every good-natured reader will treat them with indulgence: affuredly I fhall feel neither anger, nor inclination to contend in their defence, if any fe verer critic,

"Irruat, & fruftra ferro diverberet umbras."

In mentioning the imperfect rudiments of Paradise Loft, Johnson says, very juftly, “It is pleasant to fee great works in their feminal state, preg"nant with latent poffibilities of excellence; nor "could there be any more delightful entertainment "than to trace their gradual growth and expanfion, "and to obferve how they are fometimes fuddenly "advanced by accidental hints, and fometimes "flowly improved by steady meditation." Such entertainment would indeed be peculiarly delightful in respect to Milton. It is in fome measure beyond our reach, becaufe, if we except his fketches of plans for an allegorical drama, no real evidence is left concerning the origin and progress of his magnificent conception: but fuppofition is often a pleafant fubftitute for abfolute knowledge; and in the hope that it may prove fo in the prefent cafe, let me advance in this fhadowy refearch, and after accounting for the first flashes of Milton's subject on his fancy, pursue the vein of conjecture, in confidering various ideas that might influence him in the profecution of his work.

When Adam engaged the fancy of Milton, however that perfonage might first be impreffed upon it as a subject of verfe, many circumftances might

confpire

confpire to confirm his afcendency. The work of different arts, which the poet furveyed in his travels, had, perhaps, a confiderable influence in attaching his imagination to our first parents. He had most probably contemplated them not only in the colours of Michael Angelo, who decorated Rome with his picture of the creation, but in the marble of Bandinelli, who had executed two large ftatues of Adam and Eve, which, though they were far from fatisfying the tafte of connoiffeurs, might ftimulate even by their imperfections the genius of a poet. In recollecting how painting and sculpture had both exercised their respective powers on these hallowed and interesting characters, the muse of Milton might be tempted to contend with the fifter arts. I must confefs, however, that Richardson, a fond idolater of these arts and of Milton, is rather inclined to believe that they did not much occupy the attention of the poet, even during his refidence in Italy: yet I am perfuaded he must have been greatly ftruck by the works of Michael Angelo, a genius whom he refembled fo much in his grand characteristic, mental magnificence! and to whom he was infinitely fuperior in the attractive excellencies of delicacy and grace. In touching on a point of refemblance between the poet and this preeminent artist, we cannot fail to obferve the abundance and variety of charms in the poetry of MilAll the different perfections, which are affigned as characteristics to the most celebrated painters, are united in this marvellous poet. He has the fublime grandeur of Michael Angelo, the chafte fim

ton.

plicity

If

plicity of Raphael, the sweetness of Correggio, and the richness of Rubens. In his Sampfon we may admire the force of Rembrandt, and in his Comus the grace and gaiety of Albano and Pouffin: in fhort, there is no charm exhibited by painting, which his poetry has failed to equal, as far as analogy between the different arts can extend. Milton did not pay much attention in his travels to thofe works of the great painters that he had oppor tunities of furveying (which I cannot think probable) it is certain that his own works afford a most excellent field to exercife and animate the powers of the pencil. The article in which I apprehend a painter must find it most difficult to equal the felicity of the poet is, the delineation of his apoftate angels. Here, perhaps, poetry has fome important

*The learned, ingenious, enthufiaftic Winckelman has advaneed, in his most celebrated work, a very different opinion; but the ardour with which this extraordinary man had ftudied and idolized the antients, rendered him deplorably prefumptuous and precipitate in feveral of his ideas relating to modern genius, and particularly in what he has afferted of Milton. Some paífionate admirers of antiquity feem to lament the fall of paganifm, as fatal to poetry, to painting, and to fculpture; but a more liberal and enlightened spirit of criticism may rather believe, what it is very poffible, I apprehend, to demonftrate, that christianity can hardly be more favourable to the purity of moals, than it might be rendered to the perfection of these delightful arts. Milton himself may be regarded as an obvious and complete proof that the pofition is true as far as poetry is concerned. In what degrees the influence of the Chriftian religion can affect the other two, it may be pleafing, and perhaps useful, to confider in fome future compofition devoted to their advancement.

advantage over her fifter art; and even poetry herfelf is confidered by aufterer critics as unequal to the task. Johnson regarded the book of Paradife Loft, which describes the war of Heaven, as fit to be the favourite of children."-Imagination itfelf may be depreciated, by the aufterity of logic, á childish faculty, but those who love even its exceffes may be allowed to exult in its delights. No reader truly poetical ever perufed the fixth book of Milton without enjoying a kind of transport, which a ftern logician might indeed condemn, but which he might also think it more defirable to fhare. I doubt not but while Milton was revolving his fubject in his mind, he often heard from critical acquaintance fuch remarks as might have induced him, had his imagination been lefs energetic, to relinquifh the angels as intractable beings, ill fuited to the sphere of poetry. But if his glowing spirit was ever damped for a moment by fuggeftions of this nature, he was probably re-animated and encouraged by recollecting his refpectable old acquaintance, the poets of Italy. He had not only feen the infernal powers occafionally delineated with great majesty and effect in the Jerufalem of Taffo, and Marini's "Slaughter of the Innocents," but he was probably acquainted with an Italian poem, little known in England, and formed exprefsly on the conflict of the apoftate fpirits. The work I allude to is, the Angeleida of Erafmo Valvafone, printed at Venice, in 1590. This poet was of a noble family in the Venetian republic; as his health was delicate, he devoted himself to retired study, and cultivated the Muses

in

in his castle of Valvafone. His works are various, and one of his early compofitions was honoured by the applause of Taffo. His Angeleida confifts of three cantos on the War of Heaven, and is fingularly terminated by a fonnet, addreffed to the triumphant Archangel Michael. Several paffages in Valvafone induce me to think that Milton was familiar with his work. will only tranfcribe -1 the verses, in which the Italian poet affigns to the infernal powers the invention of artillery:

Di falntro, e di zolfo ofcura polve

Chiude altro in ferro cavo; e poi la tocca
Dietro col foco, e in foco la rifolve:

Onde fragofo tuon fubito fcocca :

Scocca e lampeggia, e una palla volve,
Al cui fcontro ogni duro arde e trabocca :
Crud' è faetta, ch' imitar s'attenta
L'arme che 'l fommo Dio dal Cielo aventa.

L'Angelo rio, quando a concorrer forse
Di faper, di bellezza, e di poffanza
Con l'eterno fattor, perche s'accorfe
Quell' arme non aver, ch' ogni arme avanza,
L'empio ordigno a compor l' animo torse,
Che ferir puo del folgore a fembianza :
E con quefto a' di noftri horrido in terra
Tiranno, arma di folgori ogni guerra.

Valvafone acknowledges, in his preface, that he had been cenfured for having Spoken fo materially (ragionato cofi materialmente) of angels, who are only spirit. But he defends himself very ably on this point, and mentions with gratitude two excel