Through Eden took their solitary way.

649. Solitary way: It was solitary, not in regard to any companions whom they had met with elsewhere, but because they were here to meet with no object of any kind they were acquainted with, XI. 305-P. Or it was solitary in reference to the companionship of Michael.

647-49. It has been objected to these lines, that they end the poem in too sorrowful a manner, and that they are inconsistent with other passages in this Book, which describe the joy, the peace, and consolation of our first parents. But these emotions, as Dr. Pierce remarks, are represented always as arising in our first parents from a view of some future good, chiefly of the Messiah; while the thought of leaving Paradise was always a sorrowful one to them, 613, 638, 645, 603.

As to the first-named objection, there is, says Newton, no more necessity that an epic poem should conclude happily, than there is that a tragedy should conclude unhappily. There are several instances of a tragedy ending happily; and with as good reason, an epic poem may terminate fortunately or unfortunately, as the nature of the subject requires; and the subject of Paradise Lost plainly requires something of a sorrowful parting, and was intended, no doubt, for terror as well as pity-to inspire us with the fear of God, as well as with commiseration of man.

Newton further calls us to observe the beauty of the numbers in these concluding lines-the heavy dragging of the first line, which cannot be pronounced but slowly, and with several pauses:

"They hand in hand, | with wand'ring steps, | and slow," |

and then the quicker flow of the last line, with only the usual pause in the middle. As if our first parents had moved heavily at first, being loath to leave their delightful Paradise; and afterwards mended their pace, when they were at a little distance. At least this is the idea which the numbers convey. The varying of the pauses, is the life and soul of all versification, in all languages. It is this chiefly which makes Virgil's verse better than Ovid's, and Milton's superior to that of any other English poet; and it is for want of this chiefly that the French heroic verse can never come up to the English. There can be no good poetry without music, and there can be no music without variety.

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

No just heroic poem ever was, or can be made, whence one great moral may not be deduced. That which reigns in Milton is the most general and most useful that can be imagined. It is, in short, this: THAT OBEDIENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD MAKES MEN HAPPY, AND THAT DISOBEDIENCE MAKES THEM MISERABLE. This is obviously the moral of the principal story which turns upon Adam and Eve, who continued in Paradise while they kept the command that was given them, and were driven out of it as soon as they transgressed. This is likewise the moral of the principal episode, which shows us how an innumerable multitude of angels fell by their disobedience.

Besides this great moral, which may be regarded as the soul of the story, there is an infinity of under-morals, which may be drawn from the several parts of the poem, rendering this work more useful and instructive than any other poem in any language.—A.

Throughout the whole poem the author discovers himself to have been a most critical reader, and a most passionate admirer, of holy Scripture. He is indebted to Scripture infinitely more than to Homer and Virgil, and all other books whatever. Not only his principal story, but all his episodes are founded on Scripture. The Scripture has not only furnished him with the noblest hints, raised his thoughts, and fired his imagination, but has also very much enriched his language, given a certain solemnity and majesty to his diction, and supplied him with many of his choicest, happiest expressions. Let men, therefore, learn from this instance to reverence those sacred writings. If any man can pretend to deride or despise them, it must be said of him at least, that he has a taste and genius the most different from Milton's that can be imagined. Whoever has any true taste and genius, we are confident, will esteem this poem the best of modern productions, and the Scriptures the best of all ancient ones.-N.