the Application, if we compare the Similes themselves, MILTON's is by far fuperior to the other Two, as it exhibites to our View a real Landskip. In the fame Manner he has improved the ψαμάθοισιν of HoMER.

-Unnumber'd as the Sands

of Barca or Cyrene's torrid Soil,

Levi'd to fide with warring Winds, and poise
Their lighter Wings.

THIS Simile not only represents the Number, but the Smallness and Motion of the Atoms.

As when Heaven's Fire

Hath feath'd the Foreft Oaks, or Mountain Pines,
With finged Tops their stately Growth, tho' bare,
Stands on the blafted Heath.

THIS is also a very beautiful and clofe Simile, it represents the majestick Stature, and withered Glory of the Angels; and the laft with great Propriety, fince their Luftre was impaired by Thunder, as well as that of the Trees in the Simile: And befides, the blasted Heath gives us fome Idea of that finged burning Soil, on which the Angels were standing. HOMER and VIRGIL frequently use Comparisons from Trees, to exprefs the Stature, or falling of a Hero, but

none

none of them are applied with fuch Variety and Propriety of Circumftances as this of MILTON; which, tho' it be but one Image, yet contains four Similes; for every Likenefs or Point of Comparison is a Simile. I am far from thinking this Closeness in Similitudes a modern Improvement; fince, in the best Ancients, we have the finest Examples of it, excepting our Author.

Ηυτε ἔθνεα εἴσι μελισσάων αδινάων

Πέτρης ἐκ γλαφνρῆς αἰεὶ νέον ἐθχομενάων
Βοτρυδὸν ἢ πέτον ἐπ' ἄνθεσίν εἰρανοῖσιν

Αι μέν τ' ἔνθα ἄλις πεποτήα) &ι δέ τε ἔνθα

THIS is the first, and one of the finest Similes in the ILIAD. It conveys a fine Image. and the Numbers are mufical and harmonious, unless fome Exception be made to the like Endings of the first two Lines.

Thick fwarm'd, both on the Ground and in the Air,
Brush'd with the Hifs of rustling Wings. As Bees
In Spring-time, when the Sun with Taurus rides,
Pour forth their populous Youth about the Hive
In Clusters; they among fresh Dews and Flowers
Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed Plank,
The Suburb of their Straw-built Citadel,
New rubb'd with Baum, expatiate and confer
Their State-Affairs. So thick the airy Croud
Swarm'd and were straitned,

* See Milton's Advertisement concerning the Verse.

MILTON

MILTON has here finely imitated HoMER'S Simile, and improved it with the Addition of the three laft Lines,

-Or on the fmoothed Plank, &c.

which gives the greater Closeness to his Simile, as alluding to the following Council: The Swarms and Clusters of the Bees, finely exprefs the ftraitned Croud of the Angels; and the Mention of their rustling Wings, gives it another Propriety which HOMER Wants. VIRGIL'S Imitation of that

Simile is, perhaps, the finest one he has taken from HOMER, in the whole ÆNEID, either for the Beauty of the Verses, or the Application; yet 'tis not equal to MILTON'S.

Hunc circum innumera gentes, populique volabant.
Ac veluti in pratis, ubi Apes aftate ferena

Floribus infidunt variis, & candida circum
Lilia funduntur; ftrepit omnis murmure campus. Æneid 6.

THE following Simile, which MILTON ufes to exprefs the fmall diminish'd Size to which the Angels had reduced themfelves, is imitated from one in the first ÆNEID, by which VIRGIL defcribes the tall majestick Stature of Dido, which Simile he has also taken from HOMER.

-Or Fairy Elves,

Whofe midnight Revels, by a Foreft-fide
Or Fountain fome belated Peasant fees,
Ór dreams he fees, while over-head the Moon
Sits Arbitrefs, and nearer to the Earth

Wheels her pale Courfe, they on their Mirth and Dance
Intent, with jocund Mufick charm his Ear;

At once with Joy and Fear his Heart rebounds.

Qualis in Eurota ripis aut per Juga Cynthi
Exercet Diana Choros, quam mille fecuta

Hinc atque hinc glomerantur Oreades. Illa pharatram
Fert humero, gradienfque deas fupereminet omnes,
Latona tacitum pertentant gaudia pectus.

Eneid 1.

How exquifitely has MILTON imitated this last Line, in his

At once with Joy and Fear his Heart rebounds.

FROM Diana's prefiding over the Dances of the Wood-Nymphs, MILTON took this Hint,

-While over-head the Moon

Sits Arbitrefs,

IN the above Simile, he had alfo, without Doubt, the following Paffage of HORACE in his Eye.

Jam Cytherea choros ducit Venus imminente Luna,
Junctaque Nymphis Gratia decentes

Alterno terram quatiunt pede.

THAT

THAT VIRGIL'S Goddeffes were employed in Dancing, as well as MILTON's Fairies, (notwithstanding of HOMER'S Simile) may be gathered by explaining CHORUS, in the fame Sense it bears in a Simile in the 4th ÆNEID, very parallel to this, where VIRGIL may be faid to imitate himself.

Qualis, ubi hibernam Lyciam, Xanthique fluenta
Deferit, ac Delum maternam invifit Apollo,
* Inftauratque choros, mixtique altaria circum
Cretes Dryopefque fremunt, piétique Agathyrfi:
Ipfe jugis Cynthi graditur, mollique fluentem
Fronde premit crinem fingens, atque implicat auro:
Tela fonant humeris.

I SHALL add another Paflage of VIRGIL, the last Line of which comes yet nearer to that of our Author's Simile, and the whole may be faid to bear fome Refemblance to it.

Tum varie comitum facies: immania cete,
Et fenior Glauci chorus, Inoüfque Palamon,
Tritonefque citi, Phorcique exercitus omnis.
Lava tenent Thetis & Melite, Panopeaque virgo,
Nifae, Spioque, Thaliaque, Cymodoceque.
Hic patris Anea fufpenfam blanda viciffim
Gaudia pertentant mentem :

IN MILTON'S, the full Defcription of the Moon, and her pale Light has a fine

* See Callimachus's Hymn to Apollo.

Effect,