BOOKS.

MR. MASSON'S MILTON.*

Mn. MASSON has at length achieved a task the preparation of -which, as he states in the preface, has extended over not a few years. The edition before us is one that cannot fail eventually to gain a place in every good library, and it is scarcely necessary to say that the form in which it is produced leaves nothing to be desired.

Mr. Masson may be almost said to have appropriated Milton. There are many men in England quite as capable of appreciat- ing the transcendent splendour of the poet's versification, but not one Englishman probably is so minutely conversant with bibliographical and biographical details, nor has evinced such pains-taking assiduity in unravelling every point of interest or

* The Poetical Works of John Milton. Edited. with Introductions, Notes, and an Essay on Milton's English, by David Masson, MA., LL.D. 3 vols. London; Macmillan and Oa 1874.

difficulty in connection with Milton's poetry. The first feeling of the reader who takes up these volumes will probably be that of amazement at the prodigious labour expended upon them. Mr. Masson despises nothing, omits nothing. At any cost he is determined to be accurate, and he has faith enough in his readers, or rather in the readers of Milton, to believe that they will patiently follow him not only along the broad roads of Miltonic criticism, but also into each by-way, dingle, and bosky bourn he has deemed it needful to explore.

The work opens with a "General Essay on Milton's English," arranged under six heads :—" I. Milton's Vocabulary ;" "IL Spelling and Pronunciation ;" "Ill. Peculiarities of Grammatical Inflection ;" "IV. Syntax and Idiom ;" "IT. The Punctuation ;" " VL Milton's Versification and his Place in the History of English Verse." This essay occupies 132 closely printed pages, and contains, as may be judged from the headings, a good deal that belongs more to the province of the grammarian than to the critic of poetry. On the six points given above, Mr. Masson's remarks are in the highest degree elaborate, and indeed exhaus- tive. Under "Vocabulary," he gives a list of the words used by Milton only once, and the words wholly or partially obsolete. Under the second heading several fac-similes of the poet's writing are given, and here the editor undertakes to justify his use of modern orthography in all cases, save when a peculiarity seems to be especially characteristic of the poet. Mr. Masson has followed the course taken by the editors of "The Cambridge Shakespeare," by Mr. Elwin in his edition of Pope (of which we hope to receive more volumes before long), and by other modern editors of British classics. We think the plan pursued in these cases is a right one. Neither in Milton's time nor in Pope's was there any fixed system of spelling, and of Milton's spelling Mr. Masson observes that one of its most marked characteristices is its variability, and that "on examination it is found that this variability or want of uniformity affects precisely and chiefly those spellings which differ from ours, and that in almost every such case our present spelling was actually used as one of the variations, and had its chance in the competition." Moreover, it is impossible, as the editor points out, to say what Milton's spell- ing really is, since the manuscript containing the drafts of a portion of his earlier English poems, when he had his eye-sight, differs in numberless particulars from the spelling of the same pieces when printed in 1645. Which, asks Mr. Masson, is most Milton's spelling,—that of the MSS., so far as they go, or that of the printed volume ; and of course it becomes still more impos- sible to determine Milton's spelling when he dictated his poems and was unable to revise his proofs. These are sufficient reasons for the course pursued by Mr. Masson, but it may be added that the pleasure of reading a great poet who belongs not to an age, but to all time, is considerably lessened if the eye be constantly offended by obsolete spelling. Mr. Masson devotes several pages— and this may be taken as an instance of his precise criticism—to a comment on the useful, but rather ugly word its,—" one of the greatest curiosities in the English language, not being a genuine old-English word at all, but an upstart of the latter part of Elizabeth's reign, seldom used even then, or for a good while after- wards, and not fully admitted till the reign of Charles II." In the original edition of our Authorised Version of the Bible the word its does not once occur, Shakespeare uses it ten times in all, and Milton only three times. Curiously enough, too, the odd possessive form it, found in Shakespeare fifteen times, is not found in Milton's poetry once. Mr. Masson also treats us to something like an essay on the relatives that, who, which, and shows that

Milton did not recognise Professor Bain's principle, that who and which ought to be reserved for co-ordinate clauses in a sentence- i.e., for clauses of additional predication—while that ought to be used in all clauses merely restrictive or explanatory of a current subject or predicate. The poet's punctuation also receives care- ful comment, and the remarks on his versification are extremely elaborate. A long list of imperfect rhymes is appended, and Mr. Masson, who has taken the trouble to make calculations on a variety of points connected with Milton's poetry, considers that in the whole of his rhymed poetry, extending to about 2,700 lines, every eighth or tenth line is more or less imperfect.

