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ferent, the Society agrees not Well with Either, but foon proves Tedious to Both.

389

of Fellowship I fpeak

Such as I feek,

the Fellowship or Society Adam Defires and Pleads for, is That in which is found Rational Delight; This he goes on to fay is not to be had from Brutes though they can Rejoyce with Each Other; for Example, the Lion with the Lioness, as being Fitted to That End; but 'tis not So with Bird and Beaft, with Fish and Fowl, as being of Quite Different Species; not even the Ox and Ape can well Converse, though they are of the fame Species, being Different only in Kind; Man then Doubtless can least of all Enjoy Fit Fellowship with Them, Since He is Still Far Wider Different from them All than They are from One Another, not only he is of a Different Kind, but is alfo endu'd with a vaft Superiority of Reafon, a Prerogative that makes Him Far more Different From Them, and They Utterly Incapable of Entertaining Him with what he pleads for, a participation of Rational Delight.

401

and will tafte

no Pleafure, though in Pleafure, Solitarie, though Surrounded with Delight yet being Alone All is Rejected as Infipid.

417 but in Degree

not Abfolute in Himself as God, but in refpect of all the Living Creatures Adam knew of, many Defcents, many Degrees below Him, v. 410. There are Degrees of Perfection. in all Other Beings but God. He is Perfect in the Sublimeft Senfe; All Other Beings, are Perfect in Degree, that is, in respect of the Place they hold in the Universe.

421 and through all Numbers Abfolute Abfolute, that is, Finish'd, in the Best Latinity, Through all Numbers, a Latin Expreffion, and taken from the Publick Shows and Exercises where the Leffons and Parts that the Young Gladiators, &c. were taught were call'd Numbers, there being Many of Thofe Leffons taught in Succeffion; and when they had Learnt All they were faid to be Compleat through all their Numbers; Omnibus Numeris Abfoluti,

426 Collateral Love As IV. 485. 741.

453 My Earthly by his Heav'nly Over-power'd, Man Converfing, talking Together, with God Stands under a Burden, His Weak Nature cannot Long Suftain. Greatly Imagin'd!

462

Methought I faw,
Bb 4

i. e.

i. e. I exercis'd the Act of Seeing though in Sleep. it follows, and faw the Shape, Saw, first in General, Then particularly the Shape, &c.

478 Shee Disappear'd and left me Dark

very Dreamy and Natural; Her Absence Spread a Gloom on his Fancy, which Thus Violently Disturb'd, firft by the Transport at the Sight of Eve in Vifion, Then by her Lofs, Sleep Fled also.

Milton had given a Like Image on the Appearance of his Own Wife, Thus Offer'd to him in his Sleep, and Thus Snatch'd Away, Sonnet 19. and Shakespeare has given a Beautiful Picture, as Ufual, on the Same Occafion in a Sonnet of His the 27th, Edit. 1609. Looking on Darkness

Save that my Soul's Imaginary Sight prefents a Shadow to my Sightless View, Which like a Jewel hung in Ghaftly Night Makes Black Night Beauteous.

it is to be Obferv'd that Here is the First of Eve's Hiftory, which is Compleated by what fhe fays to Adam, IV. 449. &c. and by what follows, v. 481.

504 Obvious Forward.

517

Difporting

Odours from the Spicie Shrub,

the

the Gentle Gales flung Rofy Sweets from their Wings and Odours from the Spicy Shrubs, Sporting, and Whispering Joy to the Woods.

518

'till the Amorous Bird of Night

Sung Spoufal

the Epithalamium, or Wedding Song was Sung by Nightingales as IV. 771.

519

and bid Hafte the Eevning Starr On his Hill top, to Light the Bridal Lamp. in Allufion to the Cuftom of the Ancients who carry'd a Torch or Lamp before the Bride as fhe was led to the Bridegroom's House, which was not done till the Dufk of the Ev'ning; Hesperus the Evening-Star, or the Star of Venus, Appearing, was the Signal for Lighting that Torch. So Virg. Eclog. VIII. 30. to Mopfus going to be Married.

Tibi Deferit Hefperus tam See XI. 588. See alfo Appol. Rhod. I. 774. Fragment of Sappho, Catull. Epithal. Carmen Nuptiale, Claud. Rapt. II. 361. and others. So Spenfer in his Epithal.

When this Star appear'd in the Evening it was faid it had gain'd the Top of Æta, as in the Morning That of Ida, the One of thefe Mountains being to the Weft, the Other Eastward of Athens. And the Romans who Copy'd the Greeks faid as They, even in Local things, when in Refpect of Italy the Fact was not True; They were pleas'd with the

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Words as with the Ideas. It is to be Noted that Phosphorus, and Hesperus are the same Star, the Planet Venus, though that was not known to the Moft Ancient Greeks.

the Evening-Star is not Vifible till about the Setting of the Sun (nor far distant from Him at any time) Confequently when Seen 'tis near the Horizon, that is, on the Mountain Top, and feems to have been just Rifen. Poetry Speaks to the Imagination, and calls on the Star to Hafe on her Hill top to Light the Bridal Lamp; it being Lit at the Appearance of that Star, that Star is Elegantly faid to Light it.

O Now for the Pencil of Titian and Coreggio for the Colouring; of Rafaelle and Guido for the Airs, Contours and Proportions; of • Claude for the Landscape -Or rather that we could fee This Picture by the Hand of Some Mafter Equal to the Beft of the Ancients for Defign, and of the Moderns for Colouring, or if Poffible Superiour in These and all the Other Parts of Painting, That we might See the utmoft Perfection of the Human Form. Tincts as Strong and Lovely 'as Art or even Nature can Produce. Mafculine Vigour Rejoycing Contrafted with Virgin Delicacy and Modefty; the Sombrous Beauty of a Glowing Clear Evening after a Summer's Day, the Flowers not yet fhut up, but Expanding their. Leaves, Obfequious to Adorn the Bridal Scene, the · Trees,

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