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THE
POETICAJL WORKS
OF
JOHN MILTON,
WITH NOTBa OF VARIOUS ATTTHOIW.
/
i
THE
POETICAL WORKS
OF
JOHN MILTON,
WITH NOTES OF VARIOUS AUTHORS,
Principally from the E^tions of
THOMAS NEAVTON, D.D. CHARLES DUNSTER, M.A.
AND THOMAS WARTON, B.D.
TO WHICH n PRBFIXXD,
NEWTON'S LIFE OF MILTON.
By EDWARD HAWKINS, M.A.
FELLOW OF ORIEL COLLEGE.
VOL. I.
OXFORD,
PRINTED BY JV. BAXTBRy
FOR J. PABKEB; and G. R. WHITTAKEE^ LONDON.
18S4.
\
. «
m
CONTENTS.
VOL. I.
Prefaces
Life of Milton
Milton'^8 Nuncupative Will
C!onunendatory Verses
Paradise Lost, Book I. to VL
PAQB
7
1
CXT
cxxxiii
1—460
VOL- 11.
Paradise Lost, Book VII. to XII.
Postscript, containing an account of Lauder^s
forgeries
1-484
Indexes
885
397
f» S
PREFACE
I. OF THIS EDITION OF MILTOK^S POEMS. II. OF THE LIVES
OF MILTON.
The editions of Milton's poetical works by Dr. New-
ton, afterwards Bishop of Bristol, which have long been
held in general esteem, have been made the basis of
much the greater part of the present publication. His
pre&ces are therefore subjoined ; and the reader is re-
ferred to them for a full account of his design and au-
thorities, and the assistance which he received from
several of his contemporaries. It may be stated gene-
rally, that his purpose was to print the text of Milton
with accuracy from the original editions, and to supply
3uch a body of notes, critical and explanatory, from*
various commentators, as might meet the wi3hes, as far
as possible, of all the different classes of his readers.
And in his edition of the Paradise Lost, Dr. Newton
is admitted to have been very successful in the attain-
ment of this purpose. The Paradise Regained, Sam-
son Agonistes, and Minor Poems, however, he pul^ished
at a subsequent period, when his time was occupied
with more serious pursuits ; and his notes on these
poems are neither so full nor so accurate as those on
8 PREFACE.
the Paradise Lost. It was thought demrabk, accord-
ingly, that some additions should be made in the pre.
sent work to this^ part of the commentary from tlie
editions of Mr. Dunster and Mr. \f acrton, the principal
annotators who followed Dr. Newton.
. The Rev. Charles Dunster, who was formerly of
Trinity CoU^e, Oxford, and died in 1816, Rector of
PetWorth in Susse:^, pubirshed ihe Pdradi^ie Regahidd
in 179^^ with a very copious commentary, in which
he incorporated most of Bishop Newton's notes, with
laige additions of his own. His design however was
similar to Dr« Newton's ; but he appears to have been
more ^miliar than his predecessor with the edrlier
English poets, and has often illustrated bis audl6r with
much success from that quarter. Altogether hd Wad a
man of* taste, and of considerable attainments ifi polite
literature ; but his notes are often extended to a V^<y
disproportionate length ; and although many of them
are introduced into the present publicatiofi, they faavt^
been in eeneral compressed into a much sinallet Cotn-
pass. Mr. Dunster received little assistance 6^cept
£t>m one individual, to whom he acknowledges the
most extensive bbligations ; but the name of this friend,
1 believe, t am not at liberty to communicate to the
public.
In 1785 Milton^s Juvenile Poems were edited by
the itev. T. Warton, whose merits are generally knoWn,
and of whose life and writings indeed an account was
published in 1809, by Dr. Mant, the pfesent Bishop
of Down and Connor. Mr. Warton^s principal object
was to illustrate these poems from Milton^s other writ--
ings, from the older English poetry, and from the popu-*
PREFACE.
laf Mp^i^tildofltt and romances, with whiek Milton was
ilitDiltat, but saanjr of whicb are now forgotten. Aa
tim wat a new line of criticism* and was first sirudc
out, if I mistake not, by Warton himself in his Obsei^
vations upon Spenser, his own account of it is extracted
from his prefiuse, and sulgoined to those of Dr. N^¥*
ton. Another part also of his pieiace is given, con*
taining bis observatioas on Milton's Latin poetry, whicb
he was the first to illustrate with notes, atid most of
these notes are adopted in this edition* Hia arrange-
ment too of die Latin poems has been followed instead
of Dr. Newton^s ; and the Epigrams ix« x. and xi« are
ioaerted fiom Warton's edition. Dr. Newton having
only given the last of them, which he introduced into
the Lift. The portion of Mr. Warton^s preface which
bad not been reprinted contains a lively attempt to
dietch the gradual progress of Milton^s juvenile poems
to cd^ibrity, tin <* the school of Milton rose in emula*
<* tion of the school of Pope :'' but so many inaccu*
raeies have been pointed out in his account by Mr.
Todd and Mr. Godwin, that it did not appear deserv*
ing of repoblication* It appears upon the whole that
these po^ms rose into repute at an earlier period thaa
Mr. Warton supposed.
To the proofs which Warton has adduced of Milton's
flimiiiarity with the works of Joshua Sylvester, the
translator of Du Bartas, a few more might perhaps,
have been added, had I procured a copy of DuostePs
Considerations on Milton^s eeaiy reading, before the
notes were printed. There was much more need of
retrenchment) however, than of additional matter, in
this part of the work ; for although in many of his illus*
10 PREFACE.
trations Warton is extremely successful, he is occa-
sionally seduced into a somewhat ludicrous display of
antiquarian learning, fancying resemblances where none
are visible, and filling whole pages with obsolete au.
thorities for words, some of which were no doubt at that
time, and are even now, in common use and circula-
tion. His notes of this kind are considerably abridged
in the present edition ; but I retain enough or more
than enough of them to gratify the literary antiquary,
and to direct the reader to the fevourite authors of.
Milton's earUer years. Where a parallelism appeared
striking or satis&ctory, and might be supposed to in-
terest the general reader, the passage has been given at
length ; in other cases references are suppUed for the
sake of the few who possess abundance both of curi-
osity and of leisure. A similar principle, indeed, has
been usually observed throughout this publication, ex-
cept in the case of references to Milton's poetical works,
for every reader might be conceived to have these at
hand. Many of Warton's notfes, however, are critical
and explanatory, and they are frequently just and
happy ; but he also runs out into a variety of remarks,
upon Milton's sentiments and character, which are too
often partial and splenetic. His regard for the Poet
has a continual struggle to maintain with his acrimo-
nious dislike of the Puritan and Republican. Warton's
name however ranks sufficiently high to excite some
curiosity about his criticisms and opinions, even when
they are unjust or erroneous. Hence, notwithstanding
the rejection of many of his notes, and the abridgment
of most of them in this edition, it has been intended
that the spirit of his work, as a work, should still be
PREFACE. 11
retained. Many of the faults of bis first edition were
animadverted upon with severity, but with justice, in
an anonymous letter addressed to the Editor in 1785 ;
but he did not avail himself of these remarks, so much
as he might have done, in his second edition of the
Minor Poems, which he left at his death completely
prepared for publication, and which appeared in 1791
with considerable alterations and additions.
Warton had projected an edition of the Paradise Re-
gained' and Samson Agonistes in a separate volume : in
the second impression of his original notes, accordingly,
air those were omitted which he had occasionally intro-
duced on various passages of these poems. ^ Both these
editions were made use of for the present work, and
such of these occasional remarks, as were judged worthy
to be retained, have been inserted in their proper places.
The same plan has of course been observed with respect
to those remarks upon the Paradise Lost also with
•which both Warton^s and Dunster^s commentaries were
interspersed. *
Very few notes have bieen introduced into this edition
from other quarters. The work could scarcely fail to
Be too' volumihous as it was. Now and then, however,
I inserted a parallel passage which occurred to my re-
collection, or adopted an occasional remark from some
writer of distinction. Dr. Symmons^s Life of Milton
supplied a few notes upon the Sonnets, and Liatin
poems ; and it might have ftirnishied me with two or
three more upon other parts of the work, had not these
been' printed before I read his remarks. Sometimes
also translations have been introduced of parallel pas-
sages from authors which had not appeared in a good
19 PREFACE.
English dress in the time of Bbhop Newton. The
excellent translation of Persius, foff instance, by the
Rev. F. Howes, has been made use of for this puipoae.
It was no part of my design to introduce any original
remarks of my own. If I have hazarded a few observi-
ations, they were inserted very sparingly, not only be-
<^use the edition was already swelling to an inconvo*
nient bulk, but because it was originally intended to be
anonymous ; and that idea was not abandoned till the
greater part ot the notds had been printed. For thf^
same reason, and because I desired to combine in this
publication all that would probably have been regarded
by the three principal editors of Milton's poems as
most valuable in their respective editions, it will of
course be understood, that I do not always consider
every illustration important, or assent to every criticismt
which nevertheless I have retained, without expressing
any objection to them. Yaleant quantum valere debent*
And the reader will surely desire to exercise his judg-
ment as well as the Editor. In general indeed it was
a sufficient reason for retaining any notes that they
would be acceptable to some classes of the readers of
Milton. And after all it should not be overlooked,
that no edition upon the plan of Bishop Newton^s can,
from the nature of the case, be universally approved.
It is professedly addressed to the wants and tastes of
various classes of readers ; the same notes cannot be
needed and relished equally by the uneducated and the
scholar, the critic and the antiquary. And the more
popular the subject of a commentary of this kind, the
more unavoidable is this fault, if it is to be called a
&ult, in an edition tiesigned for the public at laige.
PREFACE. 13
But besides selection and cotnpresgioB in the employ-
ment of Wart<m's and Dunster's cofnmentaiies, dnd
the omission of many of their notes upon Shakespeare
and other writers, with whom we were not at present
concerned, Bishop Newton's commentary has not been
printed without several omisdions, and a few alterations.
Some of the notes in his edition h&ve been altogether
discarded ; and in particular the gneatar part of Dr.
Bentley's. I need add nothing to the impartial accomit
which Bishop Newton has given of Bedtley's edition
of the Paradise Lost. But it is almost time that the
errors of so great a critic should be forgotten. Yet, not
to disappoint altc^^ether the curiosity of the reader, a
few of Bentley^s earlier notes have been letalned ; too
many, perhaps, in an age whose morbid appetite for
ridicule and severity needs no additional gratificatioa.
Some of Dr. Pearoe's notes are given, where those
objections of the critic, whiefa they were origiirally de»
ngned to answe*, are omitted ; but they appeared m^
ful as well as ingenious, and others might be misled by
one cause or other, where Bentley was drawn into
ttiistakes by a perverse principle oJf criticism. I have
iiad pleasure in preserving some of Dr. Beadey's re-
marks which were really just and valuable, ^veial of
Mr. SympBon's proposed emendations in tiie notes on
the Paradiie Regained have been discarded, because
th^ were of much the same stamp with Dr. Bentley^s,
I have also omitted some of Bishop Warburton's notes
hi praise of Pope's imitations of Milton, as they seemed
irrelevant, and not very impartial ; and occasionallyt
1>ut very rarely, a note of Dr. Newton's whidi appeared
puerile or incorrect. And a later editor has always tiie
14 PREFACE.
advantage of rejecting notes which his predecessor did
not approve, but yet inserted out of c€»nplaisance to
his correspondents.
But without omitting, or even altering in their
general form, some of the notes in Dr. Newton's edi-
tion, not a little space was gained by merely dropping
the conversational phrases with which it was the fashion
with writeis of that day to give a polite air, as they
imagined, to their comments. The Editor's avowals
also of obligation to others, frequently to ingenious per-
sons who did not wish their names to appear, and of
accidental coincidences in sentiment with one or other
of his correspondents, have. been often discarded. It
was due to his own character that Dr. Newton himself
should specify every particular in which he was indebted
to his coadjutors or former writers ; and it may be well
to remark, that in this point he seems to have, been
scrupulously faithful, since Warton, who often flings
about his sarcasms with a wanton carelessness, has
insinuated something to the contraiy.
These omissions and alterations, however, have not
been so numerous, but that the public is still presented
with fer the greater part of Dr. Newton's commentary.
Addison's critique upon the Paradise Lost, Dr.
Newton prefixed to his edition, as a separate Essay,
with the omission only of a few remarks which could
be easily detached from the rest, and which he inserted
under the passages to which they applied. These re-
marks have been generally retained, but the criticism
itself, which is in every body's hands, has been omitted.
It is contained, I need scarcely observe, in the Satur-
day's papers in the Spectator, from No. 267. to No. 369.
' PREFACE. 15
I purposely abstained, indeed, from introducing into
this edition any of the detached criticisms upon Milton's
poems which are to be met with in our Essayists or
philological writers, (in the works of Monboddo and
Blair^ for instance, in the Tattler, Rambler, and Ob-
server,) as I conceived that most readers would have
greater pleasure in reading them in their original, situa-
tions ias opportunities presented them. Johnson's
criticism on Milton's poetical works, annexed to his
Life of Milton^ may also be regarded as a separate
Essay; but whoever desires a complete enumeration of
all the occasional works of this kind, will find it in the
ample list of editions, translations, and commentaries,
appended to Mr. Todd's Life of Milton.
, ' As this edition is founded to so great an extent upon
Dr. l^ewton's, the notes which have no signature will
be understood to be his ; with the exception only of
those, upon Milton's Nuncupative Will, which Warton
first published, and those upon the Latin Poems, which)
as was observed before, are almost all from the pen of
IMr. Warton. My own notes or references are signed
with the letter E; all the others, whether introduced
for the first time in this edition, or adopted fi'om those
already mentioned, bear the signatures of their respective
writers.
, The text and punctuation, except in a very few cases
Which are accounted for in the notes, are given from
Newton's edition. But the spelling is modernized in
conformity with the practice of Mr. Ellis, Dr. Nott,
and the most approved editors of the popular works
of our earlier . writers. And their pmctice has been
defended by reasons too well known to need repetition
16 PREFACE.
here. Dr. Newton ^eems to have considered, that be
printed the poemB according to the spelling approved
by Milton himself; but in this he appears to have been
often mistaken. Milton, however, did not always ob^
serve the same mode of spelling ; although with regard
to some particular words he seems to have laid down '
fi>r hinnelf certain principles of orthography, which he
caused to be exactly regarded even in the editions of
hfs works printed when he had become blind. (See
Richardson^ s Remarks^ p. cxxvii^-^-cxxxviii*) As Dr.
Newton's notices, however, of these peculiarities wape
intentionally retained, the Corrector of the press con-
ceived that the spelling of these words in the text also
should not be modernized like that of the rest. So
minute a circumstance might have been left unnoticed ;
but it afibrds me an opportunity of stating, that although
my x>wn avocations prevented ray dischai^ing this part
of an Editor's duty, the task was devolved upon much
more experienced hands, and the public is probably a
gainer by the circumstance.
It was not thought necessary to give any other verbal
Index than that of Cruden, which Dr. Newton printed
at the end of his edition of the Paradise Lost. The
ether Indexes are also printed from Dr. Newton's
editions.
Although a work of so unpretending a character as
tiiis cannot be put in competition with Mr. Todd's
edition of Milton's Poems, yet as both editions procejed
to a certain extent upon the same plan, and are built
in great measure upon the same foundations, I had no
right to take advantage of his labours. The present
commentary therefore was formed without any reference
PREFACE. 17
to bis; but as I took occasion, when the greater part
of it was completed, to examine the corresponding
portions of his work, I can bear testimony to his great
industry and accuracy. Many of his additional notes
also are learned and sensible, and would no doubt have
been acceptable to the public, if I could with propriety
have adopted them, and if the present edition had not
been too voluminous without them. The only use^
however, which I was entitled to make of his edition
was in two or three places, where I had treated some
subjects concisely, to refer my readers who desired
fuller information to his preliminary Essays. His Life
of Milton, since it had been published in 1809 as a se«
parate work, I was of course at liberty to consult freely.
Upon comparing Newton^ s Life of Milton with the
previous authorities, and with the various lives which
have since appeared, it seemed sufficiently good to be
reprinted. It is, indeed, faithfully built upon the best
authorities, with very few and trifling inaccuracies, and
comprises almost all the information which we possess
on the subject ; as a composition it is simple and un-^
pretending, but not unpleasing ; and perhaps in the good
sense and impartiality with which it treats of Milton^s
character and sentiments it is not inferior to any of the
Jives of this eminent man which are yet extant. It was
not without concern that I found it necessary to injure
Ae general effect of Bishop Newton^s performance by
subjoining a considerable body of miscellaneous notes,
not always in harmony with the Life either in style or
substance. But the growing curiosity of the public on
this subject, and the disputes which have arisen since
VOL. I. b
18 PREFACE.
the time of Bishop Newton on some minor points of
Milton's life, appeared to call for some additional ob-
servations, which were, however, of too heterogeneous
a character to be thrown together into an Appendix.
