Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Paganism could not furnish out a real Action for a Fable greater than that of the Iliador Æneid, and therefore an Heathen could not form a higher Notion of a Poem than one of that kind, which they call an Heroic. Whether Milton's is not of a fublimer Nature I will not prefume to determine: It is fufficient that I fhew there is in the Paradife Loft all the Greatness of Plan, Regularity of Defign, and masterly Beauties which we discover in Homer and Virgil.

I must in the next Place obferve, that Milton has interwoven in the Texture of his Fable fome Particulars which do not seem to have Probability enough for an Epic Poem, particularly in the Actions which he afcribes to Sin and Death, and the Picture which he draws of the Limbo of Vanity, with other Paffages in the fecond Book. Such Allegories rather favour of the Spirit of Spenfer and Ariofto, than of Homer and Virgil.

IN the Structure of his Poem he has likewife admitted of too many Digreffions. It is finely obferved by Ariftotle, that the Author of an Heroic Poem fhould feldom speak himself, but throw as much of his Work as he can into the Mouths of those who are his Principal Actors. Ariftotle has given no reason for this Precept; but I prefume it is because the Mind of the Reader is more awed and elevated when he hearsÆneas or Achilles fpeak, than when Virgil or Homer talk in their own Perfons. Befides that affuming the Character of an eminent Man is apt to fire the Imagination, and raise the Ideas of the Author. Tully tells us, mentioning his Dialogue of Old Age, in which Cato is the Chief Speaker, that upon a Review of it he was agreeably impofed upon, and fancied that it was Cato, and not he himself, who uttered his Thoughts, on that Subject.

IF the Reader would be at the Pains to fee how the Story of the Iliad and the Æneid is delivered by those Perfons who act in it, he will be surprised to find how little in either of thefe Poems proceeds from the Authors. Milton has, in the general difpofition of his Fable, very finely obferved this great Rule; infomuch, that there is fcarce a third Part of it which comes from the Poet; the reft is fpoken either by Adam and Eve, or by fome Good or Evil Spirit who is engaged either in their Destruction or Defence.

FROM

FROM what has been here obferved it appears, that Digreffions are by no means to be allowed of in an Epic Poem. If the Poet even in the ordinary course of his Narration, thould fpeak as little as poffible, he fhould certainly never let his Narration fleep for the fake of any Reflexions of his own. I have often obferved, with a fecret Admiration, that the longest Reflexion in the Eneid is in that Paffage of the Tenth Book, where Turnus is re presented as dreffing himself in the fpoils of Pallas, whom he had flain. Virgil here lets his Fable ftand still for the fake of the following Remark. How is the Mind of Man ignorant of Futurity, and unable to bear profperous Fortune with Moderation? The Time will come when Turnus fhall wish that he had left the Body of Pallas untouched, and curfe the Day on which be dreffed himself in thefe Spoils. As the great Event of the Eneid, and the Death of Turnus, whom Eneas flew because he faw him adorned with the Spoils of Pallas, turns upon this Incident, Virgil went out of his way to make this Reflexion upon it, without which fo small a Circumstance might poffibly have flipt out of his Reader's Memory. Lucan, who was an Injudicious Poet, lets drop his Story very frequently for the fake of his unneceffary Digreffions, or his Diverticula, as Scaliger calls them. If he gives us an Account of the Prodigies which preceded the Civil War, de declaims upon the Occafion, and fhews how much happier it would be for Man, if he did not feel his Evil Fortune before it comes to pafs; and fuffer not only by its real Weight, but by the Apprehenfion of it. Milton's Complaint for his Blindnefs, his Panegyrick on Marriage, his Reflexions on Adam and Eve's going Naked, of the Angels Eating, and feveral other Paffages in his Poem, are liable to the fame Exception, tho' I must confefs there is fo great a Beauty in thefe very Digreffions, that I would not wish them out of his Poem.

I have, in a former Paper, fpoken of the Characters of Milton's Paradife Loft, and declared my Opinion, as to the Allegorical Perfons who are introduced in it.

IF we look into the Sentiments, I think they are fometimes defective under the following Heads; Firft, as there are feveral of them too much Pointed, and fome that degenerate even into Punns. Of this latt kind I am afraid

is that in the First Book, where fpeaking of the Pygmies, he calls them,

[blocks in formation]

ANOTHER Blemish that appears in fome of his Thoughts, is his frequent Allufion to Heathen Fables, which are not certainly of a Piece with the Divine Subject of which he treats. I do not find fault with thefe Allufions, where the Poet himfelf reprefents them as fabulous, as he does in fome Places, but where he mentions them as Truths and Matters of Fact. The Limits of my Paper will not give me leave to be particular in Inftances of this kind; the Reader will easily remark, them in his Perufal of the Poem.

