and which, with all
their rusticity, had somewhat of venerable in them. But I found not there
neither, that for which I looked." His search through Spenser and Tasso is
more fortunate; Virgil and Ovid are the two principal fountains of them in
Latin poetry; and "the French, at this day, are so fond of them, that they
judge them to be first beauties; _delicate et bien tourne_, are the
highest commendations which they bestow on somewhat which they think a
masterpiece."

This sort of explicit criticism, in a small way, is rather unsatisfactory;
so let us look at a specimen of implicit on Milton. In Todd's edition are
detailed the names of the translators of "Paradise Lost" into rhyme and
prose. "We must not" says Sir Walter, "confound with these effusions of
gratuitous folly an alteration or imitation planned and executed by John
Dryden." We must not; therefore let "his gratuitous folly" stand aloof
from theirs, and be judged of in itself. "The State of Innocence" is AN
OPERA! "Had the subject been of a nature which admitted its being actually
represented, we might conceive that Dryden, who was under engagements to
the theatre, with which it was not always easy to comply, might have been
desirous to shorten his own labour _by adopting the story, sentiments, and
language of a poem_" (how kind and cool) "which he so highly esteemed, and
which might probably have been new to the generality of his audience. But
the _costume_ of our first parents, had there been no other objection,
must have excluded 'The State of Innocence' from the stage; and,
accordingly, it was certainly never intended for representation." One
cannot well help agreeing with Sir Walter in this pleasant passage;
nevertheless, might not the opera have been indited with a view to
representation? With what more _rational_ purpose could it have been
"planned and executed"? The stage directions are full and minute; and, if
meant for perusal only, and to be part of the poem, they are beyond the
ridiculous. As, for example--

"Scene I. represents a chaos, or a confused mass of matter; the stage is
almost wholly dark. A symphony of warlike music is heard for some time;
then from the heavens (which are opened) fall the rebellious angels,
wheeling in air, and seeming transfixed with thunderbolts. The bottom of
the stage being opened, receives the angels, who fall out of sight. Tunes
of victory are played, and an hymn sung; angels discovered alone,
brandishing their s