In a word, I was desirous to state that there was no
point of any interest connected with Milton, which was
not touched upon, or at least referred to, either in the
Life itself or in the notes; and I examined for this pun-
pose nearly all the numerous Lives of Milton. Mr.
Warton collected a great variety of curious collateral
information, but relating rather to Milton's friends than
to the Poet himself; on which account, not to break
the thread of Bishop Newton's narrative unnecessarily,
Warton's notes of this description have been left, as
they were, attached to the minor poems; and references
only to them subjoined to the Life. A few particulars
also respecting Milton's life have been added in th^
notes from his Prose Works ; for the reader would be
pleased in some instances, especially where these pas-
sages were more ample than Newton's text, or differed in
any respect from it, to hear Milton speaking for himself.
And, lastly, Milion^s Nuncupative Wiii, which Mr.
Warton was the means of bringing to light after it had
been forgotten for above a century, is adopted from his
edition, and annexed to the Life ; as it is a great curi-
osity, and discovers some particulars in Milton's man-
ners and circumstances which wete before unknown.
The immediate purpose of the Prefece is sufficiently
answered by the preceding statement of what has, and
what has not, been done in the present edition. But
the Lives of Milton are become so numerous, and have
PREFACE. 19
been ccHnposed upon niicb different principles, that a
brief aconint of them may not be without its use. It
may also gratify some of Milton^s admirers, who may
not have leisure to wade through his Prose- writings, to
be furnished with a list of references to the principal
parts in them which relate to his personal history, feel-
ings, and appearance/ From the continual references,
indeed, which some of his biographers have given to
these passages, an inattentive reader may imagine them
to be much more numerous than they really are ; but
the following are all the most interesting and most con*
mderable of the kind. I refer to Dr. Birches edition of
the Proae Works, in 4to. 1743.
The pre&ce to the second book of the Reason of
Church Governmenii vol. i. p. 60 — 65, declares Mil-
too^s dislike of controversy, and his sense of the neces-
sity laid upon him to engage in it ; and it contains his
fimious promise of some great work, in English and in
verse, at some Aiture period* In the Apology for
Sw$ecttffmmus9 vol. i. p. 114 — 119* ('' Thus having
^* spent — ^needless hearing,'^) he repels the calumnies
thrown out against him of having led a riotous youth,
and having been expelled from the University, and gives
a general account of his studies from his youth upwards,
and of his early love o( chastity and virtue. In these
two passages traces of the author of Comus, of Samson
Agonistes, of Paradise Rained, and Paradise Lost,
may easily be discovered. Some lofty thoughts respect-
ing his style and his hopes are scattered in the Preface,
and in the Postscript to the Judgment oj* Martin Bucer
concerning Divorce^ vol. i. p. S36, p. S399 and p. Sd6,
and in the Dedication prefixed to Tetrachordon^ p.
hi
90 PREFACE.
i5S — 969. In the conclusion of his Reply io an
answer against the doctrine and discipline of Divorce^
p. 339} 340, he accounts in some measure for his se*
'verity against a mean adversary, and declares his willing-
ness to listen to any candid and serious objector. In the
Dejensio Secunda^ vol. ii. p. 365 — 368, he gives rea-
sons for his not having taken up arms widi the repub-
lican party against the King, and glories in his writings
in the cause of liberty; p. 373 — 377? (Veniamus nunc
ad mea crimina— <;ondonare) he describes his personal
appearance, and states his reflections upon his blindness.
From p. 383, to p. 386, (Nunc quoniam iste — ultr6
nominarent,) we have a concise history of his life and
works to the period of his reply to Salmasius ; and p.
393, 394» (me interim — ^fecerit) an account of the re-
ception which his Defensio pro Populo Anglicano met
with abroad and at home. Th^se passages, together
with his Letters to his friends^ particularly those to
C. Deodati, H. Oldenburgh, P. Heimbach, and L.
Philaras, exhibit almost all the materials for his personal
history which his Prose Works contain.
And of these passages, as well as of a few hints of
the same kind to be found in his poems, his biogra-
phers have made ample use .; but not always, it may be
observed, with sufficient discrimination. Where facts
are concerned, Milton^s reports of them may no doubt
be safely followed, fo.r he did not want enemies enough
to detect a misstatement. But his biographers not un-
frequently forget that the language of a poet, especially
of a youthful poet, is not a very safe criterion of the
sentiments of the man ; and forget, what is still more
important, that the character and sentiments of a man
PREFACE. SI
who thinks for himself, as Milton assuredly did, by no
means remain the same for sixty years, and must not
be determined in a general way from the language even
of bis prose writings at some particular period. The
interest, for example, of his System of Divinity, which
Mr. Sumner is about to present to the world, will
g^reatly depend upon the period of Milton's life to which
It is to be assigned. (See note a, p. Ixxxii.)
Of the relative value and authority of the various
Lives of Milton some idea may be formed from the
following account; and it is given in a chronological
order down to the period when any accession of original
information concerning him ceased to be probable.
A. Wood J in 1691, laid the foundation of all the
Lives of Milton in his Fasti Oxonienses for the year
1636; (fol. 880. ed. 169L or part i. fol.480. ed. Bliss,
1815.) Wood was evidently strongly prejudiced against
Milton, but he gives a pretty accurate outline of his
history, partly drawn, as it should seem, from the De-
fensio Secunda, partly fix>m some sources of which I
am not aware, and in part from the notes of, his friend
Aubrey 9 who derived his account from Milton's brother
and nephew, and from his own personal acquaintance
with the Poet. Aubrey's notes have lately been printed,
from the original preserved in the Ashmolean collection,
in the second volume of the Letters from the Bodleiany
and in the Appendix to Godwin's Lives of E. and J.
Philips. They will still be read as a literary curiosity ;
and they even supplied me with one or two additional
particulars for this edition, but nearly every thing de-
serving of notice had been extracted from them before.
I call Wood's the earliest Life of Milton : for £.
i 3 .
M PREFACE.
Philips'e notice of MiltoQ in bis Theatrum Poetarum^
1675, is extremely slight and superficial, and Lang-
baine^s account, written in 1691, is unworthy of notice.
There is said to be a copy of Langbaine with MS. notes
by Oldys preserved in the British Museum, to which
reference is sometimes made; these notes I have not
seen, but I made some slight use of some notes by
Oldys in Malone^s copy of Langbaine, which is now
in the Bodleian Library. But in l69^, lE. Philips^
the eldest of Milton^s nephews, prefixed an interesting
account of his uncle's life to an English translation of
Milton's State Letters. It was published indeed with-
out the name of the author, but it appeared to be writ-
ten by Philips according to a note in the copy which
Dr. Birch made use of, and which Philips himself had
given to a friend of his, and Mr. Godwin remarks that
Toland ascribed it to the elder Philips whilst his brother
was still living. This account of Milton's life, how-
ever, is often inaccurate, apparently from the careless*
ness of the writer, who was an author by profession ;
and it does not afford so many particulars of Milton's
private life as might have been expected from one who
knew him so intimately. Bishop Newton has incorpo-
rated in his Life of Milton almost every thing that is
most valuable in Philips, and usually in the very words
of the author. Toland^ in 1698, published Milton^
Prose Works with a Life of the author, in which he
attempted to do more ample justice to his subject than
it had hitherto received. He professed to derive his
information from Milton's own writings, from a person
who had been his amanuensis, from his daughter, and
a letter written by his widow, from the papers of one
I
PREFACE. 86
of his nephews, and conversation with the other, and
with such of Milton's acquaintance as could then be
discovered. Toland was the first who endeavoured to
illustrate Milton's character and sentiments by extracts
from his Prose Works. His own dislike of the Church
and the Clergy, indeed, led him to select some passage^
against them and against the Litui^y, full of sophistry,
coarseness, and spleen ; but upon the whole Toland's
Life was calculated to give a more just idea of Milton
than had hitherto been published. And both this pub-
lication and that of Philips jvere rendered more valuable
in the first instance by the insertion of some of Milton's
Sonnets not before published. Toland's Life was re-
printed separately in 1699 ; and again, by the care of
Mr. T. HoUis, in 1761. Bayle in the first edition of
bis Historical and Critical Dictionary published a short,
and caustic, but very inaccurate account of Milton's
life ; but this was enlarged in ^he second edition with a
supplement and various notes taken professedly from
Toland^s Life of Miltx)n, though there are a few satirical
-touches from the pen of Bayle. himself. There wafs
also ao abstract of Milton's life in the journal of M. de
Beauval for Feb. 1699) but this I have not seen.
Elijah FentoUy in 1736:, published his well-known and
elegant sketch of Milton's Life ; it is clear, sensible,
^nd candid, but is chiefly founded upon Tola^di and
adds little or nothing to the stock of information coi^
ceming Milton. In 1794* the elder Richardson pub-
lished some interesting Remarks oh the Life of Milton,
passing rapidly .over the facts, but dwelling minutely
-upon his diaracter and manners^ which he illustrated
by all the anecdotes he could collect, and by numerous
64
94 PREFACE.
quotations from Milton^s Proee Works. Toland for
the most part selects passages to exhibit MiltOD^s re-
ligious and political sentiments, Richardson to delineate
his personal history and feelings, his private rather than
his public character ; and together they exhibit almost
all the passages of either description which appear in
the later biographers. Roili^ in the following year,
prefixed to his translation of the Paradise Loet into
Italian verse a respectable account of Milton^s Life.
He drew upon no new resources indeed, and gave no
new information, but his observations are his own, and
some of them ingenious. And this Life as well as
Bayle^s derives an interest from the circumstance that
the writer was a foreigner. Dr. Birch, however, who
gave an account of Milton in the General Dictionary,
and again with his edition of the Prose Works in 1738,
added a little to the information already extant, from
his own acquaintance with Milton^s widow, and fW>m
Professor Ward^s conversations with Milton^s daugh*
ter, Mrs. Clarke. These Lives indeed I have not ex-
amined, because Dr. Birch afterwards published an-
other with his second edition of the Prose Works in
1753, and this is one of the most complete and accurate
accounts at present extant ; it may not be written in a
very engaging style perhaps, but it is sensible and im-
partial, and has the merit of specifying minutely his
authority for every circumstance. Peck^s New Life
of Milton, in 1740, contains very little, if any, original
information concerning Milton^s life, being chiefly oc-
cupied with critiques upon his poems. It gives indeed
some curious particulars about books, editions, pic-
tures, &c. but Warton^s notes contain every thing that
PREFACE. 95
is valuable of this kind ; and Peck does not appear a
person whose authority is to be followed implicitly.
From all the most considerable of his predecessors,
Bp. Newton introduced into his narrative nearly every
thing that was most deserving of notice. And it will
have already appeared, that the lives by Wood, Philips,
Toland, Richardson, and Birch, (with the addition in-
deed of one or two circumstances from Elwood's ac-
count of his own life, and from Kenneths Historical
Register,] and some passages in Milton^s works, which
would undoubtedly have been contradicted at the time,
had they been incorrect, furnish all the authentic
materials for the Life of Milton. Bp. Newton indeed
conversed with Mrs. Foster, the grand-daughter of
Milton, who was alive till 17<34; but her information
was exceedingly inaccurate ; and Milton's last surviv*
ing daughter died in 17979 and his widow in 1730.
With the latter indeed the author of the accurate Life
of Milton in the Biographia Briiannica (A.D. 1760,)
professes to have been acquainted; but this account
so much resembles the Life by Dr. Birch, that it might
almost pass for his production, if the severe remarks on
Milton's character in several of the notes did not in-
dicate a different hand.
From this period, at any rate, we have only to ex-
pect that species of novelty in the accounts of Milton's
life, which will continually result from the different
points of view in which his works and character will
be regarded by men of various feelings and parties.
' Johnsor^s Life of Milton is sufficiently novel from this
cause. It cannot indeed be denied that he supplies
several observations not less just than forcible ; but he
96 PREFACE.
is sometimes sophistical) usually bamh and caustic;
praise seems extorted from him ; and bis view of M iU
ton^s character is upon the whole prejudiced and
unjust. His account will always be read^ however,
not only for its own merits, such as they are, but be-
cause scarcely any succeeding Life is without allusions
to it. The edition of the Lives of the Poets, publi^ed
in 1794, supplied me with one or two useful notes
upon the Life of Milton. An anonymous writer,
usually understood to be Archdeacon Blackbume,
wrote his Remarks professedly upon the Life by John*
son ; and although they are full of asperity, and written
ad bominem, yet they frequently disprove Johnson^s
attacks acutely and thoroughly. . Mr. Hay ley is ex-
ceedingly anxious also to advocate Milton^s cause, but
IS not a little perplexed in his endeavours to eulogize
at once both the poet and his biographer. Hayley^s
mind, indeed, was not sufficiently poweriiil to enable
him .to decide on Miiton^s character either as a man
or as a poet; yet there is some elegance amidst his
feebleness, and his remarks are not unfrequently just
and candid. Dr. Symmons certainly regarded neither
Johnson nor Warton with any fevour, and in his zeal
for Milton's reputation attacks both these writers with
merciless severitv. His admiration for Milton's cha-
racter indeed scarcely knows any bounds ; his unwil<-
lingness to censure, equals Johnson's reluctance to
praise, him ; and though the latter is undoubt^ly the
more ungracious feult of the two, still both detract firom
the impartiality of just biography* In his criticisms
upon Milton's works, Dr. Symmons appears to write
with more candour and discrimination; occasionally
f
PREFACE. 97
dso he oaa Mtice calmly the weak points in hie au*
thor's character and sentiments ; and his work upon
the whole, not to speak of some very prominent faults
ID its style as well as its general execution, will not be
consulted without advantage by those who have been
chiefly conversant with unfavourable portraits of Mil*
ton. Mr. TodtPs Accouta of Miltofi^s Life and
Writings is a very unassuming performance, but evi-
dently drawn up with his usual industiy and fidelity.
His industry however, as there was in ^t nothing
new to be discovered respecting Milton himself, has
tempted him to indulge too frequently in the insertions
of curious but irrelevant matter. Mr. Godwin pro-
fesses to have written his Lives of E. and J. Philips^
the nq>hews of Milton, with a constant view to the
illustration of Milton^s character, and now and then he
throws a little, and but a little, new light upon it. It
may be as wdl to mention, that his Appendix contains
a reprint of PhiUps^s Life of Milton, as the original
publication is not very easily procured.
With the exception of the articles already noticed in
biographical Dictionaries, I have met with no others
which need be particularly described. Those in the
French works of this kind appear to be for the most
part derived from Toland through Bayle. There are
several independent and sensible accounts in the
English biographical works ; but it was not to be ex-
pected that they should add any thing to the stock of
information of which the public was already possessed.
The most ample of these is the Life in Rees's Ency-
clopaedia, but it IS evidently an echo of the life by
Dr. Symmons.
28 PREFACE.
Most of the preceding Lives have su{^lied me with
some little particular or other which the tastes of dif-
ferent readers might desire to be subjoined to Bp.
Newton's Life; and their relative value will sufficiently
appear from the preceding list of Milton's biographers.
And if some of these notes should seem to be at vari-
ance with this account of their authors, it will be un-
derstood that they were often selected for this very
reason. A sentence of praise, for instance, irom John-
son, or of censure from Dr. Symmons, carries with it
peculiar weight on account of the bias of these writers
in the opposite direction.
A comparison of several Lives of Milton is necessary
perhaps after all for those who would form a just esti-
mate of his character and principles. A masterly de-
lineation of them, as well as a complete and impartial
review of his works, especially his prose writings, may
be regarded as even now a desideratum in English
literature. Few subjects would in fact require so con-
siderable a range of knowledge, united with so much
sound judgment and candour : and if such a review of
his works and character appeared, it may yet be
doubted whether it would pi^sently secure a wide and
general approbation. As for the dates and ftcts, even
to the minuter incidents, of Milton's personal history,
they have long since been determined with all the
accuracy which the nature of the subject admits or
requires.
E. H.
Oriel CoUege, Nov. 9, 1824.
DR. NEWTON S PREFACES.
I. PREFACE TO THE EDITION OF THE PARADISE
LOST, A.D. 1749.
1 0 publish new and correct editions of the works of
approved authors has ever been esteemed a service to
learning, and an employment worthy of men of learn-
ing. It is not material whether the author is ancient or
modern. Good criticism is the same in all languages.
Nay I know not whether there is not greater merit in
cultivating our own language than any other. And cer-
tainly next to a good writer, a good critic holds the second
rank in the republic of letters. And if the pious and
learned Bishop of Thessalonica has gained immortal
honour by his notes upon Homer, it can be no dis-
credit to a graver Divine than myself to comment upon
such a divine poem as the Paradise Lost, especially
after some great men, who have gone before me in this
exercise, and whose example is sanction sufficient.
