at respects
the moral infirmity of the times, or of the author, has affected the
work; so that we are occasionally tempted to regret even Milton's
choice. But as the leading error of his mind appears to have been
_intellectual_ pride, and as the leading fault of the generation with
which he acted was unquestionably _spiritual_ pride, so the main
defects of his poetry may probably be attributed to the same causes.

There is a studious undervaluing of the female character, which may be
most distinctly perceived by comparing the character of Eve with that
of the Lady in Comus: the latter conceived, as we imagine, before the
mind of the poet had become so deeply tainted with the fault here
imputed to him. A remarkable instance of it is his describing Eve as
unwilling, or unworthy, to discourse herself with the angel.

Such pleasure she reserved,
Adam relating; she sole auditress.--

The sentiment may be natural enough, since the primaeval curse upon
women: but does it not argue rather too strong a sense of her original
inferiority, to put it into her mind before the fall?

What again can be said for the reproachful and insulting tone, in
which, more than once, the good angels are made to address the bad
ones? or of the too attractive colours, in which, perhaps
unconsciously, the poet has clothed the Author of Evil himself? It is
a well-known complaint among many of the readers of _Paradise Lost_,
that they can hardly keep themselves from sympathizing, in some sort,
with Satan, as the hero of the poem. The most probable account of
which surely is, that the author himself partook largely of the
haughty and vindictive republican spirit which he has assigned to the
character, and consequently, though perhaps unconsciously, drew the
portrait with a peculiar zest.

These blemishes are in part attributable to the times in which he
lived: but there is another now to be mentioned, which cannot be so
accounted for: we mean a want of purity and spirituality in his
conceptions of Heaven and heavenly joys. His Paradise is a vision not
to be surpassed; but his attempts to soar higher are embarrassed with
too much of earth still clinging as it were to his wings. Remarks of
this kind are in general best understood by comparison, and we invite
our readers to compare Milton with Dante, in their descriptions of
Heaven. The one as simple as possible in his imagery, producing
intense effect by little more than various comb