remembred Milton is Writing a Poem, not a Syftem of Divinity or Philofophy, as Now Underftood, Efpecially the Latter. though as he has Always the Scripture in View, his Mufe is Divine, but she is Also a Muse. He is Confiftent in his System, but 'tis a Poetical One. the great Points of Religion, what Concerns God, the Fall and Redemption of Mankind, the Mediatorfhip of the Son, a Holy Life, &c. are Set in the Nobleft Light. in his Philofophy he has taken Greater Liberty; 'tis perfectly Agreeable to Scripture, So far as That Reveals Thofe Matters, the rest are Poetical Embellishments, and for the Most part what were the Opinions of the Wisest Ancients. Let any One put Himself in the Place of Milton, and He will find he did Wifely, nor could have done Otherwife than he Has. He was upon a Scripture Story, he takes his Accounts from Thence; That feems to SupDose the Earth to be the Center of the Creation, not the Sun; So muft He. and if the Sun's being the Center, and the Earth a Planet U 3 was |