My design in the present edition is to publish the
Paradise Lost, as the work of a classic author cum notis
variorum. In ordeir to this end, the first care has been
to print the text correctly according to Milton^s own
editions. And herein the editors of Milton have a
considerable advantage over the editors of Shakespeare.
For the first editions of Shakespeare's works being
30 PREFACE.
printed from the incorrect copies of the players, there
is more room left for conjectures and emendations ;
and as according to the old proverb,
Bene qui oonjiciet vatem hune perhibebo optimum,
the best guesser was the best diviner, so he may be said
in some measure too to be the best editor of Shake-
speare, as Mr. Warborton hath proved himself by
variety of conjectures, and many of them very happy
ones, upon the most difficult passs^es. But we who
undertake to publish Milton's Paradise Lost are not
reduced to that uncertainty ; we are not left floating in
the wide ocean of conjecture, but have a chart and
compass to steer by; we have an authentic copy to
follow in the two editions printed in his own lifetime,
and have only to correct what may be supposed to be
the errors of the press, or mistakes occasioned by the
author's blindness. These two editions then, the first
in ten books printed in a small quarto, and the second
in twelve books printed in a small octavo, are proposed
as our standard : the variations in each are noted ; and
we never deviate from them both without assigning, as
we think, a substsmtial reason for it. Some alterations
indeed are necessary to be made in consequence of the
late improvements in printing, with regard to the use of
capital letters, Italic characters, and the spelling of
some words: but to Milton's own spelling (for we
must distinguish between his and diat of his times) we
pay all proper regard, and commonly note where it is
right, and where it is wrong; and follow it or not
accordingly. His pointing too we generally observe,
because it is generally right; such was the care, that
PREFACE. 31
Milton himdetf took in having the proof-sheets read to
him, or his friends took for him: and changes of con-
sequence we make none without signifying the
reasons; in lesser instances there is no ooeanon to be
particular. In a word, we approve of the two first
editions in the main, though we camiot think that they
ought to be followed (as some have advised) letter for
letter, and point for point. We desire to transcribe all
their excellencies, but have no notion of perpetuating
their fiiults and errors.
When the text was settled, the notes came next
under consideration. P. H. or Patrick Hume, as he
was the first, so is the most copious annotator. He
laid the foundation, but he laid it among infinite heaps
of rubbish. The greater part of his work is a dull
dictionary of the most common words, a tedious fiiidel
of the most trivial observations, explaining what re^
quires no explanation: but take away what is super*^
fluous, and there will still remain a great deal that is
usefiil ; there is gold among his dross, and I have been
careful to separate the one from the other. It was
recommended to me indeed to print entire Mr. Addison^s
Spectators upon the Paradise Lost, as ingenious essays
which had contributed greatly to the reputation of the
poem, and having been added to several editions they
could not well be omitted in this edition : and accord-
ingly those papers, which treat of the poem in general,
aie prefixed in the nature of a preliminary discourse ^
and those, which are written^ upon each book separatdy,
are inserted under each book, and interwoven in tberr
proper places. Dr. Bentley's is a great name in criti-
cism, but be has not acquired any additional honour by
32 PREFACE,
his new edition of the Paradise Lost. Nay some liave
been so far prejudiced as to think, that he could not be
a good critic in any language, who bad shown himself
so injudicious an one in his own mother-tongue. But
prejudice apart, he was a very great man, of parts
inferior to few, of learning superior to most men ; and
he has made some very judicious and useful remarks
upon the Paradise Lost, though in the general they
may rather be called the dotages of Dr. Bentley'. He
was more sagacious in finding faults, than happy in
mending them; and if he had confined himself only to
the former, he might have had better success; but
when be attempted the latter, and substituted verses of
his own in the room of Milton's, he commonly made
most miserable bungling work, being no poet himself,
and having little or no taste of poetry. Dr. Pearce,
the present Lord Bishop of Rochester, has distinguished
bis taste and judgment in choosing always the best
authors for the subjects of his criticism, as Cicero and
Longinus among the ancients, and Milton among the
moderns. His Review of the Text of the Paradise
Lost is not only a most complete answer to Dr. Bentley,
but may serve as a pattern to all future critics, of sound
learning and just reasoning joined with the greatest
candour and gentleness of manners. The whole is very
well worthy of the perusal of every lover and admirer
of Milton, but such parts only are ingraffed into this
work as are ibore immediately proper for our design,
and explain some difficulty, or illustrate some beauty, of
our author. His Lordship together with my Lord
Bath first engaged me in this undertaking, and he has
kindly assisted me in it fitim the b^inning to the end ;
PREFACE. 35
aad I cannot but entertain the better hopes of the
public approbation, as these sheets, long before they
went to the press, were perused and corrected by his
Lordship. Of Mr. Kichardson^s notes it must be said
that there are strange inequalities in them, some ex*
travagances, and many excellencies ; there is often better
sense than grammar or English ; aad he sometimes hits
the true meaning of the author surprisingly, and ex-
plains it properly. He had good natural parts but
without erudition or learning, in which he was assisted
by his son, who is a man of taste and literature, as
well as of the greatest benevolence and goodnature.
Mr.. Warburton likewise has published some remarks
upon the Paradise Lost, occasioned chiefly by Dr*
Bentley^s edition. They were printed some years ago
in the History of the Works of the Learned, and he
allowed me the free use of them: but upon looking
into the History of the Works of the Learned, to my
r^ret I found that his remarks were continued no
iarther than the three first books, and what is Become
of his other papers, and how they were mislaid and
lost, neither he nor I can apprehend ; but the excel-
lence of those which remain sufficiently evinces the
great loss that we have sustained in the others, which
cannot now be recovered. He has done me the honour
too of recommending this edition to the public in the
preface to his Shakespeare, but nothing could have re-
commended it more effectually than if it had l)een
adorned by some more of his notes and observations.
There is a pamphlet entitled An Essay upon Milton^s
imitations of the Ancients, said to be written by a
Gentleman of North Britain : and there is another
VOL. I. c .
3* PREFACE.
entitled Letters concerning pcMSttcal translations, and
VirgiPs and Milton^s arts of verse, commonly ascribed
to Mr. Auditor Benson: and of both these I have
made some use, as I ha?e likewise of the learned Mr.
Upton s Critical Observations on Shakespeare, wherein
lie has occasionally interspersed some lemarks upon
Milton; and in sbort, like the bee, I have been stu-
dious of gathering sweets wherever I could find them
growing.
But besides the flower of those which have been
already published^ here are several new observations
offered to the world, both of others and my own. Dr.
Heylin lent me die use of his manuscript remarks, but
much the greater part of them had been rifled before by
Dr. Bentley. It seems Dr. Heylin had once an in-
tention of publishii^ a new edition of die Paradise
Lost, and mentioned his design to Dr. Bentley: but
Dr. Bentley declaring at the same time his resolution of
doing it. Dr. Heylin modestly desisted, and freely
communicated whai observations he had made to Dr.
Bentley. And what does Dr. Bentley do ? Why, he
borrows the best and most plausible of his notes fix>iii
Dr. Heylin, publishes them as his own, and never has
the gratitude to make any acknowledgment, or so much
as any mention of his benefactor. I am obliged too to
Mr. Jortin for some remarks, which he conveyed to
me by the hands of Dn Pearce. They are chiefly
upon Milton's imitations of the Ancients; but every
thing that proceeds from him is of value, whether in
poetry, criticism, or divinity, as appears froip his Lusus
Poetici, his Miscellaneous Observations upon authors,
and his Discourses concerning the truth of the Chris-
PREFACE. 35
tiaa Reiigion. Besides those already mentioned, Mr.
Warburton has favoured me with a few other notes in
manuscript; I wish there had been more of them for
tile sake of the reada^, for the loose bints of such
writers, liice the slight sketches of great masters in
paintings are worth more than the laboured pieces of
others. And he very kindly lent me Mr. Pope^s
Milton of Bentley^s edition, wherein Mr. Pope had all
along with his own hand set some mark of approbation,
rect^ beh^, pulchr^, &c. in the margin over*against
such emendations of the Doctor's, as seemed to him
just and reasonable. It was a satisfaction to see what
so great a genius thought particularly of that edition,
and he appears throughout the whole to have been a
very candid reader, and to have approved of more than
really merits approbation. Mr. Richardson the father
has said in his preface, that his son had a very copious
collection of fine passages out of ancient arid modem
authors, by which Milton bad profited; and this col-
lection, which is written in the margin and between the
lines of Mr. Hume's annotations, Mr. Richardson the
son has put into my hands. Some little use I have
made of it ; and it might have been of greater service,
and have saved me some trouble, if I had not then
almost completed this work. Mr. Thyer, the Librarian
at Manchester, I have not the pleasure of knowing
personally, but by his writings I am convinced that
he must be a man of great learning, and as great
humanity. It was late before I was informed that he
had written any remarks upon the Paradise Lost, but
he was very ready to communicate them, and for the
greater despatch sent me his interleaved Milton wherein
c 2
56 PREFACE.
his remarks were written: but unluckily for him, for
me, and for the public, the book through the negligence
of the carrier was dropped upon the road, and cannot
since be found. Mr. Thyer however hath had the
goodness to endeavour to repair the loss to me and to
the public, by writing what he could recollect, and
sending me a sheet or two full of remarks almost every
post for several weeks together: and though several of
them came too late to be inserted into the body of the
work, yet they will be found in the AppendixS which
is made for the sake of them principally. It is un-
necessary to say any thing in their commendation:
they will sufficiently recommend themselves. Some
other assistance too I have received from persons,
whose names are unknown, and others, whose names I
am not at liberty to mention : but I hope the Speaker
of the House of Commons will pardon my ambition to
have it known, that he has been pleased to suggest
some useful hints and observations, when I have been
admitted to the honour of his conversation.
As the notes are of various authors, so they are of
various kinds, critical and explanatory; some to correct
the errors of former editions, to discuss the various read-
ings, and to establish the true genuine text of Milton ;
some to illustrate the sense and meaning, to point out
the beauties and defects of sentiment and character,
and to commend or censure the conduct of the poem ;
some to remark the peculiarities of style and language,
to clear the syntax, and to explain the uncommon
words, or common words used in an uncommon signi-
* In this edition they are inserted in their proper places.
PREFACE. 37
ficatioD ; some to consider and examine the numbers,
and to display our author^s great arts of versification,
the variety of the pauses, and the adaptness' of the
sound to the sense ; some to shew his imitations and
allusions to other authors, whether sacred or profane,
ancient or modem. We might have been much larger
and more copious under each of these heads, and espe*
cially under the last : but I would not produce every
thing that hath any similitude and jesemblance, but
only such passages as we may suppose the author
really alluded to, and had in mind at the time of
writing. It was once my intention to prefix some
essays to this work, one upon Milton's style, another
upon his versification, a third upon his imitations, &c ;
but upon more mature deliberation I concluded that
the same things would have a better effect in the form
of short notes, when the particular passages referred to
came immediately under consideration, and the context
lay before the reader. There would have been more of
the pomp and ostentation of criticism in the former, but
I conceive there is more real use and advantage in the
latter. It is the great fault of commentators, that they
are apt to be silent or at most very concise where there
18 any difficulty, and to be very prolix and tedious
where there is none : but it is hoped that the contrary
method has been taken here ; and though more may be
said than is requisite for critics and scholars, yet it may
be no more than is necessary or proper for other readers
of Milton. For these notes are intended for general
use, and if they are received with general approbation,
that will be sufficient. I can hardly expect that any
c3
40 PREFACE.
ll. PREFACE TO THE PARADISE REGAINED, SAMSON
AGONISTES, AND MINOR POEMS.
It hath been recommended to me by some great per-
sons, as well as by several friends, to complete the
edition of Milton's poetical works: for though the
Paradise Lost be the flower of epic poesy, and the
noblest effort of genius ; yet here are other poems
which are no less excellent in their kind, and if they
have not that sublimity and majesty, are at least equally
beautiful and pleasing to the imagination. And the
same method that was taken in the publication of the
Paradise Lost, is pursued in this edition of the Para-
dise Regained and other poems, first to exhibit the
true and genuine text according to Milton's own.edi-
tions, and then to illustrate it with notes, critical and
explanatory, of various authors. Of the Paradise Re-
gained and Samson Agonistes there was only one edi-
tion in Milton's lifetime, in the year 1671 ; and thid
we have made our standard, correcting only what the
author himself would have corrected. Dr. Bentley
pronounces it to be without faults, but there is a large
table of errata at the end, which instead of being
emended have rather been augmented in the following
editions, and were never corrected in any edition that
I have seen before the present. Of the other poems
there were two editions in Milton's lifetime, the first in
1645, before he was blind, and the other with some
additions in 1673. Of the Mask there was likewise
an edition published by Mr. Henry Lawes in 1 637 :
and of the Mask and several other poems there are ex-
tant copies in Milton's own hand-writing, preserved
PREFACE. 41
ID the library of Trinity College in Cambridge : and all
these copies and editions have been caiefully collated
and compared together, the differences and variations
are noted, and even the Poet^s corrections and alter-
ations in his manuscript are specified for the satisfaction
of the curious critical reader. The manuscript indeed
hath been of singular service in rectifying several pas-
sages, and especially in the Sonnets, some of which
were not printed rill many years after Milton^s. death,
and were then printed imperfect and deficient both in
sense and metre, but are now by the help of the manu-
script restored to their just harmony and original per-
fection. From the manuscript too we have given the
plan of Paradise Lost, as Milton first designed it, in
the form of a tragedy, and likewise the subjects which
he had sketched out for other tragedies, whethier with
an intention ever to finish them or not we cannot be
certain. They were printed before in the Historical
and Critical Life of Milton prefixed to his prose works
by the learned and ingenious Mr. Birch, who is con-
tinually adding something new to the stock of learning;
but it was judged proper to reprint them from the mar
nuscript in this edition, as they bear a nearer relation
to the author's poetical works *.
The notes, as upon the Paradise Lost, so likewise
upon the Paradise Regained and other poems, are of
various authors and of various kinds : but these, ex-
cepting only a few, were never printed before^ and
have therefore novelty to recommend them, as well as
some names of the first rank and gr^test eminence
in the republic of letters. The truth of my assertion
^ They are given in vol. iii. p. 329^ of this edition. £.
48 PREFACE.
will be fully justified by mehtioniog only the Hame9
of Mr. Warburton and Mr. Jortin, who while they
are employed in writing the most learned and elaborate
defences of religion, yet find leisure to cultivate the
politer arts, and to promote and improve both in them-
selves and others a classical taste of the finest authors ;
and whatever may be the success, I cap never repent
of having engaged in this undertaking, which hath
given me so many convincing proofe of their friendship
and kindness, and at the same time hath happily coo-
joined (what perhaps might never else have been joined
together) my studies and my name with theirs. I am
equally obliged too to Mr. Thyer for the continuation
of his friendly assistance; and the reader will find the
same good sense, and learning, and ingenuity in these,
as in his former remarks upon the Paradise Lost. And
now he bath gone through Milton's poetical works, I
hope he will do the same justice to another of our
greatest English poets, and gratify the public with a
complete edition of Spenser's works, or at least with
his equally learned, equally elegant observations upon
them. I would not be understood by this to disparage
in the least Mr. Upton^s intended edition, or Mr.
Sympson's, who is my friend, and hath kindly assisted
me in this edition, as well as in that of the Paradise
Lost. Mr. Upton is certainly a man of great learning,
and so likewise is Mr. Sympson, and particularly well
read in our old English authors, as appears from his
share in the late excellent edition of Beaumont's and
Fletcher's works: but I know no man, who hath a
juster and more delicate taste of the beauties of an
author than Mr. Thyer, or is a greater master of the
Italian language and Italian poetry, which in Spenser's
PREFACE. 43
time WBfi the study and delight of all the meb of letters,
and Spenser himself hath borrowed more from that
source than from almost any other, and sometimes bath
translated two or three stanzas together. Mr. Rich-
ardson likewise hath continued his good offices, and
communicated his comment upon Lycidas and his
marginal notes and observations upon the other poems,
together with a very fine head of Milton done by his
fatbar after a drawing of Cooper: and both the Rich^
ardsonsy father and son, deserve die thanks of all lovers
of the^ister arts, for their instructive essays on paintingi
as well as for several itigenious remarks on Milton. [
bad the honour of all these for my associates and
assistants before, but I have been farther strengthened
by some new reoniits, which were the more unexpected,
as tbey were sent me fix>m gentlemen, with whom I
never had the pleasure of a personal acquaintance.
