Stand still in bright array, _ye Saints_------ ---- ------ -------- -------- Here stand, _Ye Angels_. ------ _Par. Lost. lib._ vi. _fo._ 174. So that CHRIST here is brought in drawing up his Army before the last Battle, and making a Speech to them, to tell them they shall only stand by in warlike order, but that they shall have no occasion to fight, for he alone will engage the Rebels. Then in embattling his Legions, he places the Saints here, and the Angels there, as if one were the main Battle of Infantry, and the other the Wings of Cavalry. But who are those Saints? they are indeed all of _Milton_'s own making; 'tis certain there were no Saints at all in _Heaven_ or _Earth_ at that time; GOD and his _Angels_ fill'd up the place; and till some of the _Angels_ fell, and Men were created, had liv'd, and were dead, there could have been no _Saints_ there. Saint _Abel_ was certainly the _Proto-Saint_ of all that ever were seen in _Heaven_, as well as the Proto-martyr of all that have been upon _Earth_. Just such another Mistake, not to call it a Blunder, he makes about _Hell_; which he not only makes LOCAL, but gives it a being before the Fall of the _Angels_; and brings it in opening its mouth to receive them. This is so contrary to the nature of the thing, and so great an absurdity, that no Poetic License can account for it; for tho' Poesie may form Stories, as Idea and Fancy may furnish Materials, yet Poesy must not break in upon Chronology, and make things which in time were to exist, act before they existed. Thus a Painter may make a fine piece of Work, the fancy may be good, the strokes masterly, and the beauty of the Workmanship inimitably curious and fine, and yet have some unpardonable improprieties which marr the whole Work. So the famous Painter of _Toledo_ painted the story of the three Wisemen of the _East_ coming to worship, and bring their presents to our Lord upon his birth at _Bethlehem_, where he represents them as three _Arabian_ or _Indian_ Kings; two of them are white, and one black; But unhappily when he drew the latter part of them kneeling, which to be sure was done after their faces; their legs being necessarily a little intermix'd, he made three black feet for the _Negroe_ King, and but three white feet for the two white Kings, and yet never discover'd the mistake till the piece was presented to the King, and hung up in the great Church. As this is an unpardonable error in Sculpture or Limning, it must be much more so in Poetry, where the Images must have no improprieties, much less inconsistencies.