Inhumanly to men, and multiply

Ten thousandfold the sin of him who slew

His brother: for of whom such massacre

Make they but of their brethren, men of men?
But who was that just man, whom had not Heaven
Rescued, had in his righteousness been lost?

To whom thus Michael. These are the product
Of those ill-mated marriages thou saw'st;

680

Where good with bad were match'd, who of themselves Abhor to join; and by imprudence mix'd,

686

Produce prodigious births of body' or mind.
Such were these giants, men of high renown;
For in those days might only shall be' admir'd,
And valour and heroic virtue call'd;

To overcome in battle, and subdue
Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite
Man-slaughter, shall be held the highest pitch
Of human glory, and for glory done

683. To whom thus Michael. These are the product] The accent upon the word product is to be varied product or próduct, according as you pronounce the word Michael with two or three syllables.

688. Such were these giants, men of high renown ;] Gen. vi. 4. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown. Some commentators understand by the word which we translate giants, men of large bulk and stature;

690

Of triumph, to be styl❜d great conquerors,
Patrons of mankind, Gods, and sons of Gods,
Destroyers rightlier call'd and plagues of men.
Thus fame shall be achiev'd, renown on earth,
And what most merits fame in silence hid.

695

But he the sev'nth from thee, whom thou beheld'st 700
The only righteous in a world perverse,
And therefore hated, therefore so beset
With foes for daring single to be just,

And utter odious truth, that God would come
To judge them with his saints: him the Most High 705
Wrapt in a balmy cloud with winged steeds

Did, as thou saw'st, receive, to walk with God

home their spoils: and here he adds, (for this I take to be his sense,) that it shall be held the highest pitch of triumph for that glory obtained, to be styled great conquerors. So that though I approve of Dr. Bentley's changing done into won, I cannot agree to his altering Of triumph to Or triumph. Pearce.

hended from a passage in Mr. Pope's Essay on Criticism, that all auxiliary verbs are mere expletives,

While expletives their feeble aid do join.

But this I believe Mr. Pope

never intended to advance. Milton has used them in many places, where he could have avoided them if he had pleased. I will produce one,

Did, as thou saw'st, receive

This is one of the most difficult passages. I am not satisfied with the conjectures of either of these learned men, and see no other way of understanding it Milton might have said but this. To overcome, to subdue, to spoil, shall be held the highest pitch of glory, and shall be done for glory of triumph, shall be achieved for that end and purpose, to be styled great conquerors &c.

700. But he the sev'nth from thee,] Jude 14. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, &c.

707. Did, as thou saw'st, receive,] It is commonly appre

VOL. II.

Receiv'd, as thou hast seen,

But he thought the auxiliary verb added strength to the expression, as indeed it does. I own where the auxiliary verb is brought close to its principal, and that a thin monosyllable, as in the line just now referred to, the verse is very rude and disagreeable. But to prove that the auxiliary verb may be employed

Y

High in salvation and the climes of bliss,
Exempt from death; to shew thee what reward
Awaits the good, the rest what punishment;
Which now direct thine eyes and soon behold.
He look'd, and saw the face of things quite chang'd;

properly, I will produce an instance in rimed verse, as strong as that of Milton just mentioned,

Then did the roaring waves their rage compose,

arose.

710

would have been extremely so, if he had writ it thus,

a

The queen of heav'n her fury thus did vent.

From whence it appears that the auxiliary verb is not to be rejected at all times; besides it is particular idiom of the English language, and has a majesty in superior to the Latin or Greek tongue, and I believe to any other language whatsoever. Many instances might be brought to support this assertion from great authorities. I shall produce one from Shakespeare,

When the great father of the flood Pitt's first Eneid. I believe it will not be disputed, but that this line is as full, as sonorous, and majestic, as if the it auxiliary verb had been left out, and the author had used composed instead of did compose. The expression is certainly more beautiful and more poetical; and the reason of it is, that it occasions suspense, which raises the attention; or in other words, the auxiliary verb gives notice of something coming, before the principal thing itself appears, which is another property of majesty. Mr. Dryden's authority might likewise be added on this occasion; even in his celebrated lines on Milton it is to be met with,

Greece, Italy, and England did adorn. In his translation of the Æneid there are many instances of the same nature, one of which I will mention,

The queen of Heav'n did thus her

fury vent.

The metre of this line, as the words are here ranged, is not bad, as the ear can judge; but it

-this to me

In dreadful secrecy impart they did.

The auxiliary verb is here very properly made use of; and it would be a great loss to English poetry, if it were to be wholly laid aside. See Letters concerning poetical translations &c. p. 8, 9, 10.

711. Which now direct thine eyes and soon behold.] The syntax is remarkable. Which governed not by the verb next following, but by the last in the sentence.

712. He look'd, and saw the Milton, to keep up an agreeable face of things quite chang'd;] variety in his visions, after having raised in the mind of his reader the several ideas of terror which are conformable to the

The brazen throat of war had ceas'd to roar;

All now was turn'd to jollity and game,

To luxury and riot, feast and dance,
Marrying or prostituting, as befel,
Rape or adultery, where passing fair

Allur'd them; thence from cups to civil broils.
At length a reverend sire among them came,
And of their doings great dislike declar'd
And testified against their ways; he oft
Frequented their assemblies, whereso met,
Triumphs or festivals, and to them preach'd
Conversion and repentance, as to souls
In prison under judgments imminent :

But all in vain: which when he saw, he ceas'd
Contending, and remov'd his tents far off;
Then from the mountain hewing timber tall,
Began to build a vessel of huge bulk,

715

720

725

Measur'd by cubit, length, and breadth, and highth, 730

the days of Noah: as what follows of Noah's desisting when he found his preaching ineffectual, and removing into another country, is taken from Josephus, Antiq. lib. i. c. 3.

730. Measur'd by cubit, length, and breadth, and highth,] The dimensions of the ark are given Gen. vi. 15. The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the highth of it thirty cubits. A cubit is the measure from the elbow to the fingers' ends, and is reckoned a foot and a half, or (according to Bishop Cumberland) 21 inches 888 decimals.

Smear'd round with pitch, and in the side a door
Contriv'd, and of provisions laid in large

For man and beast: when lo a wonder strange!
Of every beast, and bird, and insect small
Came sev'ns, and pairs, and enter'd in, as taught
Their order: last the sire, and his three sons

With their four wives; and God made fast the door.
Meanwhile the south-wind rose, and with black wings