But to deftruction facred and devote,
He with his whole pofterity muft die,
Die he or juftice muft; unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay

210

The rigid fatisfaction, death for death.
Say heav'nly Pow'rs, where fhall we find fuch love?
Which of ye will be mortal to redeem

Man's mortal crime, and just th' unjust to save? 215
Dwells in all Heaven charity fo dear?

He afk'd, but all the heav'nly quire stood mute, And filence was in Heav'n: on Man's behalf Patron or interceffor none appear'd,

Much less that durft upon his own head draw 220 The deadly forfeiture, and ransome set.

And now without redemption all mankind

215-and juft th' unjust to fave?] That is, Which of ye will be fo juft as to fave the unjuft? Which of ye will be righteous enough to fupply the defects of others righteoufnefs? It is plainly an allufion to 1 Pet. III. 18. For Chrift alfo hath once fuffer'd for fins, the juft for the unjuft.

217. -flood mute,] I need not point out the beauty of that circumstance, wherein the whole hoft of Angels are reprefented as ftanding mute, nor how how proper the occafion was to produce fuch

a filence in Heaven.
This beautiful circumftance is rat
ed upon Rev. VIII. 1. where upe
a certain occafion it is faid, Th
was filence in Heaven. And
there was filence in Hell, when
was propos'd who fhould be to
on the dangerous expedition to de
ftroy mankind, there is likew
filence in Heaven, when it is al
who would be willing to pay
price of their redemption. Sara
alone was fit to undertake the ce
as the Son of God the other. B
tho' the filence is the fame in both

place,

Must have been loft, adjudg'd to Death and Hell
By doom severe, had not the Son of God,

In whom the fulness dwells of love divine,

225

His deareft mediation thus renew'd.

Father, thy word is past, Man shall find grace; And fhall grace not find means, that finds her way, The speedieft of thy winged meffengers,

To vifit all thy creatures, and to all

230

Comes unprevented, unimplor'd, unsought?

Happy for Man, fo coming; he her aid

Can never seek, once dead in fins and loft;
Atonement for himself or offering meet,

Indebted and undone, hath none to bring:
Behold me then; me for him, life for life
I offer; on me let thine anger fall;

places, the difference of the expreffion is remarkable. In Hell it is faid all fat mute, II. 420, as there the infernal peers were fitting in council; but here it is faid they food mute, as the good Angels were ftanding round about the throne of God.

231. Comes unprevented,] Prevent from prævenire to come before. This grace is not preceded by merit or fupplication; itself prevents or goes before; 'tis a free gift, as XI. 3. Prevenient grace defcending, &c. 2 Tim. I. 9. Not according to

235

Account

Account me Man; I for his fake will leave
Thy bofom, and this glory next to thee

Freely put off, and for him laftly die

240

Well pleas'd; on me let Death wreck all his rage;
Under his gloomy pow'r I shall not long

Lie vanquish'd; thou haft giv'n me to poffefs
Life in myself for ev'r; by thee I live,

Though now to Death I yield, and am his due 245
All that of me can die; yet that debt paid,
Thou wilt not leave me in the loathfome grave
His prey, nor fuffer my unspotted soul

For ever with corruption there to dwell;
But I fhall rife victorious, and fubdue

250

My vanquisher, spoil'd of his vaunted spoil;
Death his death's wound fhall then receive, and stoop.

Inglorious,

249.with corruption there to

dwell;] According to the Pfalmift, For thou wilt not leave my foul in Hell, neither fuffer thine Holy One to fee corruption, Pfal. XVI. 10. applied to our Saviour's refurrection by St. Peter, Acts II. 20, 21, &c.

252. Death his death's wound foall then receive,] I am very forry to obferve, that the quaint conceit in this line is very inconfiftent with the character of the fpeaker, and unworthy of the majetty of the rest of the fpeech. Milton might perhaps be led into

it

Inglorious, of his mortal sting disarm'd.

I through the ample air in triumph high

Shall lead Hell captive maugre Hell, and show 255 The Pow'rs of darkness bound. Thou at the fight Pleas'd, out of Heaven fhalt look down and fmile, While by thee rais'd I ruin all my foes,

grave:

Death last, and with his carcass glut the
Then with the multitude of my redeem'd
Shall enter Heav'n long abfent, and return,
Father, to see thy face, wherein no cloud
Of anger shall remain, but peace affur'd

And reconcilement; wrath fhall be no more
Thenceforth, but in thy prefence joy entire.

His words here ended, but his meek afpéct

Silent yet fpake, and breath'd immortal love

260

265

Το

To mortal men, above which only shone
Filial obedience: as a facrifice

Glad to be offer'd, he attends the will

Of his great Father. Admiration feis'd

270

All Heav'n, what this might mean, and whither tend Wond'ring; but foon th' Almighty thus reply'd.

275

O thou in Heav'n and Earth the only peace Found out for mankind under wrath, O thou My fole complacence! well thou know'ft how dear To me are all my works, nor Man the least, Though laft created; that for him I spare Thee from my bofom and right hand, to fave, By lofing thee awhile, the whole race loft. Thou therefore, whom thou only canft redeem, Their nature also to thy nature join;

ror, taking vengeance of his enemies. Before he reprefents him fpeaking, he makes divine compaffion, love without end, and grace without measure visibly to appear in bis face: ver. 140. and carrying on the fame amiable picture, makes him end it with a countenance breathing immortal love to mortal men. Nothing could be better contriv'd to leave a deep impreffion upon the reader's mind, and I believe one may venture to affert, that no art or words could lift the imagination to a stronger idea of a

280

And

good and benevolent being. The mute eloquence, which our author has fo prettily exprefs'd in his filent yet fpake, is with no lefs beauty defcribed by Taffo at the end of Armida's speech to Godfrey. Cant. 4. St. 65.

Ciò detto tace, e la rifpofta at-
tende

Con atto, che'n filentio hà voce,
e preghi.
Thyer.

-

269. as a facrifice &c.] An allufion to Pfal. XL. 6. and the following verfes, Sacrifice and of