In a word, Mr. _Milton_ has indeed made a fine Poem, but it is _the Devil of a History_. I can easily allow Mr. _Milton_ to make Hills and Dales, flowry Meadows and Plains (and the like) in Heaven; and places of Retreat and Contemplation in _Hell_; tho' I must add, that it can be allowed to no Poet on Earth but Mr. _Milton_. Nay, I will allow Mr. _Milton_, if you please, to set the _Angels_ a dancing in _Heaven_, _lib._ v. _fo._ 138. and the _Devils_ a singing in Hell, _lib._ i. _fo._ 44. tho' they are in short, especially the last, most horrid Absurdities. But I cannot allow him to make their Musick in _Hell_ to be harmonious and charming as he does; such Images being incongruous, and indeed shocking to Nature. Neither can I think we should allow things to be plac'd out of time in Poetry, any more than in History; 'tis a confusion of Images which is allow'd to be disallow'd by all the Criticks of what tribe or species soever in the world, and is indeed unpardonable. But we shall find so many more of these things in Mr. _Milton_, that really taking notice of them all, would carry me quite out of my way, I being at this time not writing the History of Mr. _Milton_, but of the _Devil_: besides, Mr. _Milton_ is such a celebrated Man, that who but he that can write the History of the _Devil_ dare meddle with him? But to come back to the business. As I had caution'd you against running to Scripture for shelter in cases of difficulty, Scripture weighing very little among the people I am directing my Speech to; so indeed Scripture gives but very little light into any thing of the _Devil_'s Story before his Fall, and but _to very little_ of it for some time after. Nor has Mr. _Milton_ said one word to solve the main difficulty (_viz._) How the _Devil_ came to fall, and how Sin came into Heaven; how the spotless Seraphic Nature could receive infection, whence the contagion proceeded, what noxious matter could emit corruption there, how and whence any vapour to poison the Angelick Frame could rise up, or how it increas'd and grew up to crime. But all this he passes over, and hurrying up that part in two or three words, only tells us, ------ his Pride, Had cast him out of Heaven with all his Host Of rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring He trusted to have equal'd the most High. _lib._ i. _fo._ 3. _His pride!_ but how came _Satan_ while an Arch-angel to be proud? How did it consist, that Pride and perfect Holiness should meet in the same Person? Here we must bid Mr. _Milton_ good night; for, in plain terms, he is in the dark about it, and so we are all; and the most that can be said, is, that we know the fact is so, but nothing of the nature or reason of it. But to come to the History: The Angels fell, they sinn'd (wonderful!) in Heaven, and God cast them out; what their sin was is not explicit, but in general 'tis call'd a Rebellion against GOD; all sin must be so.