A third fault in his Sentiments, is an unneceffary Oftentation of Learning, which likewife occurs very frequently. It is certain that both Homer and Virgil were Masters of all the Learaning of their Times, but it fhews it felf in their Works after an indirect and concealed manner. Milton feems ambitious of letting us know, by his Excur fions on Free-will and Predeftination, and his many Glances upon Hiftory, Aftronomy, Geography, and the like, as well as by the Terms and Phrafes he fometimes makes use of, that he was acquainted with the whole Circle of Arts and Sciences.

IF in the laft place, we confider the Language of this great Poet, we must allow what I have hinted in a former Paper, that it is often too much laboured, and fome times obfcured by old Words, Tranfpofitions, and foreign Idioms. Seneca's Objection to the Stile of a great Author, Riget ejus oratio,nihilin eá placidum, nibil lene, is what many Criticks make to Milton: As I cannot wholly refute it, fo I have already apologized for it in another Paper to which I may further add, that Milton's Sentiments and Ideas were fo wonderfully Sublime, that it would have been impoffible for him to have represented them in their full Strength and Beauty, without having recourfe to thefe foreign Affiftances. Our Language funk under him, and. was unequal to that Greatnefs of Soul, which furnished him with fuch glorious Conceptions. •

A

A fecond Fault in his Language is that he often affects a kind of Jingle in his Words, as in the following Paffages, and many others:

And brought into the World a World of Woe.
Begirt th' Almighty throne

Befeeching or befieging

This tempted our attempt

At one flight bound high overleapt all bound.

I know there are Figures of this kind of Speech, that fome of the greatest Ancients have been guilty of it, and that Ariftotle himself has given it a place in his Rhetorick among the Beauties of that Art. But as it is in it felf poor and trifling, it is I think at present univerfally exploded by all the Masters of Polite Writing.

THE laft Fault which I fhall take notice of in Milton's Stile, is the frequent use of what the Learned call Technical Words, or Terms of Art. It is one of the greatest Beauties of Poetry, to make hard things intelligible, and to deliver what is abftrufe of it self in fuch eafy Language as may be understood by ordinary Readers: Befides, that the Knowledge of a Poet fhould rather feem born with him, or infpired, than drawn from Books and Syftems. I have often wonder'd how Mr. Dryden could tranflate a Paffage out of Virgil after the following manner.

Tack to the Larboard, and ftand off to Sea.
Veer Starboard Sea and Land.

Milton makes use of Larboard in the fame manner. When he is upon Building he mentions Doric Pillars, Pilafters, Cornice, Freeze, Architrave. When he talks of Heavenly Bodies, you meet with Ecliptic and Eccentric, the Trepidation, Stars dropping from the Zenith, Rays culminating from the Equator. To which might be added many Inftances of the like kind in feveral other Arts and Sciences.

I fhall in my next Papers give an account of the many. particular Beauties in Milton, which would have been too. long to infert under thofe general Heads I have already treated of, and with which I intend to conclude this Piece of Criticism.

L

Monday,

N° 298. Monday, February 11.

[ocr errors]

Nufquam Tuta fides

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Virg.

London, Feb. 9. 1711-12. Am a Virgin, and in no cafe despicable; but yet fuch as I am I must remain, or elfe become, 'tis to be feared, lefs happy; for I find not the least good 'Effect from the juft Correction you fome time fince gave, that too free, that loofer Part of our Sex which. Ipoils the Men; the fame Connivance at the Vices, the 'fame eafy Admittance of Addreffes, the fame vitiated Relish of the Converfation of the greateft of Rakes (or in a more fashionable way of expreffing one's felf, of fuch as have seen the World moft) ftill abounds, increases, multiplies.

[ocr errors]

6

⚫ THE humble Petition therefore of many of the most strictly virtuous, and of my felf, is, That you'll once S more exert your Authority, and that according to your late Promife, your full, your impartial Authority, on ⚫ this fillier Branch of our Kind: For why fhould they be ⚫ the uncontroulable Miftreffes of our Fate? Why should they with impunity indulge the Males in Licentioufness 'whilft fingle, and we have the difmal Hazard and Plague of reforming them when married? Strike home, Sir, then, and fpare not, or all our maiden Hopes, our gilded Hopes of nuptial Felicity are fruftrated, are vanished, and you yourself, as well as Mr. Courtly, will, by fmoothing over immodest Practices with the Glofs of foft and harmless Names, for ever forfeit our Efteem. 'Nor think that I'm herein more fevere than need be: If I have not reafon more than enough, do you and the ⚫ world judge from this enfuing Account, which, I think, will prove the Evil to be univerfal.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

• YOU must know then, that fince your Reprehenfion ⚫ of this Female Degeneracy came out, I've had a Tender of Refpects from no less than five Perfons, of tolerable

• Figure

« AnteriorContinuar »