The Reverend Mr. Meadowcourt, Canon of Worcester,
in 173S published a Critical Dissertation with notes
upon the Paradise Regained, a second edition of which
M'as printed in IZ^-S; and he likewise transmitted to
me a sheet of his manuscript remarks, wherein he hath
happily explained a most difficult passage in Lycidas
better than any man had done before him. The Re-
verend Mr. Calton of Marton in Lincolnshire hath
contributed much more to my assistance : he favoured
me with a long correspondence ; and I am at a loss
which to commend most, his candour as a friend, or
his penetration and learning as a critic and divine.
Besides all these hel^ps I have picked out some grain
from among the chaff of Mr. Peck's remarks, and
have gleaned up every thing which I thought might
44 PREFACE.
any ways be useful towards illustrating our author;
and in the conclusion have added an index of the less
common words occasionally explained in the notes.
The Latin poems I cannot say are equal to several
of his English compositions: but yet they are not
without their merit ; they are not a cento like most of
the modern Latin poetry; there is spirit, invention,
and other marks and tokens, of a rising genius ; for it
should be considered, that the greater part of them
were written while the author was under twenty.
They are printed correctly according to his own edi-
tions in 1645 and 1673 ; and as they can be read only
by the learned, there is the less occasion for any notes
and observations upon them. Some few are added,
which were thought no more than necessary. But
it is time to have done with these things, and to apply
to other works, more important and more useful, if the
execution prove answerable to the intention.
December 31, 1751.
PREFACE. 45
EXTRACT FROM MR. T. WARTON'S PREFACE TO HIS
EDITION OF MILTON'S JUVENILE POEMS.
-»^ OR obvious reasons, the Latin poems of this volume
can never acquire the popularity of the Engliish. But
as it is my wish that they may be better known than
before, and as they are in this edition, partly on that
account, and for the first time, accompanied with a
series of Notes of proportionably equal extent with
those attached to the English text, I have thought it
proper to introduce them to the readers acquaintance
by some general remarks, from which an estimate of
their character might be preparatively formed, and at
one view.
Our author is said to be the first Englishman, who
after the restoration of letters wrote Latin verses with
classic elegance. But we must at least except some of
the hendecasyllables and epigrams of Leland, one of
our first literary reformers, from this hasty determina-
tion.
In the Elegies, Ovid was professedly Milton's model
for language and versification. They are not, however,
a perpetual and uniform tissue of Ovidiaii phraseology.
With Ovid in view, he has an original manner and
character of his own, which exhibit a remarkable per-
spicuity of contexture, a native facility and fluency.
Nor does his observation of Roman models oppress or
destroy our great poet's inherent powers of invention
and sentiment. I value these pieces as much for their
fency and genius, as* for thieir style and expression.
That Ovid among the Latin poets was Milton's
favourite, appears not only from his elegiac but bis
46 PREFACE.
hexametric poetry. The versification of our author's
hexameters has yet a different structure from that of
the Metamorphoses: Milton's is more clear, intelligible,
and flowing ; less desultory, less familiar, and less em-
barrassed with a frequent recurrence of periods. Ovid
is at once rapid and abrupt. He wants dignity : he has
too much conversation in his manner cf telling a story.
Prolixity of paragraph, asd length of sentence, are pe*
culiar to Milton. This i9 seen, not ooly in some of
his exordial invocations in the Paradise Lost, and in
many of the religious addresses of a like cast in the
Pro^e Works, but in his long verse. It is to be wished
that in his Latin compositions of all sorts, he had been
more attentive to the simplicity of Lucretius, Virgil,
and Tibullus.
Dr. Johnson, unjustly I think, prefers the Latin
poetry of May and Cowley to that of Milton, and
thinks May to be the first of the three. May is cer-
tainly a sonorous versifier, and was sufficiently accom-
plished in poetical declamation for the continuation of
Lucan's Pharsalia. But May is scarcely an author in
point. His skill is in parody; and he was confined to
the peculiarities of an archetype, which, it may be pre-
sumed, he thought excellent. As to Cowley when
compared with Milton, the same critic observes, ^' Mil-
'^ ton is generally content to express the thoughts of
<^ the ancients in their language : Cowley, without
" much loss of purity or elegance, accommodates the
** diction of Rome to his own conceptions. — The ad-
" vantage seems to lie on the side of Cowley .^^ But
what are these conceptions? Metaphysical conceits,
all the unnatural extravagancies of his English poetry ;
PREFACE. 47
such as will not bear to be clothed in the Latin Ian*
guage, much less are capable of admitting any. degree
of pure Latinity. I will give a few instances^ out of a
great multitude, from the Ddvidets.
Hie sodatorum sacra constellatio vatum,
Quo6 felix virtus evexit ad aethera, nubes
Luxurias supra, tempestatesque laborum**
Again,
Temporis ingreditur pene^tralia cdsafuturi,
Implumesque yidet nidis ocBlestibus annos**.
And, to be short, we have the Plusquam visus aquili-
nus of lovers, Natio verbomm^ Exuii viUtm aeriam^
Meniz auditur sympkonia duIciSj Natures archiva^
Omnes symmetria sensus congerii^ Gondii aromatica
prohibetque puiescere laude. Again, where Aliquid
is personified, Monogramma exordia mundi^.
It may be said, that Cowley is here translating from
his own English Davideis. But I will bring examples
from his original Latin poems. In praise of the spring.
Et resonet toto musica vema libro;
Undique laudis odor dulcissimus halet, &€.**
And in the same poem in a party worthy of the pasto-
ral pencil of Watteau.
Hauserunt avide Cbocolatam Flora Venusque*.
Of the Fraxinella.
Tu tres metropoles humani corporis armis
Propugnas, utenim, cor, cerebrumque, tuis^
*.
* See Cowley's Poemata La- S99y 400.
tina, fx>nd. I608. 8vo. p. S98. ' Plantar, lib. iii. p. 137.
* Ibid. p. 899. • L. iv. p. 254.
* Poemata Latina, p. 3S6, S97> ' L* iv. p. S07.
48 PREFACE.
He calls the Lychnis, Candelabrum ingens^ Cupid is
Arbiter Jormas criticus. Ovid is Aniiquarius ingeus.
An ill smell is shunned Olfactus tetricitate sui. And
in the same page, is nugaioria pestis^.
But all his faults are conspicuously and collectively
exemplified in these stanzas, among others, of his
Hymn on Light**.
Pulchra de nigro soboles parente,
Quam Chaos fertur peperisse primam,
Cujus ob formam bene risit olim
Massa severa!
Risus O terras sacer et polorum,
Aureus vere pluvius Tonantis,
Quffique de ccelo fluis inquieto
Gloria rivo! —
Te bibens arcus Jovis ebricwus
Mille formosos revomit colores,
Pavo ccelestis, variamque pascit
Lumine caudam.
And afterwards, of the waves of the sea, perpetually in
motion.
Luddum trudis properanter agmen:
Sed resistentum* super ora rerum
Leniter stagnas, liquidcxjue inundas
Cuncta colore:
At mare immensum oceanusque Lucis
Jupiter coelo fluit empyraeo;
Hinc inexhausto per utrumque mundum
Funditur ore.
Milton^s Latin poems may be justly considered as
legitimate classical compositions, and are never dis-
< See 1. iv. p. 210. L. iii. p. h See p. 407. seq.
186, 170. L. ii. p. 1^6. ' Standing still.
PREFACE. 49
graced with such language and sucli imagery. Cow*
ley's Latinity, dictated by an irregular and unrestrained
iihagination, presents a mode of diction half Latin and
half English. It is not so much that Cowley wanted
a knowledge of the Latm style, but that he suffered
tiiat knowledge to be perverted and corrupted by false
and extravisigant thoughts. Milton was a more perfect
scholar than Cowley, and his mind was more deeply
tinctured with the excellencies of ancient literature.
He i?as a lnor6 just thinker, and therefore a more just
writer. In a v^ord, he bad more taste, and more poetry,
and consequently more propriety. If a fondness for
the Italian writers has sometimes infected his English
poetry with felse ornamehts, his Ltttin verses, both in
diction and sentiment, are at leadt free from those de-
pravations.
Some of Milton's Latin Poems were written in his
first year at Cambridge, when he was only seventeen :
they must be allowed to be very correct and manly per-
fomiances for a youth of that age. And considered in
that view, they discover an extraordinary copiousness
and command of ancient (able and history. I cannot
but add, that Gray resembles Milton in many instances.
Among otherS) in their youth they were both strongly
attached to die cultivation of Latin poetry.
But I hasten to give the reader an account of my
design and conduct, and of what he is to expecit, in this
edition 4
oThis volume exhibits those poems of M]Iton5 of
which a second edition, with some slender additionsi
appeared in 1673^ while the author was yet living,
under the title, «« Poems upon several occasions, by Mr.
VOL. I. d
50 PREFACE.
^^ John MiltoD. Both English and Latin, &c. Com-
" posed at several times. '^ In this collection our au-
thor did not include his Paradise Regained and Samson
Agonistes, as some .later editors have done. Those
two pieces, forming a single volume by themselves,
had just before been printed together, in 1671 > for Mil-
ton here intended only an edition of his Juvenile
Poems.
The chief purpose of the Notes is to explain our au-
thor^s allusions, to illustrate or to vindicate his beauties,
to pomt out his imitations both of others and of himself,
to elucidate his obsolete diction, and by the adduction
and juxtaposition of parallek universally gleaned both
from his poetry and prose, to ascertain his &vourite
words^ and to shew the peculiarities of his praseology.
And thus some of the Notes, those I mean which relate
to his imitations of himself, and to his language, have
a more 'general effect, and are applicable to all Milton's
writings. •
Among the English poets, those readers who trust
to the late commentatois will be led to believe, that our
author imitated Spenser and Shakespeare only. But
his st}'ie, expression, and moi^ extensive combinations
of diction, together with nkany of his thoughts, are also
to be traced in other English poets, who were either
contemporaries or predecessors, and of whom many are
now not commonly known. Of this it has been a
part of my task to produce proofs. Nor have his imi-
tations from Spenser and Shakespeare been hithei^*
sufficiently noted. ^^
When Milton wrote these poems, many traditionary
superstitions, not yet worn out in .the popular belief.
PREFACE. Jl
adhered to the poetry of the times. Romances and
ikbulous narratives were still in fashion, and not yet
driven, awav by puritans and usurper^. To idea3 of
this sort, and they corresponded with the complexipn
of his genius, allusions often appear even in Milton's
elder poetry: but it was natural that they should be
ftrand at least as largdy in his early pieces, which were
pmfessedly written in a lighter strain, at a period when
they more universally. prevailed, and were more likely
to be caught by a young poet. 'Much imagery in the^e
ppems is founded on this source of fiction. Hence
acose obscurities, which have been overlooked or mis-
interpreted: and. thus the force of many strikingly
poetical passages has been weakened or un perceived,
because tbeir oigin was unknown, unexplored, or mis-
understood. Coeval books, which might, clear such
references, were therefore to be consulted : and a new
line of commentary was to be pursued. Comparatively,
the classical annotator has here but little to do. Doctor
Newton, an excellent scholar, was unac'quainted with
the treasures of the Gothic librarv. From his more
solid and rational studies, he never deviated into this
idle track of reading. Milton, at least in these poems,
ipay be reckoned an old English poet ; and therefore
here requires that illustration, without which no old
English poet can be well illustrated.
Hitherto I have been speaking of the Notes to the
English poems. As to those on the Poemata Latina,
of which something has already been incidentally said,
they may have their use in unfolding many passages
even to the learned reader. These pieces contain several
curious circumstances of Milton's early life, situations,
d2
52 PREFACE. ;
friGiidshipSy and connectioas ; whicfa are often ao trails:
sieady or infipHcidy noticed^ as to need iexaminatiou .
and enlargement. It also seemed useful to shovr, which
of the ancient Roman poets were here Milton^s. models, .
and how far and m what instances they have .i>eeD
cdpied. Here a new source of criticism on. Milton,?
and which displays him in a new light and character,,
was Opened. That English notes are joined with a
Latm text, may be censured as an inconastency, or as.
an arbitrary departure from the customary practice.
But I know not any satisfactory reason, why books in
a learned or unfamiliar language, should be always ex?^.
{Gained in a language equally difficult.
It was no part of my plan to add to my own the
Notes of my predecessors. Perhaps it iias happened^
that some of my remarks have been anticipated by Drj
Newton and others. Such coincidences are accidental
and undesigned. I have been favoured with a few.
Notes by the late Mr. Bowie, the learned and ingenious^
publisher of Don Quixotte, extracted from bis inter-*
leaved copy of Milton's second edition of these poems.
A few others have been communicated by my brother ;•
and I am convinced that my reader will concur with
me in wishing, that his indispensable engagements
would have permitted him to communicate many more.
These valuable contributions are constantly marked
with the names of their respective authors: as are some
observations of Bishop Warburton, and of Bishop
Hurd, distinguished by the initial letters of their names,
W, and H. and which were kindly communicated to
me by the latter of these two learned prelates.
1 must add one or two more circumstances relating
PREFACE. 53
to my revisat of this volume. I have found it expedient
to alter or enlarge Milton's own titles, which seemed to
want fulness and precision, yet preserving their form
and substance. Nor have I scrupulously followed the
order used in his own editions, which yet I have not
greatly violated. In disturbing the series of the pieces,
my meaning was, not to study capricious and useless
novelty, but to accommodate the reader, and to intro^
duce uniformity, by a more methodical but obvious
arrangement. I have endeavoured to render the text
as uncorrupt and perspicuous as possible, not only by
examining and comparing the authentic copies pub-*
lished under the author's immediate inspection, but by
regulating the punctuation, of which Milton appears to
have been habitually careless.
THE
UFE OF MILTON.
# '
I
" •.
THE
LIFE OF MILTON.
It is agreed among all writers, that the family of
Milton came originally from Milton in Oxfordshire ;
but from which of the Miltons is not altogether so
certain. Some say, and particularly Mr. Philips, that
the family was of Milton near Abingdon in Oxford-
shire, where it had been a long time seated, as appears
by the monuments still to be seen in Milton church.
But that Milton is not in Oxfordshire, but in Berk-
shire ; and upon enquiry I find, there are no such
monuments in that church, nor any remains of them.
It is more probable therefore that the fiunily came, as
Mr. Wood says, from Milton near Holton and Thame
in Oxfordshire : where it flourished several years, till at
last the estate was sequestered, one of the family having
taken the unfortunate side in the civil wars between
the houses of York and Lancaster*. John Milton,
the poet^s grand&ther, was, according to Mr. Wood;
an under-ranger or keeper of the forest of Shotover,
* Dr. Bliss infonns me that he in the place, that a large house
searched the Registers of Milton yet standing there belonged to
near Thame, and that there are the family of Milton, but Mr.
no entries there of any persons Ellis, the vicar, could not dis-
of the name of Milton. The cover any documents to prove
Registers go back to the year the point £.
1550. It is traditionally believed
VOL. I. b
ii LIFE OF MILTQN.
near Holton in Oxfordshire ; be was of the religion of
Rbme, and such a bigot, that he disinherited bis son
only for being a protestant. Upon this the son, the
poet^s father, named likewise John Milton, settled in
London, and became a scrivener by the advice of a
friend eminent in that profession ^ ; but he was not so
devoted to gain and to business, as to lose all taste of
the politer arts, and was particularly skilled in music,
in which hew^ not only a fine performer, but is also
celebrated for several pieces of his composition : and
yet on the other hand he was not so fond of his music
and amusements, as in the least to neglect his business,
but by his diligence and economy acquired a compe-
tent estate, which enabled him afterwards to retire, and
live in the country. He was by all accounts a very
worthy man ; and married an excellent woman, Sarah
of the ancient family of the Bradshaws, says Mr.
Wood; but Mr. Philips our author^s nephew, who
was more like]|y to know, says, of the family of thp
CastODS, derived originally from Wales. Whoever she
was^ she is said to have been a woman of incomparable
virtue and goodness^; and by her her husband had
two sons and a daughter.
The elder of the sons was our famous poet, who
was born in the year of our Lord 1608, on the 9th of
^ Aubrey says that he was ticulars respecting Milton's &-
originally bred a scholar, and of ther, see the notes on the verses
Christ Church, Oiiford. " The Ad PiUrem, v. 1. and 66. E.
** occupation of a scrivener at ^'' Londini sum natus, genere
^ this period,** according to Mr. '' honesto, patre viro integetrimo,
Haylev, ** united the two pro- ** noctte probatissima v< eleemosy^
*^ fitable branches of drawing ** nU per vwrnicmi potisvmutn
" contracts, and of lending mo- '* noiar Def. Sec ft. W. ii. p.
« ney." For several further par- 5S5. ed. 1753. E.
LIFE or MILTQN.
