BOOK XII.* INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. THE present twelfth book being only one half of the original and then concluding tenth, the revelations of the archangel Michael were to be continued from the flood, at which the eleventh book closes and indeed it was a fortunate circumstance, that Milton, previously to the division, had changed the medium of impression from vision to narration; because it bestows a feature of novelty and distinction upon his concluding book. It is therefore with some surprise that we meet with any objection to this arrangement of the poet, and the wish that he had imparted all his disclosures in the way of picture and vision, in which they commenced but Mr. Dunster goes at once to the "heart of the mystery," and inquires Whether all the coming subjects were equally suited to the specular mount? The plagues of Egypt, as he observes, so represented, must have been tedious. How was the delivery of the law to have been represented, under all its sublime circumstances, in vision? How could the great miracle (related with concise sublimity) of the heavenly bodies standing still at the command of Joshua, be exhibited in vision? Could the nativity, the life and death of our blessed Lord, or his resurrection (each related in a few lines of exquisite beauty) have been so clearly or adequately displayed in picture? or could his ascension, and resumption of his heavenly seat, and his coming again to judge the world, have been adequately exhibited at all? The pictures even of the eleventh book were of necessity accompanied by some verbal explanations. In the remainder of the history, as Mr. Dunster remarks, "the accruing materials come too thick to be represented in visions: the task would have been laborious to the artist, who would have fatigued and disgusted those whom he wished to inform and delight." Here, therefore, the poet judiciously reversed his plan, But there is another topic of remark which the concluding book of Milton's divine poem suggests; it is his comparative affluence of invention. The sentence upon Adam might have been attended by immediate expulsion: but how gracious is the divine condescension, to allow some interval of reflection; and, previously to ejectment, to fortify the minds of the repentant pair with anticipated knowledge and distant consolation! Thus the interest of the poem is kept alive with the reader to the last line. The whole of the twelfth book closely relates to Adam and his posterity; and so delightfully are these soothing hopes of happiness administered by the archangel, that we, equally with Adam, forget that we are to quit Paradise; and are, like him, heart-struck by the sudden warning, that "the hour is come, the very minute of it ;" and attend the " hastening angel; to the gates of exclusion, with all the sad and lingering acquiescence of our first parents." *The first edition was in ten books. In the second edition, the seventh and the tenth books, being greatly beyond the rest in the number of the verses, were divided each into two; so that the seventh became the eighth also; the eighth of the first edition then stood ninth; the ninth, tenth; and the tenth of the first edition became of course, when divided, the present eleventh and twelfth. ARGUMENT. THE angel Michael continues, from the Flood, to relate what shall succeed; then, in the mention of Abraham, comes by degrees to explain who that seed of the woman shall be which was promised Adam and Eve in the Fall; his incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension; the state of the church till his second coming. Adam, greatly satisfied and recomforted by these relations and promises, descends the hill with Michael; wakens Eve, who all this while had slept, but with gentle dreams composed to quietness of mind and submission. Michael in either hand leads them out of Paradise; the fiery sword waving behind them, and the cherubim taking their stations to guard the place. As one who on his journey bates at noon, Though bent on speed; so here the archangel paused b With large wine-offerings pour'd, and sacred feast, With fair equality, fraternal state, Will arrogate dominion undeserved Over his brethren, and quite dispossess a With some regard. This answers to the silver age of the poets: the paradisiacal state is the golden one: of iron begins soon, v. 24.-RICHARDSON. It is generally agreed that the first governments in the world were patriarchal, "by families and tribes;" and that Nimrod was the first who laid the foundation of kingly government among mankind. Milton, therefore, (who was no friend to kingly government at the best,) represents him in a very bad light, as a most wicked and insolent tyrant; but he has great authorities, both Jewish and Christian, to justify him for so doing.NEWTON. Concord and law of nature from the earth; Hunting, (and men not beasts shall be his game,) A mighty hunter thence he shall be styled A city and tower, whose top may reach to heaven, As mock'd they storm: great laughter was in heaven, d Though of rebellion. This was added by our author, probably not without a view to his own time; when himself and those of his own party were stigmatised as the worst of rebels.-NEWTON. e Marching from Eden. See Gen. xi. 2, &c. : "And it came to pass as they journeyed in the east, that they found a plain on the land of Shinar; and they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."-NEWTON. See their city. See Gen. xi. 5, &c. The Scripture speaks after the manner of men: so the heathen gods are often represented as coming down to observe human actions, as in the stories of Lycaon, Baucis and Philemon, &c. & Confusion named. Babel in Hebrew signifies confusion-NEWTON. 1 Above his brethren; to himself assuming To whom thus Michael: Justly thou abhorr'st i Is lost, which always with right reason dwells Immediately inordinate desires And upstart passions catch the government Man, till then free. Therefore, since he permits His outward freedom: tyranny must be; Their inward lost: witness the irreverent son h From human free. Left mankind in full and free possession of their liberty.-HUME. i True liberty. So Milton in his sonnet : liberty; For who loves that must first be wise and good. His presence from among them, and avert From all the rest, of whom to be invoked, (Canst thou believe?) should be so stupid grown, To worship their own work in wood and stone For gods! Yet him God the Most High vouchsafes His kindred, and false gods, into a land Which he will show him; and from him will raise His benediction so, that in his seed All nations shall be blest: he straight obeys'; I see him ", but thou canst not, with what faith To Haran; after him a cumbrous train° Bred up in idol worship. We read in Josh. xxiv. 2: "Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. Now as Terah, Abraham's father, was an idolater, I think we may be cer tain that Abraham was bred up in the religion of his father, though he renounced it afterwards, and in all probability converted his father likewise; for Terah removed with Abraham to Haran, and there died. See Gen. xi. 31, 32.-NEWTON. k While yet the patriarch lived. It appears from the computations given by Moses, Gen. xi. that Terah, the father of Abraham, was born two hundred and twenty-two years after the flood, but Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years, Gen. ix. 28; and we have proved from Joshua, that Terah, and the ancestors of Abraham, "served other gods ;" and from the Jewish traditions we learn farther, that Terah, and Nachor his father, and Serug his grandfather, were statuaries and carvers of idols and therefore idolatry was set up in the world, while yet the patriarch lived who 'scaped the flood.-NEWTON. See Heb. xi. 8. 1 He straight obeys. m I see him. Milton, sensible that this long historical description might grow irksome, has varied the manner of representing it as much as possible; beginning first with supposing Adam to have a prospect of it before his eyes; next, by making the angel the relater of it; and, lastly, by uniting the two former methods, and making Michael see it as in vision, and give a rapturous enlivened account of it to Adam. This gives great case to the languishing attention of the reader.-THYER. n Ur of Chaldæa. See Gen. xi. 31. Chaldæn, a province of Asia, lying cast of the Euphrates, and west of the Tigris: Ur, a city of Chaldæa, the country of Abraham and Terah.-NEWTON. • A cumbrous train. The poet here has an opportunity of introducing the picturesque description of Abraham, |