Milton's invective against rhyme in the few words prefixed to Paradise Lost is strange in a poet who, up to that period, had gained his best laurels by the use of it. Mr. Masson suspects it is to be received cum grano. "He was probably," he writes, "provoked to strength of statement by having heard of the 'stumbling' of many of the first readers of Paradise Lost, and perhaps of the outcry of some critics at the novelty of the verse." Passing from the general essay on Milton's English, we arrive

at the introduction to Paradise Lost, which is very nearly as long, and contains much curious matter, and much, we venture to

think, which no writer less painfully conscientious than Mr. Masson would have taken the trouble to accumulate. The history of the several editions of the poem will be found here, and in the course of the narrative Mr. Masson shows that the belief of some

of Milton's biographers and editors with regard to the neglect of Paradise Lost until the publication of Addison's essays showed Englishmen what a treasure they possessed is altogether falla-

cious. Mr. R. C. Browne, one of the latest critics of Milton, has taken this view, and observes that the general reception of the great poem was indifferent, and that the greater . part of Milton's countrymen were aroused from their apathy and ignorance by Addison's criticism. There seems really no ground for this assertion. Dr. Johnson has pointed out that reading was not in Milton's time a general amusement, and that neither traders, nor even gentlemen, thought themselves disgraced by ignorance ; and he is right in adding that "the sale of thirteen hundred copies in two years, in opposition to so much recent enmity was an uncommon example of the prevalence of genius." The truth is that an impression of thirteen hundred copies was exhausted

within a little over eighteen months, and before the close of the seventeenth century six editions of the poem had been published,

—" three of them" (we quote Mr. Masson), "splendid folio editions, and one of them with a commentary which was in itself a tribute to the extraordinary renown of the poem, and not only before or shortly after Milton's death had there been such public expres- sions of admiration for the poem by Dryden and others as were equivalent to its recognition as one of the sublimest works of English genius, but since the year 1688, Dryden's emphatic, if not very discriminating lines had been a familiar quotation in the mouths of scholars. Even before those lines were written, the habit of comparing Milton with Homer and Virgil, and wondering whether the highest greatness might not be claimed for the Englishman, had been fully formed. Addison's criticisms, therefore, were only a contribution to a reputation already become traditional." Several other editions followed at the beginning of the eighteenth century, and the seventh was published by Tonson in 1705, "adorned with sculptures." It is a beautifully printed volume, but the "sculp- tures," as might be expected, are very grotesque. In the first, Satan, who, barring his wings, looks singularly like a primitive Briton, appears to be standing on the fallen angels, and poking at them with his spear ; in another, Satan's interview with Sin and Death is depicted. Very comical too, and certainly not in the least sublime, is the delineation of the battle in heaven, and the "chariot of paternal Deity ;" but the publication of popular editions such as this, which was followed by another edition in 1707, and a pocket edition in 1711, show that the poet was appreciated by the readers of that time.

Mr. Masson's massive biography of Milton has not deterred him from accumulating many biographical details in the introduction and notes, in which we believe that all the prominent events of the poet's life will be found detailed. It is a question, indeed, whether the editor's love of his subject, in all its most trifling particulars, does not sometimes tempt him to expatiate where the student of Milton's poetry needs only brief comment or explanation. Very much which Mr. Masson writes is interesting as literary gossip, but in editing a classic poet like Milton, any matter that is not abso- lutely required to elucidate the text becomes objectionable by detaining us from it. Occasionally, too, Mr. Masson raises a point of controversy, which, as it seems to us, is wholly uncalled for. Thus, at the conclusion of the Notes to Milton's Latin poetry, Mr. Masson takes up the cudgels on behalf of Milton as a prose writer in a style which is neither dignified nor pleasing. After quoting from Thomas Warton, to whose criti- cism on Milton as a poet he does full justice, a passage in which the writer, as might be expected from his position and education, speaks strongly against certain portions of the prose works, Mr.

