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PREFACE*

TO AN

E S SAY

ES

ON

MILTON'S Ufe and Imitation of the Moderns

in his PARADISE LOST.

First published in the Year MDCCL.

IT

T is now more than half a century fince the PARADISE LOST having broke through the clouds with which the unpopularity of the author, for a time, obfcured it, has attracted the general admiration of mankind; who have endeavoured to compenfate the error

of

"It is to be hoped, nay, it is expected, that the elegant and "nervous writer, whofe judicious fentiments, and inimitable stile points out the author of Lauder's Preface and Poftfcript, will no longer allow one to plume himself with his feathers, who appears

fo

of their first neglect, by lavish praises and boundless veneration. There feems to have arisen a contest, among men of genius and literature, who should most advance its honour, or beft diftinguish its beauties. Some have revised editions, others have published commentaries, and all have endeavoured to make their particular ftudies, in fome degree, fubfervient to this general emulation.

Among the inquiries to which this ardour of criticifm has naturally given occafion, none is more obfcure in itself, or more worthy of rational curiofity, than a retrospection of the progress of this mighty genius, in the construction of his work; a view of the fabric gradually rifing, perhaps from small beginnings, till its foundation refts in the centre, and its turrets fparkle in the fkies; to trace back the structure, through all its varieties, to the fimplicity of its first plan; to find what was firft projected, whence the scheme was taken, how it was improved, by what afsistance it was executed, and from what ftores the materials were collected, whether its founder dug them from the quarries of nature, or demolished other buildings to embellish his own.

This inquiry has been, indeed, not wholly neglected, nor, perhaps, profecuted with the care and diligence that

"fo little to have deferved his affiftance; an affiftance which I am "perfuaded would never have been communicated, had there "been the leaft fufpicion of thofe facts which I have been the in"ftrument of conveying to the world in these sheets.”. -Milton vindicated from the charge of plagiarifm brought against him by Mr. Lauder, and Lauder himself convicted of feveral forgeries and gross impofitions on the public. By John Douglas, M. A. Reitor of Eaton Confantine, Salop, 8vo. 1751, P. 77.

J

it deferves. Several critics have offered their conjectures; but none have much endeavoured to enforce or afcertain them. * MR. VOLTAIRE tells us, without proof, that the first hint of PARADISE LOST was taken from a farce called ADAMO, written by a player; †DR. PEARCE, that it was derived from an Italian tragedy, called IL PARADISO PERSO; and MR. PECK, that it was borrowed from a wild romance. Any of these conjectures may poffibly be true, but, as they stand without fufficient proof, it must be granted, likewife, that they may all poffibly be false; at least they cannot preclude any other opinion, which without argument has the fame claim to credit, and may perhaps be fhewn, by refistless evidence, to be better founded,

It is related, by steady and uncontroverted tradition, that the PARADISE LOST was at firft a TRAGEDY, and, therefore, amongst tragedies, the firft hint is properly to be fought. In a manufcript, published from MILTON's own hand, among à great number of subjects for tragedy, is ADAM UNPARADISED, or ADAM IN EXILE; and this, therefore, may be justly fuppofed the embryo of this great poem. As it is obfervable, that all these fubjects had been treated by others, the manufeript can be fuppofed nothing more, than a memorial or catalogue

• Effay upon the Civil Wars of France, and alfo upon the Epic Poetry of the European Nations, from Homer down to Milton, 8vo. 1727, p. 103. E.

+ Preface to a Review of the text of the Twelve Books of Milton's Paradife Loft, in which the chief of Dr. Bentley's Emendations are confidered, 8vo. 1733. E.

New Memoirs of Mr. John Milton. By Francis Peck, 4to. 1740, p. 52. E.

of

of plays, which, for some reason, the writer thought worthy of his attention. When, therefore, I had observed, that ADAM IN EXILE was named amongst them, I doubted not but, in finding the original of that tragedy, I should disclose the genuine fource of PARADISE LOST. Nor was my expectation difappointed; for, having procured the ADAMUS EXUL of GROTIUS, I found, or imagined myself to find, the first draught, the PRIMA STAMINA of this wonderful poem.

Having thus traced the ORIGINAL of this work, I was naturally induced to continue my fearch to the COLLATERAL RELATIONS, which it might be fuppofed to have contracted, in its progress to MATURITY: and having, at least, perfuaded my own judgment, that the search has not been intirely ineffectual, I now lay the refult of my labours before the public; with full conviction, that in questions of this kind, the world cannot be MISTAKEN, at least cannot long continue in error.

I cannot avoid acknowledging the CANDOUR of the author of that excellent monthly book, the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, in giving admiffion to the fpecimens in favour of this argument; and his IMPARTIALITY in as freely inferting the feveral anfwers. I fhall here fubjoin fome EXTRACTS from the xviith volume of this work, which I think fuitable to my purpofe. To which I have added, in order to obviate every pretence for cavil, a LIST of the authors quoted in the following ESSAY, with their respective DATES, in comparison with the DATE of PARADISE LOST.