"I
Dewiuber in the morning between 6 %n^ 7 O^clock) w
B^naiJUstfeet London, where his father lived at the sign
of the spread eagle, which was ^so the cpat pf aret^ f>f
the &qnily. He waa named John, as bis father and
grandfather had been before him''; and from the
beginning discovering the marks of an uncommon
genius, he .was designed for a scholar, and had his
education paftly under private tutors, and partly aifc a
public school It has been often controverted whether
a public or private education is best, but young MiltoQ
was ao happy as to share the advantages of both. It
appears from the fourth of his Latin elegies, and from
the first and fourth of his familiar epistles, that Mr*
Thomas YouDg, who was afterwards pastoj of the
company of English naerchants residing at Hamburg,
was one of his private preceptors^: and when hti had
made good progress in his studies at honie, he was
sent to St. Paul's school, to be Qtted for the University
lUMler the caie of Mr. Gill, who was the master at that
time, and to whose son are addressed some of his
^miliar epistles^ In this early time of his life auch
was his love of learning, apd so gi«at was his ambition
to surpass his equals, that fi'om his twelfth year he
commonly continued his studies till midnight, which
(as he says himself in his second Defence) was the first
* A record of Milton^s Uaptisin^
yet muiodcecl^ occurs in tne pa-
lodual Register of AUballcvwfi^
Ikead-street, foL 42. '' The twen-
'^ tiedi daj of Dec. l608, was
^ baptized John Milton, the son
«<ef Jolm MOton, scrivener.**
R Warton.
* See Mr. Warton's first note
on £/• iv. £•
^ See the first note on £/. i. for
an account of A. Gill.
There was a portrait taken of
Milton when he was only ten
years old by C. Jansen, and Au-
brey says Uiat he was " then a
" poet." See die note (f) on
the verses In ^ffigiei ejus Sculp-
torem, and on v. 75 of the poem
Ad Patrem. E.
b9
iv LIFE OF MILTON.
Fuifl of his eyes, to whose natural debility too were
added frequent head-aches: but all could not extinguish
or abate his laudable passion for letters. It is very^
seldom seen, that such application and such a genius
meet in the same person. The force of either is great,
but both together must perform wonders.
He was now in the 17th year of his age, and was a
veiy good classical scholar,., and master of several
languages, when he was sent to the University . of
Cambridge, and admitted at Christ^s CoU^ ($is
appears from the register) on the 19th of February
1694-5, under the tuition of Mr. William Chappel,
afterwards Bishop of Cork and Ross in Ireland^. He
continued above seven years at the University, and
took two degrees, that of Bachelor of Arts in 1698*9.'
and that of Master in 1699''. It is somewhat remark-
able, that though the merits of both our Universities are
perhaps equally great, and though poetical exercises
are rather more encouraged at Oxford, yet most of our
greatest poets have been bred at Cambridge, as
Spenser, Cowley, Waller, Dryden, Prior, not to men-
tion any of the lesser ones, when there is a greater
' In the Biagrapfua, p. 3i06, moner, in contradistinction to a.
Milton is said to nave been en- Fellow-Commoner, And he is so
tered at Camlnridge a Sizar, enteredin the MatricuUtion book,
which denominates the lowest of the University. T, Warton.
rank of academics. But his ad« Mr. Chappel is called by Dr.
mission thus stands in the register Henry More, '*a learned, vigi-
at Christ's Collie. *' Johumes ** Uot, skilful, prudent, and
'' Milton, filiusJ(uiannis,instittt* ''pious tutor.*' See the Biogr,
" tus fult in literarum dementis BrU, note on the Life of Light--
'' sub magistro Gill Gymnasii foot, who was also at Christ's
'' Paulini prsefecto, et admissus College under Mr. Chuipel. E.
** est Pensionarius minor. 12* ** He was admitted to the
f Feb, 1^24." But Pennonarim same degree at Chtford, in l6S5.
minor is a Pensioner , or Com- fVoinl,
LIFE OF MILTON. y
than all, Milton« He had given early proofs of fais
poetic genius bcffore be went to the University, aad
there he excelled more and more, and distinguished
himself by several copies of verses upon occasional
subjects, as welt as by all his academical - exercises,
many of which are printed among his other worlra,
and show him to have had a capacity above his years ;
and by. his obliging behaviour, added to his great
learning and ingenuity, he deservedly gained the
affection of many, and admiration^ of all. We do
not find, however, that he obtained any preferment
in the University, or a Fellowship in his own college ;
which seemeth the more extraordinary, as that society
has always encouraged learning and learned men, had
the most excellent Mr. Mede at that time a Fellow,
and afterwards boasteth the great names of Cud worth,
and Burnet author of the Theory of the Elarth, and
several others'. And this, together with some Latin
verses of his to a friend, reflecting upon the University
seemingly on this account, might probably have given
occasion to the reproach which was afterwards cast
upon him by his adv^saries, that he ivas expelled from
the University for irregularities committed there, and
forced to fly to Italy : but he sufficiently refutes this
calumny in more places than one of his works ; and
hideed it is no wonder, that a person so engaged in
religious and political controversies as he was, should
be calumniated and abused by the contrary party^.
' In his time, however, there against entering the Church,
was but one Fellowship in his Symrnont.
College tenable by a layman, ^ See the notes^ El. i. 12, 15.
and MQtOD had now determined E.
b3
Vi LIFH OF MILTON.
He w^ desigil\^ by his parents for holy orders t
9
ftM ainohj^ the taianusctipts of Trinity College in
Caihfnfdge there are two draughtfi in Milton's owti
hand cf a letter to a friend, who had id)ix>rtimed
him to tate cnderd, when he had attained the age of
twenty-dn'ee* : but the truth is, he had conceived
early prejudices against the doctrine and discipline of
the l]!hurch, and subscribing to the Articles was in
hik opihioti subscribing slaves This no doubt was a
diteppointment to his frieiids, who though in bonii-
fortable Were yet by h6 means in great circumstance :
and tietlher doth he seem to have had any inclination
to iny other profession "^ ; he had too free a spirit to
be limited and confined ; and was for comprefadndrng
all ^ienciis, buf professing none. And therefore after
He had left the University ih 16S9) he retired to his
father's house in the country; for his fether had by
this dme <)uitted business, and lived at ail estate which
he had purchased at Horton near Colebrooke in
Btickinghamsliire''. Here lite tesided with his parents
for the space of five years, and, as he himself has
iMbrmeti u&, (rn his secdrid Defence, and the 7th of his
farmliar e]!»istles,) redd ov^ aH the Greek and Latin
authors, particularly the historians ; but now and then
inade an excursion to London, sometrmes to buy
bboks or to meet his friends from Cambridge, and ^
cither times to 4earn isdfnething new in the mathe^
' See this letter in the notes " See the Mansus, v. 149^ and
on Sonnet vii. E. Mr. Warton's note. Mr. Todd
"'See v. 71 <3f the poem Ad mafidons/tiiat the house in which
Palrem, and the note there^ on Milton lived at Horttm
M9ton*s dislike of the profusion pulled down aboiit the y^'r
of the Law. E. 1S00. E.
k
LIFE OF MILTON. vii
matics or music, with which he was extfemdy de^
lighted*
His retirement tbeiefore was a learned setiremeiit)
and it was not long before the world xeajied tl}e froits
of it It was in die year 16S4 that his Mask was prsr
seated at Ludlow-casde. There was foimeriy a fwesi*
dent of Wales, and a sort of a ^eourt kept at I^low,
wbich ha3 maoe been sdboliehed ; and the presidept at
that tiaae was the Earl lof Bridgwatar, before whom
Milton^s Matk was presented on Michaelmas «ight)
and the pnocipal parts, those of the two brothers, were
performed by his Loidship^s sons the Lord Brackly
and Mr. Thomas Egertoo, and thatf of the lady by his
Lordahip^s daughter the Lady Alice Egerton* The
occasion of this poem seemeth to have been merely an
accident of the two brothers and the lady hiring lost
one another in their way to the castle: and it is writ-
ten rtry much in imitation of fihakespease^s Tempest,
sod the Faithful Shepherdess of Beaumont and Fletchers
and though one of ihe first, is yet one of the moet
beautifiil of Mikon^s compeutions^ It was for some
tiflie. handed about x>nly in manuscript; but afterwards,
to satisfy the impertunitiy of iriends and to save the
trouble oftranscribing^ it was printed at London, though
** Milton appears to have partly '' fiction of a dream, the cha-
tketched the plan of Comos from ^'racters of Comvis and his at-
tlie Old Wiwe9* Tak of George " tendants are delineated^ and
Peele; see T. Wartonts intro- '' the delights of sensualists el:-
dnctory n«le on Comns. A note ** posed and reprobated. Thii
signed H on Johnsoa's Life (if *' little tract was published at
Milton, Im€8 -cf tkM Poitf, ed. '' Lou vain in 1611, and aiter-
I7M, soggerto that it was taken «' wards at Oxford in 1£M, -the
fh»n Homer IS Qxrce than '^ vevy year in which Milton'<e
fton ** the Cmims of Eryciiis '* Conns was written/* £.
^ PiiteMms, in which, rnidar'the
b4
VJIl
LIFE OF MILTON.
without the author's name, in 1637) with a dedication
to the Lord Brackly by Mr. H. Lawes, who composed
the music, and played the part of the attendant Spirit.
It was printed likewise at Oxford at the end of Mr. R.'s
poems, as we learn from a letter of Sir. Henry Wotton
to our authcM*; but who that Mr. R. was,. whether
Randolph the poet oi^ who dse, is uncertain^. It has
lately, though with additions and alterations, been ex-
hibited on the. stage. several times; and we hope the
fine poetry and. morality Jnave recommended it to the
audience, and not barely the authority. of Milton's
name; and we wish for the honour of the nation, that
the like good taste prevailed in every thing.
In 1637 he wrote another excellent piece, his Ly-
cidas, wherein he laments the untimely fate of a friend,
who was unfortunately drowned that same year in the
month of August on the Irish seas, in his passage from
Chester. This friend was Mr. Edward King, son of
Sir John King, Secretary of Ireland under Queen
Elizabeth, King James I. and King Charles I. and
was a Fellow of Christ's College, and was so. well be-
loved and esteemed at Cambridge, that some of the
greatest names in the. University have united in cele-
brating his obsequies, and published a collection of
' Mr. Warton determiiies that
Mr. R. was Thomas Randolph,
H. A. Fellow of Trinity Collide,
Cambridge, who died March 17^
l634. His poems were printed
at Oxford it\ 1638. But neitiber
to this edition, nor to a second
printed in 1640, was Comus at«
tached. Warton imagines that
Rouse had stitched Lawes s edi-
tion of Comus to the copy of
Randolph's poems which he sent
to Sir Henry Wotton. Oldys,
however, in a MS. note on Lang*
baine*8 sketch of Milton's hm,
preserved among the late Mr.
Malone's. books in the Bodleian
Library, mentions that Comus
was ofben bound up with the first
edition of Randolph's poems. £•
LIFE. OF MILTON.
IX
poems, Greek and Latin and English, sacred to his
memory. The Greek: by H. More, &c; the Latin by
T. Farnaby, J. Pearson, &c; the English by H. King,
J. Beaumont, J. Cleaveland, with several others; and
judiciously the last of all, as the best of all, is Milton -s
Lycidas. ^^ On such sacrifices the Gods themselves
>^ strow incense ;^' and one would almost wish. so to have
died, for the sake of having been so lamented. But this
poem is not all made up of sorrow and tenderness ; there
is a mixture of satire and indignation ; for in part of it die
poet taketh occasion to inveigh against the corruptions
of the clergy, and seemeth to have first discovered his
acrimony against Archbishop Laud, and to have
threatened him with the loss, of his head, which after-
waords happened to him through the fury of his enemies.
At least I. can think of no sense so proper to be given
to the following verses in Lycidas,
Besides what the grim wolf with privy paw
Daily devours apace, and nothing said;
But that two-handed engine at the door
Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more.
About this time, as we learn from one of his fitmiliar
epistles, he had some thoughts of taking chambers at
one of the Inns of Court, for he was not very well
pleased with living so obscurely in the country^: but
* The letter is <kted from
London, and only expresses that
his qiuurters thcare appeared to
him ankward, and inconvenient
I>icaiii jam nunc serioquid cogi-
ton, in hospitium juridicorttm
aliqucNlimmtgrare, sicubi atnoena
et umbroaa mboktio est^ quod
et inter aliquot sodales, commo-
dior illic habitation si domi ma-
nere, et i^ftum^ff H»rnirum^»f qoo-
cunqiie libitum erit excurrere:
ubi nunc sum, ut nosti, obscure
et anguste sum. Hayley,
llie passage immediately pre*
ceding this has been represented
X LIFE OF MILTON,
his mother dying, he prevailed \vtt& his fether to let
faiin indulge ^ desire, which he had loilg entertained, of
seeing foreign oountnes, and particulaiiy Italy: and
having oottununicaled his design to Sir Henry Wotton,
who had formeriy been ambassador at Venice, and was
Ihen Provost of Eton College, and having abo sent fain
his Mask, of wfaidi he had not yet publicly admow-
ledged himsetf the author, he received 'fiom him die
following friendly letter, dated from the College the
Idthof Afn*il 1638'.
^^ It was a specud favour, wbea yoa ibitely bestowed
*^ upon me here the first taste of your acquaintanoe,
** though no longer «than to make «ie know, that I
*^ wanted mom time to vafaie it, and to enjoy it rightly,
^^ And in truth, if I coold then have imagined your
^* farther stay in these .parts, which I understood after-
^* wards by Mr. H.% I would have been bold, in our
as intimating that the object of quequo iDi GrKci esse sunt de-
Milton's tbofU^hts iMras already an sm : Itabmm in obscura re diu
immortality of fame. It ex- versati sumus sub Longobardis,
presses this, no^doabt, bat in a «t F'fancis^ et Germtnis, ad Sllud
jesting manner. Multa solicits tempus quo illis ab Rodolpho
JrOLdSnn, dtMtri quid tbgitevn. Au- Germaniee Eege oonoessalibeitaa
I, Theodote, verum in tiureai est 5 exinde quid qussque civitas
ut ne mbeara , et sinito pauli^er suo marte gesserit^ separatim le-
apad 'te grandta kcfuiirs quid gen? pvseStiliit. Pk'.'W.iL 570.«d.
cogitcm qusris? ita me bonus 17^3. E.
Deus^ immortalitatem. Quid a- ' Abenntem yir clarissimus,
gum v»ro? im^A^it, ^et yolaltt ffemriecn Woottonos, qoiad Ve-
moditor: aed t^iellis ladmodum MtosorstttrJaeobi rsgisdiaf»-
adhuc pieirais evehit se tioster «rat, et votis et prseesptifi eunli
i^asus, Imnil^ sapiamijft. Dp- pttvegre utilissinis, ekganti tspi-
^tm JQ)n ffttnc «^<o qviid cogiiem, -rtok pcMcriptisr amiciBiiue pro-
&c He «atlerwarA speaks of Mquutus est. IM*. Sec, p. 39».
his Mudies. Gneeomm rescon- W. ii. ed. '175S.
tttniate kKftidkie Asduxlmtts us- * F^aps Milton's Ariend
u
LIFE OF MILTON. ad
'^ r»%ar phtbM^ to ttieiid my draugiU;, for ym l6ft ink
*' with aft eMrenid thirst, tod to inve be^^ yeMr
'* isodvemation ^^n join% mtk yotit said leanled
" inend, at a poor iaied or bvo^ tlial we might bkre
^* bimkil together ^soiue good authors of thie BncieDt
*^ im»i Mnong which I observed you to hai^ be&k ik-
Sifloe yomlr goings yoU have ehai^ged me with new
obhgatknJSv both for a very kind letter from yod,
dated the sixth of this mobth, and for a dainl^ pi^ti^
*^ of eotertaiimieiit, that came therewith ; wheieitt I
ehoirid much commend the tragical part, if the lyrical
did not mvish with It certain Doric delicacy in yout
songs and odes, wherein I cmiBt plainly conftse to
^^ have Men yet tiotbkig paraHd in our knguage, Ipsa
*^ mcliilieB^ But I must not oinit to tdl you, diat i
now only <owe you diakiks for intamatiiig ^unto ihe;
how modestly Boeveis the true artificer. For tb6
wortc iMeitf 1 tad viewed some good Mobile bofoi^
*^ with singular delight, having nK^eived jt Aom our
" common friend Mr. R. " in the very clo»e of Ibe fet6
BUiBtt^ BMHlib, whdkh ) tik^ 'MchoUir tod a pittaus hf fiai^tard
seen fneaStoa&A m ^roeof ibt tbe Eptfiammfit^t. T. W^krn,
pamphltets of this period as well ' " Mr. R." was probably
jUi^akifalM WMi Sur H. WM6nw fBM^, the l%41^ ybtatiaiY, see
7*. Jfarton* note j(t) on the ode Ad J, Rour
> Sir H. Woltoh was himself sium. ^' the late R.** may be
a frriter Hslf fii^giish odes, and t". ilando)|rii, see mbte p, p. *tifi.
witb some degree of elegance, supra. '' M. -B." Dr. ^ymmonf
^e hftfl lilto W^iUfceti k ti^effy iirtp^dts shottld l>e^ W. %.*" for
fUkd Taoortdd. -See Ms JL^ WiUlam BedeU^ 'who ww dik|i<^
by WaltoQ. Cowley wrote an lain to Sir H. Wotton during his
^iegy dhi las ^eifth. O&Ane hftft ^teball^ ^ 'Vehiee, utid after-
testified his friendship for Wot- ^Rarde became Provost bfXrinitjr
ton in diree copies of verses ; <bollege, l)ublin^ and ^Bishop of
i«ld te' ii ^odoMttti, iMNdk m a 'KUiMt^ 'E.
