fity, in the male-kind, for benefiting the fairer fex, though • wrapped in a coarfer clothing than fine feathers, as is not to be overcome by any the most material avocation.

• In about half an hour, she had taken down near half my 'peach; when her eyes beginning to play a little under their covers, I ftill kept plying her with more, till I began to con'ceive vaft hopes of her.

Flufhed with the profpect of her recovery, (for I could expect no ill return from her, when the should be fenfible of the tendernefs I had treated her with) I now opened a pear, and, raifing her upon her feat, I laid her head upon my bofom, fuftaining her with my arm, as warmly as ever I could, and then fupplying her with my foft pear by small : quantities, I at last revived her so as to be able to fit up by me, and support herfelf; but this I had no fooner brought her to, than I was amply repaid for my trouble, by the manifold tokens of gratitude fhe expreffed to me; and, fo foon as fhe was able to ftir, I arofe, and offering her my hand, • would have had her have rifen too; but she then pointed to her foot, and looked very mournfully.

I endeavouring, by my figns, (in order to comfort her) to fignify, that I would try to cure it for her, fhe then pluck→ ing a thorn from the bushes, and thrusting it between her fingers, broke it off so close that the head was not discernable; from whence I collecting her meaning, opened an apple, and chewing fome mouthfuls of it, laid it upon a piece of an old handerchief, that ftill remained in the jacket, and then taking out my knife, I opened the tumour, and when it had discharged itself thoroughly, I extracted the remainder of the thorn, and fhewed it to her.

No creature could receive more pleasure than myself, at the glee that appeared in her countenance upon sight of the thorn, her tormentor; but the orifice being pretty large, I laid on my apple poultice, and bound it round her foot to cool and fupple it, and alfo to keep the air out.

She would then, of her own accord, have rifen; but it ⚫ was now my turn to prevent it, which I did by signs, that fhe must not ftir to walk upon her foot for fome days yet; for if the did, it would prevent her cure. Though I could

not, at first, conceive the cause of her uneafiness, (for fhe "wept vehemently, the tears pouring down very faft) yet, by feveral of her motions afterwards, I collected that her dif'quiet proceeded wholly for fear of lofing me, if she did not rife and go with me.

I was no fooner pretty certain of this, than I caufed her to understand that I purpofed not to leave her, till fhe was able to 'fhift for herself, and upon that fhe brightened up again; nor, indeed, could I have found the heart to have parted from fo loving a creature, and in her diftrefs too, had fhe not petitioned for my stay.'

The reader at once perceives that the author of this performance has made free with Robinson Crusoe, and the adventures of Philip Quarl, an Englishman: but, he has deferted nature, from which the writer of Robinfon's life never deviates; and the greater part of his adventures are the monfters of a crude invention. Nevertheless, as we think there is fome merit in the performance, and a dawn of genius which may be furthur enlightened, we advife the author to chaften his imagination, and adhere closely to verifimilitude or probability in his future productions: for, though Lucian, Rabelais, and Swift, have fet nature at defiance, their abfurdities are recommended by exquifite humour, pregnancy of wit, and well conducted fatire. We must not, however, dismiss the article without commending the author for the morality of his fable, which feems to have been invented as an antidote to unmanly despair, and every where recommends refignation to the will of Providence.

ART. X. A new Verfion of the Paradife loft: or, Milton paraphrafed. In which the measure and verfification are corrected and harmonized; the obfcurities elucidated; and the faults of which the author ftands accufed by Addifon, and other of the critics, are removed. With annotations on the original text, to fhew the reasonableness of this new verfion. By a Gentleman of Oxford. 8vo. Pr. 1s. Baldwin.

T

HOSE ingenious bards Meffieurs Sternheld and Hopkins,

fo defervedly celebrated for their excellent burlesque of the pfalms of David, call'd it a verfion: this word was adopted by their worthy fucceffors Tate and Brady; in imitation of which performances a Gentleman of Oxford hath thought fit to paraphrafe Milton, and prefent us with a new version of his Paradife loft, though that poem has been confider'd by fome fuperficial critics, as not the worft or moft contemptible in the English language: our Oxonian however has difcover'd that the measure and verfification fhou'd be correled and harmonifed, the obfcurities elucidated, and the faults removed, which neceffary task he has kindly undertaken, and, to say the truth, has fucceeded in it as well as could reasonably be expected from the nature of fo extraordinary an attempt. He informs us in his preface, that Milton is not pleafing to the Universality. (Query, whether if this be true; Milton or the Universality is moft to blame) that his flights are beyond the ken of the modern reader; that his blindness render'd him obfcure; (which we cannot fo easily comprehend) that his (our author's) intentions therefore are to make him perfe&ly intelligible, and to weed out the thistles from fo fair a field. But what if our corrector fhould with the thilles tear up the wheat alfo? Let him, however, fpeak for himself. Milton begins thus;

Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whofe mortal tafte
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With lofs of Eden, till one greater man
Reftore us, and regain the blissful 'seat,
Sing heav'nly mufe! that on the fecret top
Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didft infpire

That fhepherd, who firft taught the chofen feed,
In the beginning how the heav'ns, and earth,
Rofe out of Chaos. Or if Sion hill

Delight thee more, and Sila's brook that flow'd
Faft by the oracle of God; I thence
Invoke thy aid to my advent'rous fong:
That with no middle flight intends to foar
Above th' Aonian mount, while it perfues
Things unattempted yet in profe or rhyme.
And chiefly thou, O Spirit! that doft prefer
Before all temples th' upright heart and pure,

Inftruct me, for thou know'ft: thou from the first
Waft prefent, and with mighty wings out-fpread,
Dove-like fat'ft brooding on the vaft abyfs,
And mad'ft it pregnant: what in me is dark,
Illumine! what is low, raise and support!
That to the height of this great argument
may affert eternal providence,

I

And justify the ways of God to men.

Now enters the Gentleman of Oxford with his new Verfion, which begins thus,

Of Adam's fall, and the forbidden tree,

Whose fruit brought Sin and Death into the world,
With lofs of Paradife and immortality,

To him and to his fons-fing, heavenly muse!
Thou—that at firft, with mighty wings outfpread,
Dove-like fat'st brooding o'er the vast abyss,
And mad'ft it pregnant!

Impart a beam of thy celestial brightness,
To purify my thoughts and fanctify my pen,
That-with no middle flight intends to foar,
And treat of themes yet uneflay'd by man.
O what thou seeft dark in me illumine,
What low and fainting-raise thou and support,
That to the full extent of this great argument
Which conftitutes my bold advent'rous fong,
I may affert the wife eternal providence,
And justify the ways of God to men.

But hear what this learned corrector and commentator' says in his notes, which he has subjoined to the work :

-greater man

What greater man? (fays he) this is a comparative term without a pofitive; for man's in the first line has no primary fignification, the epithet first being an adjunct to difobedience; and man's firft difobedience might as well mean any other man as Adam, who was created perfect befides-greater man was a title very illy chosen to fignify our Saviour; for, notwithstanding his fhort state of humanity, he ought never to be divefted of his divinity, or expreffed by a term that does not comprize or indicate his Godhead.

And a little further Aonian mount. line 15.

This heathenish thought is beneath a poet inspired by a heavenly muse.

Line

Line 27.Say first,

Here the Holy Ghost is bid to fay, without any qualification for fuch a peremptory command; which being fomething irreverent, if not prophane, is altered to mufe.

Is not our Oxford gentleman as good a critic as a poet? But obferve his emendation of this noble paffage;

A dungeon horrible, on all fides round,

As one great furnace, flam'd: yet from those flames
No light, but rather darknefs vifible,
Serv'd only to difcover fights of woe:

Regions of forrow! doleful fhades! where peace
And reft can never dwell! hope never comes,
That comes to all: but torture without end-
Instead of which this gentleman wou'd fubftitute,
A dungeon horrible, on all fides round
Like one great furnace fill'd the large extent,
• Which burnt and flam'd, but flaming gave no light,
Except fuch light as made the darknefs vifible,

• And ferv'd them to discover only fights of woe,
Regions of fadnefs, difmal fhades, and forrow,
Where comfort, peace, and reft, can never dwell,
Nor, hope yet ever come- -that comes to all,
But pains and tortures nameless and eternal!'

Yet not for thofe,

Nor what the potent victor in his rage
Can elfe inflict, do I repent, or change

(Though chang'd in outward luftre) that fix'd mind
And high difdain, from fenfe of injur'd merit,

That with the mighticft rais'd me to contend:

Says the great poet, in the inimitable speech of Satan. Mark the verfion.

But that, nor all the victor can inflict,

Shall change the ftedfaft mind and high difdain

• Of me your dauntless and degraded friend!

"Tis true, I may be chang'd in outward luftre,
My rays be fhorten'd, and my glories leffen'd,
But fcorn to bend, or to repent what's paft!

I ftill retain the fenfe of injur'd merit,

And never will recede from what I firft defign'd,' The conceit of shortening his rays fo judiciously inserted by our author, fhews equal tafe and judgment. He obferves on this line of Milton.