was Imagin'd by Some in All Ages, the Other was the Most Prevailing Opinion 'till of Late, even in Milton's Time 'twas far from being Receiv'd as Now. to have made the Angel Raphael talk Otherwife than the Scripture, and the Ancients who agreed with That, had done, to have made Him talk as Sir Isaac Newton and the Prefent Philofophers, would have been Ridiculous. But He has most Judiciously and Artfully, by the Objections and Reafonings of Adam, and the Discourse of the Angel in the beginning of the Eighth Book, as well as by Occafional Paffages, Such as V. 268. Introduc'd What is Now call'd the New Philofophy; New, as being Better Prov'd and more Affented to, but Thought of and Guefs'd at Many Ages paft, Such as that the Fixt Stars are So many Centers to Their Habitable Planets, as Our Sun is to our Planetary System, and as Perhaps Milton Himfelf was not Determin'd in Thofe Matters, for they were not Yet fo well known, as Now; but rather for a Better Reafon he puts it into the Mouth of the Angel to Advise Adam not to enter farther into This Kind of Knowledge than God has thought fit to Reveal to Him by his Sences, his Reafon, or Angelick Inftruction, and by doing Thus he alfo Hints to his Readers not to Cavil at Him on That Subject; but to Better their Minds by what More Concerns them, and which they may find in Great Abundance. See v. 115. &c. of This Book, the Beginning

of

of the Next. XII. 875. This we thought fit to Premife for the Benefit of Some, who Otherwife might have Loft a Pleafure they may have in the Reading, and if they pleafe May Avoyd the Shame of making Silly Objections when they Imagine Themfelves Triumphing over their Author.

45

to Adam or bis Race

or his Race, because if Adam had not Tranfgrefs'd, his Pofterity had remain'd in Paradife, Subject to the Same Law as he was, and lyable to the Same Punishment on Difobedience.

50

He with bis Conforted Eve

the Story heard Attentive

the Imagination is Here furnish'd with a pleafing Picture; the Angel with Dignity has ⚫ related a moft Amazing piece of Hiftory, and

6

our first Parents with Attention and Admi'ration exprefs'd in their Beautyfull Counte

59 Repeal'd

r'appelloit, Recall'd, as a Law fent forth is faid to be Repeal'd, Call'd in again, when Abrogated, So the Doubts of Adam are Recall'd, Anull'd.

of Heav'n and Earth Confpicuous Confpicuous, Vifible, in Oppofition to the

U 4

Invifible

Invifible World the Angel had been speaking

of.

79

the End

of what wee Are

the Will of God is the End to which All we are, all our Faculties and Powers, all our Enjoyments and Afflictions fhould be Subfervi

ent.

88

and This which Yields, or Fills, all Space, the Ambient Air, Wide Interfus'd Yields Space to all Bodies, and again Fills up the Deferted Space fo as to be Subfervient to Motion. Ambient, Surrounding, Interfus'd, Mixing it Self with, Infinuating Into, and Betwixt all other Bodies; for it Self, the Pureft that can be Conceiv'd, is alfo Body.

92

fo Late to Build

what Induc'd the Creator Refting Through all Eternity to Create the World Now, and not Before. Eternal Ages pafs'd makes This seem Late, though had it been Millions and Millions of Ages Before, it had been Late with Regard to what was Paft.

94 Abfolv'd

Finish'd, Compleated, Perfected. from Abfolutus [Lat.] See the Note on VIII. 547.

99

His Race though Steep, Sufpenfe in

Heav'n

Sufpenfe from Sufpenfus, Sufpended. a Latin Word made English by Abreviation. we have there a Beautyful Image; though the Remaining Part of the Sun's Race was Steep, yet the Voice of the Angel kept him Sufpended in the Sky.

When the Sun paffes Aloft in the Heavens about Noon, and feveral Hours Before and After it seems almoft to Travel in Length, but to Climb in the Morning pretty Early, and to Drop down as from a Height towards Night, bis Race Then is Steep; as IV. 352. the Sun Declin'd was Hafting now with Prone Career to th' Ocean Ifles.

106

Sleep Liftning to Thee will Watch, though Nature demands Sleep, tho' Drowfyness hovers o'er the Eye-lid's, Attention will make him Wakefull. Beautyful Poetry! as is the whole Period, the Sun, Hesperus, the Moon, Night, Silence, Sleep, All Crowd to Hear when the Angel fpeaks.

118

-Such Commission from Above

I have receiv'd,

See V. 233. 376. 570.

121 nor let thine Own Inventions hope Inventions Perfoniz'd. Poetry delights in This

kind of Fiction. Hope not that Thy Inventions, Thy Gueffes, thy Conjectures will Dif cover God's Secrets.

143

and into Fraud

Drew Many,

an English Reader will Naturally Imagine This Paffage needs no Explanation, He will understand it as faying Sathan Drew his Affociates into the Net Himself had Spread, into the Cheat He had First been Guilty of; Himfelf having been Deceiv'd Already by his Own Pride, his Vanity and Ambition, as appears by v. 139. and This is So far Right; but 'tis not the Intire Idea These Words are Big with. 'tis true, Fraud in Common Acceptation means no more than Deceit, nor does it Sometimes stand for any Other Idea in Latin. So Terence Andr. V. 4. 8.

Tu ne bic Homines Adolefcentulos

Imperitos rerum in Fraudem Illicis Solicitando, & Pollicitando eorum Animos lactas.

Cicero Ep. Fam. VII. 26.

Lex Sumptuaria mihi Fraudi fuit

Virg. Ec. V. 60.

nec Retia Cervis

Ulla dolum Meditantur.

and Thus Milton understands it. III. 152. but Fraud often Signifies Misfortune. So Virg. En. X. 72.