4(
cc
xii LIFE OF MILTON.
'^^ R/s poenB printed at Oxford ; wbereunto it is adcled,
'^t as I naw suppose^ that the* accessory might hdp out
^^ the principal, accordrng to the art <^ stationeni, and
^* kiaTe the reader Qon la bocca dolce.
• "Now, Sir, concemii^ your travels, wherein I may
challenge a little more privilege of discourse with
you ; I suppose, you will not blanch Paris in your
" WJ^r. Therefore I have been bold to trouble you
**^ with a few lines. to Mr. M. JB. whom you shall easily
fiind attending the young Lord S. as his governor; and
you may surely receive from him good directions- for
"shaping of your farther journey into Italy, where be
" did ireside by my choice some time, for the king, after
" mine own recess from Venice.
" I should think, that your best line will be through
the whole length of France to Marseilles,, and tiience
by sea to Genoa, whence the. passage into Tuscany
^' is as diurnal as a Gravesend barge. I hasten, as
you do, to Florence or Sienna, the rather to tdl you
a short stoiy, from the interest you have given me in
your safety.
" At Sienna I was tabled in the house of one Al-
" berto Scipione, an old Roman courtier in dangerous
" times, having been steward to the Duca di Pagliano,
" who with all Jiis family were strangled, save this only
" man, that escaped by foresight of the tempest. With
." him I had often much chat of those afiairs ; into
" which he took pleasure to look back from his native
" harbour ; and at my .departure toward Rome, which
had been the centre of his experience, I had won
confidence enough to beg his advice, how I might
carry myself securely there, widiout offence of otheiB,
LIFE OF MILTON. xiii
U
€<
"or of my own eonscience: Signor Arrigo ineo^says
" he, i pensieri stretti, et il viso sciolto, that is, your
thoughts dose, and your countenance loose, will go
safely over the whole world. .Of which Ddphian
oracle (for so I have found it) your judgment doth
need no commentary; and therefore, Sir, I will
" commit you with it to the best of all securities;
'^ God's dear love, remaining your friend, as much at
" command as any of longer date.
" H. WOTTOW.
•* P. S. Sir, I have expressly sent this by my foot-'
boy to prevent your departure, without some ac-'
knowledgment from me of the receipt of your obliging
letter, having myself through some business, I know
** not how, neglected the ordinary conveyance. In any
part where I shall understand you fixed, I shall he
glad and diligent to entertain you' with home-no^
^^ velties, even for some fomentation of bur friendship,
^^ too soon interrupted in the cradle.^'
m
Soon after this he set out upon his travels, being of an
age to make the proper improvements, and not barely
to see sights and to learn the languages, like most of
our modern travellers, who go out boys, and return
such as we see, but such as I do not choose to name.
He was attended by only one servant, who accompanied
hhn through all his travels; and he went first to'
France, where he had recomQiendations - to the Lord
Scudamove, the English ambassador there at that time ;
and as soon as he came to Paris, he waited upon his
Lordslup, and was received with wonderful civility;
xiv UPE QF MILTON-
aod haviog an earnest d^iie to visjt tb^ l^mi^d Hv^
pl^iilSi he w^s by his Lonjship's means iotfodqced to
that great man, whp was then amba^ador af the Freqch
court from the famous Christina Quepo of Sweden;
find ^ the visit was to their mutual; satisfaction; they
wefe each of them pleased to see a personi of whom
they had heard such commeqdatioiis. But at Paris he
stayed not long.; his thoughts and his wishes hastened
into Italy ; and so after a few di^ys he topk leav^ of the
Lord Scudarnqre, who very kindly gave him letters to
the English merchants in the several places through
which he wa^ to travel, reqqesting them to do him all
the good o$pe9 which k^y in their power.
Frpip Paris h^ ^^^t directly to Nice, where he took
ship|>ing j^r Qenoa, from wheqce he went tp Leghorn,
«Qd thence to Pisa, ^n^ $q to Florence, in which city
hfi found pufficiCPt ipdvcfsmeqt^ to mftjce a stay of two
months. For h^ides the cnriofsitiei!? ^nd other beauties
of the pla^e, he took great delight ip the pompany apd
conversation there, nnd (h^uentjed their ac^ipies as
they are called, the meetings of the most polite and
ipg^ioMs p<9Pspqs, whicih they have in thjs,i fts wiell as
ia ^ olher fi^ncipfd cities of j[taly, for the ejtep^s§ wd
Wpppy^ma^ of wit 9^^ |€»r^ing among tjiepa. And
i» th^sp copviWatioqs he bpre ^o gpp^ ^ part, i^pd
product so fnapy eT^i^Uent cgp)pp9itiion$» th^ h^ was
now t^Jc^n qpticc of^ 9fhd was very piucfa courted and
cafresscd by severid ^ the nobility ^i^ ppioie w^t^ of
Florfnoe'. For th^ manner i§, as he sgys biipself iq
the pre^ tQ hift flfeoood hook of tb9 Bfifmm of
' See, mspecting Mikon'a tk'* guage, Mr. Warton*8 note on the
mOsnHir .with il^ I«sliii9 \m- v9tim44F9irm,y.M9. JE,
LIFE OF MILTON.
XY
Chiirch<*goven]nieD4, '< thateverjr one mwt give aoio^
*^ proof of his wit and reading tbere,^^ iumI bifl produce-
tions ^^ irere received with writt€» encomiums wbioii
^ tbe Iddian is not forward to bestow on men of this
*« side tbe Alps/' Jacoroo Gaddi, AntoniQ Francinii
Carlo Dati, Beneditto Bonia»tthei» Cultellino* Fres«*
cobaldi, ClenienteUi, are reckoned among his pwrticnlar
iriemiBi* At Gaddi's house tbe academies were, beldt
which be constantly frequented. Antonio. Fi^ncini
composed an Italian ode in bis commendation* Carlo
Dsl3 wrote a Latin eulogium of bim» and corresponded
with him after his vetnm to England T. Bonmattbei
was at that time about puUishing an Italian grammar;
and the eighth of our author's ftimliar epislJ^s, dated at
Florence Sept. 10, 1636, is addressed to him upon
that occasion, conimeBding his design, and advising
Inm So add some observations concero^g tb^ trail
pnottHBciation of that language for tbe use of forei^ers*
So much good acquaintance wouU probaUj have
detained him longer at Florence, if he had not been
going to Rome, which to a curious traveller is certainly
tbe place tbe most worth seeing of any in the world.
And so he took leave of bis fiiends at Florence, and
went from thence to Sienna, and from Sieima to
' See Epitaph* DamoniSy v. 137.
wad. Mr. Wa]ton*eiiote, reapecdng
G«rio Diti, and tlie Mfi$. dedi-
cated to Mflton at Florenoe. E.
DeMui complimeots the die-
eeriuueirt of the IteHaos vfao
dieeorered, while Milton vee
enMNig ibejBif his great and gkMTr
mg genhie. See hie Ordinal
Latere, &c 1721« vdL i. p. 7S,
80. BoUi also remarks on his
eovalxyHieQ's eemipeiidationf of
Mikon. Ossenriasi nelle lodi
dagl* Uailani detes qiiestogra^d
vomop loom' easi Sm, a allora soor-
ge^oso in Hi V aJta foryw d' in-
gi^gno cbe io BprUva al primo
enge di gloria lettenuria nei siio
ae^iio 0 nella eoa neaione; e
gliene faoe^ens gli avyenui pro-
gnoeticl ¥ka dt MiUov, 1735.
XVI
LIFE OF MILTON.
Rome, where he stayed much' about the same time
that be bad continued at Florence, feasting both. his
eyes and bis mind, and delighted with the fine paint-
ings', and sculptures, and other rarities and antiquities
of the city, as well as with the conversation of several
learned and ingenious men, and particularly of Lucas
Holstenius, keeper of the Vatican library, who received
him with the greatest humanity, and showed him all
the Greek authors, whether in print or in manuscript,
which bad passed through bis correction; and- also
presented him to Cardinal Barberini, who at an enter-
tainment of music, performed at bis own expenoe,
Waited for him at the door, and taking him by the hand
brought him into the assembly*. The next morning
he waited upon the Cardinal to return him thanks for
bis civilities, and by the means of Holstenius was agafai
introduced to his Eminence, and spent some time in
conversation with him. It seems that Holstenius
had studied three years at Oxford, and this might
dispose him to be more friendly to the English, but he
* The description of the Cre-
ation in the thira book of Para-
dise Lost, (v. 708 — ^719.) is sup-
posed by Mr. Walker to be
copied from the same subject as
treated by Raphael in the gallery
of the Vatican called la Bibbia
di Raffiiello. Hist Mem. on Ita-
lian Tragedy, p. 166. Todd.
* Milton's own account, in his
letter to Holstenius, of his recep-
tion by Cardinal Barberini, is thu.
Turn necaliter crediderim, (jusm
quse tu de me verba feoens ad
pnestantissimum Cardin. Franc.
Biu'berinuin, iis factum esse, ut
cum ille paucis post diebus ««^«-
ii^ illud musicum magnificentia
vere Romana publice exhiberet,
ipse me tanta in turba qusesitmn
ad fores expectans, et pene manu
prehensum persanehonoriBce in-
tra admiserit. Episi.Fam.g. Mr.
Todd, (Life of Milton, p. 35. ed.
2.) states on the authority of a
MS. o£ Dr. Bargrave, preserved
in the Library of Canterbury
Cathedral, that every foreign na-
tion had at this time some Car-
dinal or other to be their pecu-
liar guardian, and that Barberini
was the appointed guavdian of
the BngliBh.' E.
LIFE OF MILTON. xvii
tDok a particular liking and affection to Milton; dnd
Mitoon, to thaitk him for all his favours, wrote to him
lifterwaids from Florence the ninth of his femilidr epiSi'
ties. At Rome too Selvaggi made a* Latin distich in
honour of Milton, and Salsilli a Latin tetrastich,
cdebtating him for .his Gleek and Latin and Italian
poetry; and he* in return presented to Salsilli in his
sickiieiss ' those iine Scazoris, or Iambic verses having a
spondee in the last foot, which are inserted amotig his
juvenjle pbemis.
' From Rome he went to Naples, in company with a
certain hermit; and by his means was introduced to
the acquaintance of Giovandi Baptista Manso, Marquis
of Villa, a Neapolitan noblenlan, of singular merit and
idrftie, to whom ' Tassd addresses ' his diak)gue of
friendship,' and whom he mentions likewise in his
Gierusalemme Liberata with' great' honour. This
nobleman was particularly civil to Milton, frequently
visited him at his lodgings, and went vvith him to .show
him the Yiceroy^s palace, and whatever was curious at
worth notice in the city: and moreover he honoured
him so far as to make a Latin distich in his praise,
which is printed before our author^s Latin poems, as is
likewise tbe other of Selvaggi, and the Latin tetrastich
of SalsilU together with the Italian ode and the Latin
eulpgium before mentioned. We may suppose that
Milton was not a little pleased with the honours con-
ferred upon him by so many persons of distinction, and
especially by one of such quality and eminence as the
Marquis of Villa ; and as a testimony of his gratitude
he presented to the Marquis at his departure from
Naples his eclogue entitled Mansus, which is weD
VOL. I. c
i^iil LIPB OF Mtl/rDN.*
y^&ttih teading Among his Latin poetM, So ^ttoit it
may be reckdned a peeuliar MUAty of the Marquis oC
Yi\W^ life, to have be^n celebrated both by Tasso and
Milton, the one the greataflit modem poet of fab owd,
aM the oAef the greatest of any foreign nation^.
Hating seen the finest parts of Italy, Milton ^pias^
now thinking of passing oter into Sicily and Gretoev^^
Mrbett he Was diverted jfrom his purpose by the nevm
Ctom England, that things Mttxe tending to 'a civil war
between the King and Parliament; for be thought it.
unworthy of himself to be taking his pleasure abroid,
while his countr3rmen were contending Ibr liberty ae
home; He retN>lved di^refbre to return by the way of
ftMne, though he was advised to the contrary fay the
fliereliantsi who had reorived intelligenoe fifom dieir
correspondents, tfatt the English Jesuitti there were
ibrming plots ag&tnst bim^ in case he shouM. return
thither by redMU of the great fieedom which he had
ilMd in all his discourses <^ religion. For he h^i by no
tteims observed the rule, recommended to hitn by Sir
tieuty Wottobi of keeping bis thoughts close and his
c6utotenat!ice opent he had visited Galileo, a prisoner
to the Inquisitioui for asserting the motion of the earth,
aiid thiflkidgotherwise in astronomy than the Dominicans
and tfancisoans thought*": and though the Marquis
df Vilk hsd shown htm sudi distinguishing marks of
^ 3se Mr. Warton*8 note (*) on ^11 ^preec dittll acritti e dalle
the Stdnsus. £• massime del ^lilee;, invalonte
* RoUi ooDfliderB Mne ideas gik ne* di loi mgfmd, ^loeUe nok
in the Paradise Loti, appsoach- zioni filoaoiiohe sparse poi nel
ing tOMhatAi iixe Newtonian phi* pMkna* die tacnto n unlmmtfno
holSoifhj, to have beeh oaiif^fat at al sislema del GaTslier Newwn.
Florence from Gralileo or his dia- Todd.
tijIksB. Itk Fir^ae certamente
J,IFE OF mlTQ^, aif
fiivaor ^t Nfiplas, yet he told biiq at his departuie ih^t
he woaid have riiown him mudi gfei^ter, if be had be^
more reserved iq matters of religipn* Qat he had a
spid above diasimulaticH^ aqd di^Mis^ ; h^ was neither
afraidi nor ashamed to vindica^ ib/^ truth ; ^od if any
m^ bf^di he had in him, the spirit of an old martyr^
He ifas so prudent indeed, that he would not of hi^
own record begin i|ny ^iscpurse of reljgiqn ; but at the
same tiine he was so honest, that if h^ ufas questioned
at aU about bis faith, he ^ould not dis^mble hi^
seotiaieptSi wiiat^vi^ ym the consequence, * And with
diis r^spl^tion be went to Rome the second time, and
stayed there %wq months more, neither conceialing his
n^mPj nor ilepliping openly to defend the truth, if any
thought proper to attack him: and yiet, God^s good
providlence protecting him, he came safe to bis kind
ftieiid^ at |>*lprpnce, where he was rteieiyed with as
much joy afid a^^ction, as if he bad i^turned into his
osra country.
Ifene likewise be stayed two months, as he luul done
before, exc<epting only an excuniion of a ^w days tp
Lycca: and then crossing the Apepnine, and passing
throiigh Bolpgoa and Ferrara^ he came to V<»iice, in
which city be spent 9 mpnth ; and paving ^hipped of
the books, which he had collected in his travels, and
pprCiculiuiy a l^^t or txf o of ct^oice n)psic books pf
the h^st fl^asfcers flounshing about tiiat time in Italy, he
tppk his course through Verona, Milan, and along the
lake Leman to Geneva. In this city he tarried some
time, meeting here with people of his . own principles,
and contracted an intimate friendship with Giovanni
Deodati, the most learned professor of divinity, whose
c2
XX LIFE OF RIILTCJN.
annotations upon the Bible are published in English '.
» • I ' • •
And from thence returning through Fraftce, the same
way that he had gone before, he arrived safe in Eng-
land, after a peregrinatiod of one year and about three
months, ha\4ng seen moreV and learned more, and con-
versed with more famous men, and made more real
improvements, than most others in dduble the time.
His first* business after his return was to pay his
duty to his father, and to visit his other friends; but
this t)leasure was much diminished by the loss of his
dear friend and schoolfellow Charles Debdati in ' his
absence. While he was abroad, he heard it reported
• • • I • «
that lie was dead; and upon his coming home he
found it but too true, and lamented his death in an
excellent Latin eclogue,' entitfed ]£pitaphium Damonis.
This Deodati had a father originally of Lucca, but his
mother was English^ and he was born and bred in
England, and studied physic, and * was an iadmirable
scholar, and no less remarkable for his sobriety and
other virtues than for his great learning and ingenuity.
