and as Dr. Johnson justly observes, the purpose of the poem was the most useful and arduous that could be chosen; “ to vindicate the works of God to mar, His subject is the fate of worlds, the revolution of heaven and earth ; rebellion against the supreme King, raised by the highest order of created beings; the overthrow of their host, and the punishment of their enemies, the creation of a new race of reasonable creatures; their original happiness and innocence; their forfeiture of immortality; and their restoration to hope and peace. Here is a full display of the united force of study and genius, of a greater accumulation of materials, with judgment to digest and fancy to combine then.- His large works were performed under discountenance, and in blindness ; but difficulties vanish at his touch; he was boru for whatever is arduous, and his work is not the greatest of heroic poems only because it is not the first."

Great as is this praise bestowed by the elegant critic above named, it does not go beyond the just bounds of truth and justice. Milton with Sbak. speare will descend to ages yet to come, as stars who bave brightened and adorned the literature of their country;

CONTENTS.

Page

PARADISE Lost, Book I.

Book II.

Book III.

Book IV.

Book V.

Book VI.

Book VII.

Book VIII.

Book IX.

Book X.

Book XI.

Book XII.

PARADISE REGAINED, Book I.

Book II.

Book III.

Book IV.

Samson Agonistes,

Comus,

22

49

68

94

117

140

156

173

203

231

254

273

287

300

312

329

377

POEMS.

L'Allegro,
Il Penseroso,
On the Death of a fair Infant,
A Vacation Exercise,
On the Morning of Christ's Nativity,

The Hymn,
The Passion,

407
411
415
418
421
422
428
Page

430
On Time,

ib.

Upon the Circumcision,

431

At a solemn Music,
An Epitaph on the Marchioness of Winchester, 432

434
Song on May Morning,

ib.
An Epitaph on William Shakspeare,

435
On the university Carrier,

496

Another on the same,

437

Arcades,

440

Lycidas,

On the New Forcers of Conscience,

445

TRANSLATIONS.

The Fifth Ode of Horace, Lib. I.

From Geoffrey of Monmouth,

From Dante,

From Dante,

From Ariosto,

From Horace,

From Euripides,

From Horace,

From Horace,

From Sophocles,

From Seneca,

4.50

SONNETS.

To the Nightingale,

On his being arrived at the age of Twenty-three, ib.

When the Assault was intended to the City,

To a virtuous Young Lady,

To the Lady Margaret Ley,

On the Detraction which followed upon the

writing certain Treatises,

453

To Mr. H. Lawes, on his airs,

451

ib.

452

Page
- On the religious Memory of Mrs. Catharine
Thomson,

454
To the Lord General Fairfax,

ib.
To the Lord General Cromwell,

455
To Sir Henry Vane, the Younger,

ib.
In the late Massacre in Piedmont,

556
On his Blindness,

ib.
To Mr. Lawrence,

457
To Cyriac Skinner,

ib.

To the same,

458

On his deceased Wife,

459

PSALMS.

Psalm 1.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

LXXX.

LXXXI.

LXXXII.

LXXXIII.

LXXXIV.

LXXXV.

LXXXVI.

LXXXVII.

LXXXVIII.

CXIV.

cxxxvi.

460