Masson asks whether the cordatior telas which Milton anticipated for his writings in general has come even yet :— " About Milton's poems we know what it is right to say, but oh ! his opinions, oh ! his pamphlets ! To be sure, there is his Areopagitica. We will make that an exception, we will call that noble, for its doctrine is now axiomatic ; but Oh! for the rest ! Well, it cannot be denied that there is something valid in the distinction theoretically, and that prac- tically we do find it necessary to make such distinctions in our criticism of writers. We like one production of a writer, and we do not like or we do not equally like another production of the same writer. Besides poems are poems and opinions are opinions. We desire only to be stirred, and roused, and charmed, and elevated by a poem ; but if an opinion concerns any matter of morals or politics still in discussion, how can we avoid hating it, and even any presentation of it, if we do not agree with it? With all this, however, the distinction, as it has been applied to Milton, may be challenged at its roots, and will more and more be challenged. It is the author of the Paradise Lost that is the author of those Prose Pamphlets, and it is the author of the Prose Pamphlets that is the author of Paradise Lost. They sprang from one life ; they ate but diverse manifestations of one and the same soul ; they are organically related; neither could have come into the world from any other mind than precisely that which exulted in the other..

To prefer the one to the other is within our right, to find fault with either is within our right, but not to adore the one, and bury or deride the other as an accidentally connected monstrosity."

All this, as it seems to us, is singularly out of place where it ; nor can we see that the argument, wherever placed, has very much pertinence. What right, asks Mr. Masson, further,. have we to break into two parts what God and Nature and Milton's own meditations thus organically united? But we may observe in reply that the question is not one of right, but or critical judgment and taste. All readers who know what, genuine poetry is find in the perusal of Paradise Lost am exquisite and almost unmatched pleasure ; many readers, too, can relish heartily certain splendid passages of the prose works, although repelled at almost every step by the coarseness of Milton's. invective, by his painful personalities, by his injustice to oppo- nents, by the grossness of his sarcasm, and by opinions which, whether wrongly or rightly, they hold to be injurious to morality.. Moreover, there are readers who cannot even admire the style,. which they regard as subversive in many cases of English syntax, in which a large portion of Milton's prose is written. Now what is to be said to such readers ? They may be stupid in the eyes of Milton's admirers, and too blind to perceive or to care about the "organic relationship" between, let us say, Comas and the Doc- trine and Discipline of Divorce. Are they, therefore, acting with- out their rights in delighting in the one, while ignoring or con- demning the other? There is much, no doubt, that is in the- highest sense great in Milton's prose, passages that delight the ear' and deserve to live in the memory ; but notwithstanding these- passages, and despite Mr. Masson's protest against what he deems: an unnatural divorce, we venture to believe that while through all time Milton's poetry will be read with ever-fresh delight,. his prose writings will be chiefly studied from curiosity.

In noticing thus slightly the labours of Mr. Masson in this: splendid field of literature, it is impossible to do anything like justice to his extensive knowledge, his unwearied patience, his: carefulness in stating faits, the skill with which he applies, and in all cases fairly applies, the labours of earlier editors, and above all,. to the hearty admiration and enthusiasm which have sustainedi him throughout his long and often intricate toil. The result is in the highest degree significant, but we are not sure whether it is-. wholly satisfactory. Mr. Masson gives us all we want to know,.

so that the work may boast a completeness unachieved by former- editors ; but his extreme care to omit nothing has often led him, as: we have before observed, to insert trivial matters at great length,.

which however fitted for a comprehensive or a gossiping biography,. occupy too large a space in an edition of Milton's poetical works.. But this, after all, is a comparatively trifling blemish, and there- are few editors of our great poets who have done so much to merit; the thanks, not of students only, but of general readers.