INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. CERTAINLY Milton has in this book shown to an amazing extent all the variety of his powers in striking contrast with each other: the sublimity of the celestial persons; the gigantic wickedness of the infernal; the mingled excellence and human infirmities of Adam and Eve; and the shadowy and terrific beings of Sin and Death. Of any other poet, the imagination would have been exhausted in the preceding books: in Milton, it still gathers strength, and grows bolder and bolder, and darts with more expanded wings. When Sin and Death deserted the gates of hell, and made their way to earth, the conception and expression of all the circumstances is of a supernatural force. For my part, I see no adequate reason why the whole of an epic poem should not consist of allegorical or shadowy beings; nor do I see even why they should not be mixed in action with those imaginary persons who represent realities certainly the poetical parts of the Scriptures every where embody such shadowy existences. Sin and Death might have flown through the air from hell to earth as shadowy personifications, without the aid of a bridge of matter; but this ought not to have prohibited the poet from picturing a bridge of matter, if his imagination led him to that device. It was intended to typify the facility of access contrived by Sin and Death from hell to this terrestrial globe, not only for themselves, but for all their ministers and innumerable followers. The moral is obvious: what is intended to be conveyed is, though figuratively told, in perfect concurrence with our faith, instead of shocking it. We must cut away all the most impressive parts of poetry, if we do not allow these figurative inventions. It may be admitted that it requires a rich mind duly to enjoy and appreciate these grand and spiritual agencies; they therefore who have cold conceptions eagerly catch hold of these censures to justify their own insensibility: they can understand illustrations drawn from objects daily in solid forms before their eyes. But it is not only in the description of forms and actions that the bard has a strength and brilliance so wonderful: he is equally happy in the sentiments he attributes to each personage: all speak in their own distinct characters, with a justness and individuality which meet instant recognition, and waken an indescribable assent and pleasure. Thus Adam and Eve, when they know the displeasure of the Almighty, and are overwhelmed with fear and remorse, each express themselves according to their separate casts of mind, disposition, and circumstances: their moans are deeply affecting. To my taste, this book is much more lofty, and much more pathetic, than the ninth as the subject was much more difficult, so it is executed with much more miraculous vigour and originality. The representation of the manner in which God's judg ment upon earth was executed by changing the seasons, putting the elements into contest, and deteriorating all nature, fills the imagination with wonder, and brings out new touches of poetry with a magical effect. In others the poetical language seems a sort of cover,—a gilding; in Milton it is a part and essence of the thought. The primary image is poetical; the poetry does not depend upon the illustration; though sometimes there is a union, and it is thus to be found in both: but if the secondary has it, the first never wants it, The characters of Milton are all compound and reflective; they are not merely intuitive, like Shakspeare's: they have therefore more of that invention which is comprehensive, and requires study to appreciate. The whole of Paradise Lost' from beginning to end is part of one inseparable web; and however beautiful detached parts may appear, not half their genius or wisdom can be felt or understood except in connexion with the whole. There are congruities and allusions in every word, which are lost, unless we attend to their essential relation to the whole scheme. It is this intensity and inseparability of the web which is among the miracles of Milton's execution. Grace, strength, splendour, depth, all depend upon its unity. As no texture was ever before produced out of particles drawn from such an extent of space, and such a variety of mines; so the amalgamation of all into one perfect whole is the more astonishing. Such is the erudition applied to this most wonderful work, that nothing less than the conjoined attempts of a whole body of learned men for a century has been able to explain its inexhaustible allusions; and even yet the task is not completed, |