1800.] 
beat that relation to the univerfal God, 
which the Olympus bears to the Greek 
Jupiter. But all other imaginable effects 
alfo prefent themfelves to Klop%ock ; and 
he cannot refrain from recording any one, 
even the childith myfticifm of dating the 
new birth of fouls unborn. 
The defcriptions of the infide of hea- 
ven, and of the infide of earth, which oc- 
cupy the latter portion of this book, are 
worthier of a Swedenborg, than of a 
Dante. The hymn of the angels will 
hardly be quoted as fine poetry; nor was 
creation the fitteft topic: yet the conclud- 
ing thought is ftriking. 
To folitude faidft thou, 
Beno more: and to beings, evolve yourfelves. 
Hallelujah, 
The fecond canto opens with a dialogue 
between Adam and Eve: this is one of 
thofe purpofelefs converfations of the ce- 
leftial loiterers, that abound in the Mef- 
fiah. Next occurs a pofleffion 5; in which 
Samma, the infane perfon, dathes in pieces 
againit arock his young fon. Jefus comes 
by, exorcifes and banifhes to hell the evil 
fpirit, who turns out to be Satan himfelf. 
This epifede contains very pathetic paf- 
fages ; fuch is the tender lamentation of 
Joel, fuch is the horrid) death of Benoni: 
but it is too-tragical for the occafion. Je- 
fus, by curing the poffeffed man without 
raifing to life the unfortunate boy, leaves 
a very imperfect impreffion of benevolence, 
and appears, from the whole dialogue, to 
have more at heart the coniict with Satan 
than the fervice to man. 
Satan’s arrival in hell, his reception 
there, the affembly of the fallen angels, 
the refolution to effect the death of God in 
the perlon of Jefus, the proteft of Abba- 
dona, and the difpatch of Satan and Adra- 
melech on the impious errand, conftitute 
the firft truly epic fcene. It is worthy of 
the rival of Milton, and would no doubt 
have formed the incipient fcene, had not 
Milton already begun with a council of 
devils. The vulcanic landfeape of Klop- 
ftock’s hell is wifely confined to natural 
appearances; he builds no hail of fire- 
works, nor dwindles the inherent colcffa- 
lity of his devils; but he aggrandizes the 
nature around to their dimenfions. The 
eruption of a volcano announces the re- 
turn of Satan (whofe arrival is copied 
from Milton’s tenth book), and convenes 
the inmates of the abyfs. 
Like huge iflands upturn from their deep 
feats, 
MonrTHLY Mac, No, 66. 
| Klopftack’s Meffiah. 
425 
Came, loud-rufhing, refiftlefs, the princes of 
darknefs to Satan ; 
Countlefs as billows advancing to break on 
the mountainous fea-fhore, 
Follow’d the rabble of fpirits, thoufands of 
thoufands fucceffive. 
Stalking, they fang of their deeds to endlefs 
infamy fentenc’d, 
Proudly ftriking their fplitten, by thunder 
fplitten, and hoarfe harps, 
Now difhaliow’d, and vocal to death-tones 
only, So mingle 
Yells from the flaughter-field, where perifh 
and murder the wicked, 
Scatter’d abroad by north-windsroaring, that 
ride in the midnight ; 
Echo hears, and aloud more wildly rebellows 
the bellow. 
If Klopfock’s theatre furpaffes, his 
fpeeches fall fhort of Milton’s: they 
abound lefs with arguments and maxims 5 
more with flights of eloguence and writh- 
ings of emotion. ‘They defcribe well the 
excited ftate of mind of the fpeakers; but 
they want drift, tendency to attain an end, 
and rather refemble foliloquies than ad. 
drefies. _Satan’s fpeech is too expanded ; 
the ironical narrative of Chrift’s infancy, 
however, is well placed: Adramelech’s 
fpeech has been enfeebled in the later edi- 
tions; Abbadona’s contains fome fortu- 
nate heroic parody. 
The third book introduces Jefus and 
the twelve difciples, ftrolling at the foos 
of a mountain, furrounded by their feveral 
guardian angels, Selia, a feraph, drops 
abruptly from the fun, and afks from thefe 
angels a delineation of their wards. This 
brings on a formal mufter, of which the 
idea probably originates in the defcription 
of the Grecian chiefs, given by Helen to 
Priam, on the tower of the Sczean gate.. 
But how artificially is the imitation intro- 
duced, how tedioufly executed! ‘Thefe are 
moral portraits of an hiftorian, who {ums 
up the charadter he is interring ; not phy- 
fical creations of a poet, vifible, audible, 
and active. ; 
The fourth bock convenes the Sanhe- 
drim, in which Caiphas, the high-prief, 
and Philo, a pharifee, prefs for appre- 
hending Nicodemus and Gamaliel for to- 
lerating Jefus. Judas is finally intro- 
duced, and his teftimony purchafed by the 
prevailing party. ‘Tis {cene is probably 
the ficeft in the whole work: it has dig- 
nity, purpofe, ftruggle, warmth, and na- 
fure. Vhe orations have loftinefs, va- 
riety, and force; the men are ffronely im. 
pafiioned and charaéteriftically difcrimi- 
nated ; amd the whole tranfaétion Mriétly 
cue belongs 
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