One or two of Milton's familiar epistles are addressed
to him; and Mr. Toland says, that he had in his haiids
two Greek letters of Deodati to Milton, very hand-
somely written. It may be right for scholars now and
* See the firat note on EpUofA., tem mihi hinc veniat Mori ca-
Damofiis., At Geneva also, ao- luinniatoris, fiuit ut Deum hie
cording to Toland, Milton be- ninus testem invoeem, me his
.came acquainted with Frederick omnibus in lods, ubi tam mdlta
Spanheim. In Milton*s own ac- licent, ab omni flagitio ac probro
count of his return, the name of integrum atque intactum vixisse,
Geneva recalling to his mind the illud perpetuo cogitantem, si ho-
slanders of Moms, he solemnly mmum latere ociuos possem^ Dei
declares the unspotted purity of certe non posse. Def. Sec Pr. W.
his Conduct during- his tour in ii. p. 384. ed. 1753. £. .
•Italy. Quae urbs, cum in men-
LIFE OF .MILTON. xxi
then ta exercise th^mselven in Greek and Latin ; but
we have much more frequent occasion to; write letters
in our own native language, and in that therefore w^
should principally endeavour to excel *^.
Milton^ soon after bis return, had taken a Ip^ng at^
one Russel^s, a tailor in St. Bride*s Church-yard;; but
he continued not long there, having not sufficient .ropia
for his library and furniture, and therefore determined;
to take a house ; and accordingly took a handsome
garden*house'in.Aldersgate-street, situated at the end
of aa entry, which was the mojie agreeable to a studioua
man for its privacy and freedom from, noise and dis^
turbance. And in this house, he continued several
years, and his sister^s two sons were put to board with
him, first the younger, and afterwards the elder^:^and
some other of his intimate friends requested of him the
same &vour for. their sons, especially since there wi^s
little more trouble in instructing half a dozen than two
or three: and he, who could not easily deny any thing
to his friends, and who knew that the grratest men jn
all ages had delighted in teaching others the principlesi
* See a ftirtber account of the Poets, 1794.
Charles Deodati in Mr. Warton'a ' '* The first ten, the other
first note on EL i. E. " nine years of dge j and in a
^ ** That is^ a bouse situated in " year's time he made, them ca*
a garden, (^- which there were, " pable of interpreting a Latin
especially in the north suburbs '' author at sight." Aubrey, But
'' of London, very many, if not see some sensible renyirks in
'' few else. Thetermistedmical, Johnson's Life of Milton on his
** and frequently occurs in the power, and system of teaching ;
" AthflD. and Fast Oxon* Mil- and compare Symmons, Life of
'' ton'shouse in Jewin Streetwas Milton, p. 198 — 206. ed. % E.
^ also a gaiden-honse, as were Philips states, that the younger
" indeed most of his, dwellings of tne nephews '' had been
" after his settlement in Loh- " wholly committed to Milton's
'' don.*' Note s^ed H. Xtpet qf " charge and .c$ie. K. ;
c 3
xiiii LIFE OP MILTON.
of infiotHedjge Md virtue^ Ufldertcxd^ Uie oilee, not out
df Mi^ sbltlid and inereenaiy tiews^ but ttierely from a
betteV6lent dis^itioD, and a desiie to do good*. And
his method of education was as much atfove the pe-
dantly and jaigon of the common schooIa^M Ua gehius
ilMfs su^noir to diat ioif a common Mfaooinnbter. One
df his^tf6f^e#i» has igiven ua an aeebiint df the many
atitt^ b6th Latin and Giwk^ which (beskkb those
tUfitaXfy rtad in th^ schools) throogh his exdellent.jildg^
iix^t and way i6f teaching were rdn over wfthm no
gfttMer 'ciofmpiass of time than from ten to frftaen or six-*
t^ yeiars ^ aege. Of the Ladns the four ttf^thore
d>ik:f^]r]fg hiisbandi^, €ato, Varms Ctilumella^ and
^UfediAs; CorhdSn Cebus the ^physician, t ^great part
6f Prinyn» NbtQf&l H1st6r)r, the ATchiteotuie of
Vitnivius, A^ Stratag^la ^f Frontinus, and the phihv
soffliit^ pbeibs LdcVetins and ManiHus. Of the Greeks
« HiSiKiid, Aratti^^ l^Menooti^na and Diosemeias Dicmy*
Bitis A^ 'Se stte orbis^ Offpian^s Gynegetks tad
Halieutids, tQumtti^ OallibeHs ^m of the Trcgan Irar
Coni!rhU€ld 'frdnd Homer, Apollontus Rhodius^s Aigo-
nautics, and in prose Plutarch's Placita philosophorum,
and of the Education of children, Xenoph^n?s Gyro-
paedia and Ansibasis, Elian's Talctics, and the Strata-
gems of Polystnusr. -Nor did this application to the
Greek And Latin tongues binder the attaining to the
dbief oriental 'languages, the Hebrew, Ghaldee, and
Syriac, so tiir as to go through the Peqtateuch or five
books of Moses in Helbt^w, to ntake a godd ^entrMace
into the Targumor Cfaaldee paraphrase, and to uncler-
stand several (Chapters <it St. MatthdW ih tUe Striae
Testament; besides the modern langul^jes, Italian ^and
LIFE OF MlLTON« :aui
WW for the fliost pant ta nftod » cb^ple^ ^ the .Gi^
Testemeot, and ti9. bewr h«i Iwimsd eK]KWtH»i (Sif *t»
I'he next work ^Aer tlu9 «iii9 to imt^ Awibis^tatiiW
some part of A sjsteaiof diymkj:. wbiobiiehadcottffttedi
fimn the afaleat Aimm^ vi^^ k94 wriltw ^o^n Ihat
subject^* Sudi vmne MfK waiteiii^ mtH»tmB; ^od
tbw I>y leacbiog Athens Jm^ ip mme nwp^r fe«il«X9d bi9
wm liLQoWledge ; mid fwrngj^ limbing ^^ mwy wo^
lhor» 88 it wese hy fR^xy^ fee joigbt .pqesibly hwe
fgetemed hia sights if .be .ba4 opt moroovier bteen
pcqMiually busied in reading jot Hviting a^mefi^og
bnnoelf. It wm cerMidlya very r^luae 9»4 iStiidiovi
ttfe^ Hhat both be aiid bis pupils M; but the youqg
sieu of ^that.agf w^ne pf a di^c^r^ turn ^m tbppe jof
tbepnesent; aod.bebi^isQlfgi^^ m example to «hpf»
mderhiQi^of AnidifiAudy and spare 4i^; oqly noF ^ujd
lhm»<iiiQe ia Aree wed» or aimfloitb^ be raadea ^;audy
4^r with some yKvang fSfif^ikemm oi hi» twqmn^9f»f
the chief «Kf»wb0m, wy» JSfif. Pbibps» wexp Mr. Alpbiy
and Mr. tMiUer^ boitb of <iifiay's-IuD, and two /of tbe
gnatsst btma of 'those times*
' Sat be was not so fond of this academi^I ]^> as to
be aa indbBfesent .speotator of what :was ac^led upon the.
paUic stage of {the worjid^ Tbfs nation was now in a
gfieatifennent in l64rU c^d (be clamour ran high against
the btafaops,^ when he JMA^Jotidly in tbe ciys tfi belf^
^^* A p^rfoetmteiD of Dhi^ .6U>g'uB4£ Wittam Ames, a Pun*
nity/* 8«^ Philim, '' collected tan^ and the Compendium Theo-
fh»D Amesiua^ Wollebius^ ^c" logia ci Wollebius. £.
c 4
€€
Miv , LIFE OF MILTON.
die puritan ministers, (as he says himsdf in his second
D^nce,) th^ being inferior fo the bis|idp6 in learning
and eloquence ; and published his two books Of Re-
formation in England, written to a friend. About the
same time certain ministers having published a treatise
against episcopacy, in answer to the Humble RemoD«
strance of Dr. Joseph Hall, Bishop of Norwich, under the
title of Smectymnuus, a word consisting of the initial let*'
ters of their names; Stephen Marshall, Edmund Calamyy
Thomas Young, Matthew Newcomen, and William
Spurstow; and Arohbishop Usher having published afe
Oxford a refutation of Smectymnuus, in a tract con*
cerning the Original of Bishops and Metropolitans;
Milton wrote his little piece Of Prelatical Episcopacy,
in opposition chiefly to Ushet*, for he was for contend-
ing with Uie most powerful adversary; there Would be
either less disgrace in the defeat, or more glory in the
victory. He handled the subject more at large in his
next performance, which was the Reason of GhurGfa
GrOvemment urged against Pnelaty, in two books. And
Bishop Hall having published a Defence of the Humble
RemOn^trafnce, he wrote A nhnad versions upon .it.'i All
these treatises he published Wrthin the> CKHme of * ooe
year, 1641 , which show how very diligent he was in the
cause that he had undertaken. And the next year he
set forth his Apology for Smectymnuus, in answer to
the Confutation of his Anhnadversiohs, written as he
thought himsdf by Bishe^ H«tU.or his son*. And here
he very luckily ended a controversy, which detained
him ftom-gieater and. better writings which he was
^ See Mr. W«rton*6 concluding note on the Latin poems.. £. • .
LIFE OF MILTON.
mediiatiiig, more useful to the public^ as well as more
suitable to his own genius and iDclination: bc^ he
thought ftll this while that he was vindicating ecclesias-
tical liberty^
In4be year 1643^ and the 35th of his age, he married ;
and indeed his^ family was now growing so numerous,-
tbat'it wanted a mistress at the head of it. His &tfa{er,(
' AsaspedoMtiofthefiMnlhy
with which men may persuade
themselves that their own mo-
tiTes are akogedier pure, and
those of their adversaries corrupt^
I subjoin Milton's account of his
motives in writing these pieces,
from the Defensio Secunda. Pr.
W. ii. D. 884. ed. 1768. Ut pri-
mum loquendi saltern ccepta est
libertas 'ooncedi, omnia in Epis-
eofiios apisriri ore; alii de ipsorom
▼itiis, alii de ipsius ordinis vitio
conqueri 3 iniquum esse^ se solos
ab ecclesBa omnSms^ quotqpiot
reformats^ sunt, discrepare; ex-
emplo fTatrmh, sed maxime ex
¥erbo Dei, iffiibmiluri Eedeslam
oonvenire.. Ad hsec sane exper-
icctQs, cttiii veram aflfectari viain
ad libertatem cemerem, ab his
initiis^ his passibus, ad liberan-
dam servitote vitam omnem mor-
talium rectissime procedi, si ab
reKgione dtsciplina orta ad mores
et iDStitiita reipnblicss emanaret,
cam etiani me ita ab adolescentia
pstrassem, ut quid divini, quid
humani esset juris, ante omnia
possem non ignorare> meque con*
Sttluissem • ecquando ullius usus
essem futurus, 01 nunc patriie,
immo vero ecclesise, totque fra-
tribns evangelii causa periculo
sese objicientibusd^^SBscmf statu!,
etst tunc alia quucliiii' uiedilabary
hue omtie uigcninm^ omiies in*
dustrise vires transferre. Pri-
mum itax^ue De Beformand|i £0-
clesia'Anglicana, duos ad ami-
enm qneodam libros .consoripsi ;.
deinde, cum duo prse ceteris
magni norainis episcopi suum jus
contra mimstros quosdam prima-,
rios assererent, ratus de iis rebus^
quas amore solo veritatis, et ex
officii Christiani ratione didice-
ram, baud pejus me dicturiim
quam qui de boo qaaesta et in«
justissimo dominatu contende-
bant, ad hunc libris duobus, quo-
rum unus De Efpiscopatn Jhni'^
latico, alter De Ratione Discipli-
life Ecclesiastfcse^ inscribitur/ ad
i\\ap scrintis quibu4diim Anim-i
adversionibus, et mox Apologia
respondif-et tninistris fkeundiaiil
hominis, ut ferebatur egre sus-
tinentibus suppetias tun, et ab
eo tempore, si quid- postea re-
fiponderent, thteifui.— And Hall
and Usher were the men against
whom these insinuations were
directed.
The celebrated passage, al-
luded to by Bishop Newton, itf
which M ilton promises some great
poetical work at a fbture period/
occurs in .the preface to the
second book of the Reason of
Church Oovemment, Parts of it
are cited in the notes on P. L.
iUT.andP. R. i. 1. E. .
n
xxti JLIFE OF MILTON.
mbo had Inred vith his youi]|;er son. at Reading, wait
upon the taking of that place by the foices nnder the
fiurl of Essex, necessitated to come and lire in London
widi diis his elder son, widi whom he cooiinoed in
tranquillity and devotion to kis dying diay. Some
addition too was to be made to the number of bis
pupils. But before bis ftther or bis new pufiils were
come, be took a journey in the Whitsuntide vacation,
and after a montb^s absence FBtiuned with a wife, Mary
the ddest daughter of Mr. Richard PoweH, of Forest*
hill near Shotover in Oxfordfllriie,ti justice of the peace,
and a gentleman of good repute and %ure in that
coiinty^. Bat she had not aAalHted with ber bui^and
^bove a UKNitfa, befoie she was earnestly solicited by
her relations to come and spend tfie remaining part cf
the ^ufmner with them in the cauntry. If it was Jibot
at her instigation thatlier friends made this lequest, yet
at least it was agreeable to her inclittatioD ; and she ^ob-
tained her husband's consent upon a promise of return-
ing at Michaelmas. In the mean while Us studies
weat on very v^rously ^ ; and his .chief diversion.
1 A letter of Sir W. Jones to L'AU^gxoaadllPteQtevoioiiiJfl^
htuiy Spencer^ which Lord have been written at that timc^,
Teigmnottth hat preserved in his for they were <DOt rpuUished till
iifeof Sir W, Jones> has given l645j yet in his Ode to tBousebe
celebrity to the tradition that speaks of the whole volume of
Milton oonposed several of his poems in which vthey were in-
earliest /proouctionB, and parti- eluded as the production of his
fularly L'All^sfo and 11 Pense* youthful days. See Todd's Life
rosOf at .Forerthill. It is mora of Milton, p. 19^-^25. and the
probable that these poems were life by Synunons^ p. 6l6--6l8*
eomposed during ha residence ed.d. £.
at Horton. There is noevidenoe " '* And now the studies went
that he ever, resided at Foresthill, "on with so much the more
except perhaps during the mqnth " vigour^ bb there were more
of his courtship. And though " hands and heads employed ;
LIFE OF MILTON. aumi
alter the bunncw i»f the «tey» wm notr and thes ill «b
eveiMlg to ^it the Lady MargamC Ldes daughter of
the Sari of Maribotougfa, Lbrd High Tj«aiarar of
EDgkad, alMl Fk^eMdent of the Frifvy Coohcil to King
Jmm» I . This Ladyv hehig a womloi of eimelknM: wit
and ooderstandiiKg, had a particular hcmour Ite oar
atttfao^ aflod took gmat tddi^ in hia couveraatioa ; aa
Kkewiie did iiet iiaaband Captain HoUoih ft veiy ac*
eoaapliafaed gentleman. Atid What %i mgard Milcoii
^[ain liad fiar her, he hap ieft upton reoonl in a motmA
to her i^«ev extant amtog faia oAmt piaetaa.
Miehadmlis waa n^w <maae, but he heatd tfothmg of
bia wffe^s lettrrD, Ute iwiotls -to <her, but feo^ed vto
aiiawer. He wrote again tetter «tfter letter^ but Teceived
M) answer to any of Mieui. He then dispatched a mes-
aenger i99th a letter, dMiriog her to return ; but she
poAtiT^y refosed, and dismissed the Kbessenger with
contempt. Whether it was, that she had conceived
any dislike to her husband's peiaon or humour; or
whedier she could not conform to his retired and
(jhilosophical manner of life, having been at^^stomed
to-a iioQae df rafuch gaiety and cotaifiany ; or wliether
being of a family strongly attached to the royal cause^
ihe could not bear^her husband's reptiblietun principfes^
or whether she was o^rpersuaded by her relations, who
possiSly might repent of having matclied the ddest
daughter 6f the family to a man so distingui^ed for
taking the contrary party, the King's headquarters
being in their neighbourhood at Oxford, imd bis Ma^
jesty hdving now some fairer prospect of success;
*
f die old gendtman [Milton's «' oot the least txooble insgin-
'«t&i||flr3 liyiDtt wholly letirttd ''able/' Philipt.
^ to his rest and devotioD, with-
xxviii LiF£ OF MILTON J
whetfier ajiyior aH of tbrne were the reasoos of ibis.ex-^
tracardinary behaviour ; however it was, it so . highly*
incensed her husband^ that he thought it wouk) be
dishoDouraUe efer to receive, her agiua after such a
repulse, and he determined to repudiate her as .she had
in efiect repudiated hinii and to consider her no, longer,
as his wife. And to.fortiiy this. his. resokition, and at
the same time to justify it to the WiCMrld^ he wrote, the.
Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, whetein he.en-t
deavoura to prove,, that indispositiGHa, ^nfitneBS, or coq^
trariety of mind, proceeding from any iincha^g^efli^le
cause in nature, hindering and emei^ Ukely to hinder the
main bene6ts of. conjugal society^ which ace solace
and peace, Are graater reasons of divorce than adulteiy:
or natural frigidity, especially if there be no. cbildreo,
and .there be mutual consent fpr se|>aration". He
piiblisbed. it at first without his name, but the .style
easily betrayed the author;, and after wards, a seoood
edition, much augmented; with hi^ name; and he de-^
« ■ . ' . ' , » .
" Milton in the aocount of his esse species^ que nisi adsint, vita
Works in his Second Defence ' ulla transigi commode viz possit,
does net. allude to hia domeatic Ecdesiasticam, Domesticam sea
injuries^ but treats of his leritings privatam, atque Civilem, deque
on Divorce as the natural fraits prima jam scripsissem, deque
of his ianxious wishes to promote tertia Magtstratum sedulo age^
liberty^ first ecclesiastical^ then viderem^ qase reliqua secunda
domestic liberty! Cum petiti erat^ domesdcam tami desumpei,
omnium telis Episcopi tandem Pr. W. ii. p. S85. ed. 1753. A
cecidissenty otiumque ab illis es- litde further on, however, there
set, verti alio cogitationes ; si qppeara to be a curious alluaioQ
qua in re possem Hbertads verse to circumstances very like his
ac solidae rationem promovere; own — ea igitur de re aliquot li«
quse non foris, sed intns (|ue&- broaedidi; eoprsesertim tempore
lenda, non pugnando, sed vitam cum vir seepe et conjux hostea
recte instituehdo, recteque admi« inter se acerrimi, hie domi cunt
nistrando adipiscenda potissi- liberis, ilia in castris hostium ma-
mum est. Cum itaque tres om- terfamilias versaretur, viro cse-
nino animadverterem libertatis dem atque pemioiem minitatas. £^
LIFE OF MILTON.
xinx
dicated it to the Parliamentof England with the As-
sembly of Divinies, that as they were then consulting
about the general reformation of the kingdom, they
might also take this particular case of domestic liberty
into their consideration. And then^ as it was objected,
that his doctrine was a novel notion, and a paradox that
nobody had ever asserted before, he endeavoured to con-
fihn his own opinion by the authority of others, and
f r • r «
published in 1644 the Judgment of Martin Bucer, &c.
and as it was still objected, that his dclctrine could not
be reconciled to Scripture, he published -in 1645 his
Tetrachordon, or Expositions upon the four chief places
in Scripture^ which treat of aiarriage, or nuHities in
marriage''. At the first appe$u*ing of the Doctrine and
•Dicipline of Divorce the clergy raiised a heavy outcry
against it, and daily solicited the F^arliament to pass
some censure upon it; and at last' one of them, in a
sennon preached before the Lords and Commdns on a
day of humiliation ih August 1644, roundly toid them,
that there was a bode abroad which deserved to be
burnt, and that among their other sins they ought to
repent, that they had riot yet branded it with some
mark of their dispIeasureP. And Mr. Wood informs
^us, that upon Miltoh^s publishing his three books of
Divorce, the Assembly of Divines, that was then sit-
ting at Westminster, took specif notice of them; 'and
• Gen. i. £7, 28. (with ii. 18,
^, d4.) Deat xxiv. 1, 2. Matt
V. 31, 82. (with xix. 8—11.)
1 Cor. vii. 10—16. E.
^ The title of this Sermon is^
" The GlasBe of God's Plrovi-
** dence towards his faithful ones,
** held forth in a Sermon> &c. by
'' Herbert Pahiier, B. D. &c.'*
There was a copy of it in the
curious library of James Bindley,
Esq. The author was a member
of ttie Assembly of Divines, and
parliamentary Master of Queen's
College, Cambridge. Todd.
xn L^JS QP Mll^TON.
his foriDep service in writing agaio^
the Bishops, c^usec) him tq be siimmQi)^ hsfcHie the
House of LotcIb : hut tb^t House, whether ftppioviiig hi«
doctripe, or not ff^vouriiig his iMscusers, sqop diamiPH^
Imn* He vf9» iU:tack^ too frpm the press as wdl as from
the pulpit, in a pamphlet entitM Pivorce ^t pleasw«,
and iu another eptitled an Answer to the Doctrine and
Discipline of Div<ww, whiqh waf( lioepsed and r^om^
mwded by Mr, Josteph Caryl, a ihoioua Presbyterian
Divine, anii author of a volmnjnoqa CQmmentary on the
book of Job: a«d Milton ia bi» ColMtprion or Reply
publifh^ IP I64d ^Kpoatul^tw smartly with the hoenser,
as w»H as handlos v»y roughly the naipe)ea9 author^
And tb«90 piovDoationSi .1 aupfiose, qoptributed mt 9
littte to loake him suqh aqi wemy tp the Presbyteriana,
to wh<Hn h^ had before distinguished himself a fiiepd.
Ha compos^ likewise two of bis soppQts pp the recep-
tioR hia book of Divorce met with, but the latter is
much the better of the twq. To this account it may
be added from Audiony Wood, that after the ^ipg'p
restoration, when the subject of divorce was upder
coiiaidfmtiop with the Lords upon the account of Jphn
Lord Roa or Rops's aeparation fiipp hia wife Apoe
Pierppint, eldest daughter to Hepjy Marquis of Dpr-
ebeater^ he was eonsulted by aP eminent qiember of
that Houae, and about the ?ai9e time by e chief officer
4
^ Jdi)t<^*s doctrine was also ^nntes several oibu^ pi^o», one
faiwiftrtv4ytwi aPOWi b»* witio^t so Uj;^ as 1670, m ^W^m Milton's
«ll7.9)a^ti994»fWiawtb(9V^8ni|me, doctrine is no^cec); .wd sfiews
bf BUb^p H§ii> V^ hh Casm ipf t^a^ thff*^ was even a sect called
egfMWDCie 4^!S9ue. iy. ^fim 9* fruna hif wittngs Diwrcers, and
Noti^ Mned I. B. l4ve$ qf ike MiUomtU. E.
PoeU, ed. 1794. Mr. Todd enu-
LIFE OP MILTON.
XXXI
of state, 88 being the prinofe pemon ^o wm knowing
in that aflhin
But while he was engaged in this controversy of
dtvoice» be was not so totaHy engaged in it^ but he at*
tended toother things; and about this time published
his letter of Education to Mr« Samuel Hartlib, who
wrote some tilings about husbandry, and was a man of
considerable learning, as appears firom the letters which
passed between him and the famous Mr. Mede, and
from Sir William Pettis and Pelt the mathematician's
writing to him, the former his treatise for the Advance-
ment of some particular parts of learning, and the latter
his Idea of the Mathematics, as wdl as ftom this letter
of our author'. This letter of our author has usually
be^i printed at tiie end of his poems, and is as I may
say the theory of his own practice ; and by tiie rules
whidi he has laid down for education we see in some
measure tiie mediod tiiat he pursued in educating his
own pupils*. And in 1644 he published his Areopagi-
tica or Speech for the liberty of unlicensed printing to
the PlftrKament of England. It was written at the
^ Hartlib was a native of Hol-
land. Hewaaooneanedinpob-
liahing some of thejpieoes written
byhiiftiendJobnDury; among
which are two new projecte for
the education of youtn. In 1654,
he pabliflhed Aree tnatuee by
different anthort on The true and
rea^ mmt to learn the Latin
iompu. Hartlib teok grest paina
to frame a new ^stem of eda-
cation aatwerable to the perfec-
tion and purity of the new com-
-weddi. But ilia cUeffNnr.
to faure been in
natural' and mechanical science.
These areeosse reljc^ons niaoea
under his name. Several books
are addressed to him. He car-
tied on a.learaed coneq[)eodence
abroad, and his opinions on va-
rious topics appear to bave ob-
tained univenuu respect and aa«>
thori^. T, Warttm,
• TtnM leeier has been tana-
lated into French with a warm
eologiam on its author bv the
translator. SeeLettressurlEdn-
estioD des Mdcos. Awec one Let-
tse de Ifikon, &c 114/S. Todd.
xxxn bIFE OF MILTON.
desiie of several learned men, and is perhaps the best
viDdication, that has been published at any tijDae.cNf in
laoy language^ of that liberty which is the hash and
support of all other liberties, the hberty of the.pr^as:
but alas it had not the dessired effect ; for the Pi>e^by te*
rians were as fond of ^Qercisiag the Itcrasiog power,
when they got it into their own hands, as they had been^
clamcHTous before in inveighing against it, while it was
> in the hands of the PrelatJes. And Mr. Toli^ is
mistaken in saying, '^ that such was the effect of this
^^ piece, that the following year Mabol a licenser
*' ofi^red reasons against licensing; and at his own
^'request was discharged that office/^ For neither
was the licenser's name Mabol, but, Gilbert Mabbot ;
neither was he discharged ftom his office till May 1649*
about five y^ars afterwards, though probably be might
be swayed by Milton's alignments, as every ingenuous
person must, who peruses and considers them^ And
in 164*5 was published a collection of his poems, Latin
and English, the principal of which are, On the morning
of Christ's nativi^, L^AU^ro, II Penserosb, Lycidas,
the Mask, &c. &c. : and if he had left no other monu-
ments of his poetical genius behind him, these would
have been sufficient to have rendered his name im-
.mortal,
* But without doubt his Doctrine of Divcmse, and the
maintenance of it, principally engaged his thoughts at
tfiis period; and whether others were convinced or not
by his argumafits, he was certainly convinced himself
that he was in the right; and as a proof of it he
. < Seemfiill jMaoount of G. Mab- for it, in Bbdis Lift of Mihan^
bots resignation, and his lOMODs p. no. od. 1753. £.
LIF£ OF MILTON. xxxiii
determiiied to marry «agaiQ». and mwie hm addresses, to.
a jroung kdy of great wit and beau^» one of the
daughters of Dh Davis» Bui intelligenoe of this coming
to his wife* and the. then declining state of the King's
cause, and consequently of die circumstances of Justice
PoDrell's family, caused them to set all engines on
work to restore the wife i^in to her hurtmnd. And
his inaids too ibr different reasons seem to have been as.
desirous, of bringing about a reconciliation aa her*s, and
this method of effecting it was concerted between diem.
He had arebtion, one Bbckborough, living in the lane
of. St. Martin's Le Grand, whom he often visited;
and one day when he was vinting there, it was con-
trived that the wife shoidd be ready in anodier room^
and as he was thinking of nothing kss, he was surprised
to see.her^ whom he had expected never to have seen
any more, M&Mig down upon her knees at his feet, and
imi^oring:. his forgiveness with tears. At first he
showed some signs of aversion, but he continued not
long inexorable; his wife^s oilieaties, and the interces-
sion of fiwbds on both sides, soon wroi^t upon hia
generous nstilie, and procured a happy reconciliation,
with an act of oblivion of all that was paat^« : But he
Ad not take his wife home immediately ; it was agreed
that she should remain at a fiiend^s, till the house, that
he had newly taken, was fitted for their reception; foe
some otheir gentlemen erf* his acquaintance, having ob^
served die gvaat success of his method of edueation,
" Fantaii obpttvct, that the in the teiidi book of Paradise
impwMioD whiA tkia intenrkw Lott»inwhidiSveaiioatoAdam
■MHie on liaton's itnaaimtion to paidon and peace. See tho'
ftofaabljoontrilmtediBiiditotlie note^ P. L. x. 940. E.
pebtiiig of that pathetic aoene
VOL. I. d
nxiv LIFE OF MILTON.
bad recomtnended their boos to his caie;, and tim house
in Aldersgate-street not being la^ enough, hi6 liad taken
a hunger in Barbican: and till this could be got leadj^
the place pitched upon for his wife's abcxie was the
widow Webber's house in St. Clement's Chuich-yard,
whose second daughter bad been married to the other
brother many years before* The part, that Milton
acted in this: whole affiur, showied plainly that he had a
spirit capable of the strotigest resentment, but yet more
inclinable to pity and fongiveness: and neither in: this
was any injury done to the other lady, whom he was
courting, for she is said to have been' always arerae
from the motion, not daring I suppose to venture in
marriage with a man who was known to h^e a wife
still living. He might not think himself too at liberty
as before, while his wife pontioued obstinate; for bis
most plausible argument ftnr idivorce proceeds upon a
SKipposition, that the thing be done with mutuai con*
sent.
After his wife's return his family was increased not
only with diildren, but also with his wife's, nelations,
her father and mother, her brothers and 'sislers, coming
to live with him in Ihe general distress and* ruin of the
royal party 3 and he vras sso ^ from iJesenting thei^
former ill treatment of him^ that he generously prcU
teot^ tbem^ and enteitained them very hospitably, till
their afiairs were accomuKxlated through bia inteteat
with the prtvailiiig faction'. And Aen upbn' their
' Mr. Tddd obterves, Aat Mr. ^ and GentkntBtbat have tom-
F»w«U SMBs to hkve siqaitad '^pomided lor their estetes,"
■everaly for hi^ kttichiaeiit to London, l655« he mm Aum
the ro]nd party. inthe'*Cafea^ braDded as weU asteed: '' Ri->
'' logue of the Lorda, Knights^ <« chard PbweU Ddmpitm^ per
LIFE OF MILTON. xxxv
remov^F, Md the deaith of hid owb ikther, bis house
looked again like the house of the Muses: but his
studies had like to hate been interrupted by a call to
public business ; for about this titne there was a design
of constituting him Adjutant General in the army
under Sif William Waller; but the new modelling of
die army soon following, that design was laid aside y*.
And not long«fter, his great house in Barb]<!:aii being
now too large ^r his family, he quitted it ibr a smaller
in High Holbtim, which opened backward into
LincoIn^s Inn Fields, where he pi^iecuted his studied;
titl the King's triid add desfth, when th^ Presbyterians
lieclaiming tragically against the^ King's execution, and
asserting that his person was sacf^ and inviolable, pro
vokedhitn^o write the Tenur&of K.ings and Magistrate^;
proring tliat it is laWfbl to call a tyrant to account and
to depose and pMt him to death, and that, they ,>vbo of
late so nnich blame depo^ng are ' the mefn who did ft
themselves : and he published it at the beginiung of the
year 1649? to satisfy and compose the mihds of the
peopled Not long after this 'be wrote his Observations
«< Jpiui Pve, £m*.i»76i. 12^» Sd:\ ^ Tbis report st^ms little proi
An^.fais hpus^Iiaid been before bable in itself^ hik) /the Hio'*
sened by the rebels. But Dr. gr^phers of Milton have usually
$ymm«iiB remarks upon thia^ noticed it with some suspicion,
Ihat though delinquept was the Philips^ who first ffaye it^ onl v
iwuid term amlied to the Royal- says, 'M am n\ucn mistaken if
ist^ by the rarliament ana its '^ there were not about this time
Siflberents^ it might mean here '' a design in a^tation of making
nothaiig more tbimf/f^ti^er witl^ *' him an Adjutapt-geu^ral, &c«**
rc^krence to the composition, £•
which was not a very hciivy one. ' Neque de jure regio quic-:
See some further particulani quam a me scriptum est, doneo
Mr. Powell in T. Rex hostis a Senatu judici^tusj
WiKrto>n's notes on Milton's Nun- belloque victus causam captivu^.
copativ^ WiU, subjoined to the apud judices diceret^ capiti^jue
Ltfe* • £. damnatus est Tum vero tan-
d2
XXXVl
LIFE OJF MILTON.
on the articles of peace between the Eaid of Ornioii4
and the Irish rebels \ And in these and all his writings,
whatever others of different parties may think, he
thought himself an advocate for true liberty, for ee«
clesiastical hberty in his treatises against the bishops,
for domestic liberty in his books of divorce, and for
civil liberty in his writings against the King in defence
of the parliament and people of England.
After this he retired again to his privalje studies :
and thinking that he had leisure enough for such a
work, he. applied himself to the writing of a. History of
England, which he intended to deduce from the earliest
accounts down to his own times; and he had finished
four books of it, when neither courting nor expecting
any such preferment, he was invited by the Council of
State to be their Latin Secretary for fordgn a£birs^
deni, tma presbyteriaui quidam
niiuitri, Ctfolo priuf infintifl*
simij nunc ihdependentitun par-
tes 81118 amtfmri, et in teaata
plus posse indignaotesy parla-
menti sententiae de rea^ tatse
iooii fteto initi> sed quod ipeonitn
actio mm fecisset) redamitarent,
ct quantum in ipsis erat tufnuU
toaffentnr^'ausi afBrmare phites-
tantium doctrinam, omnesque
ecdesias refbrmatas ab cjusmodi
in regn atroci aehtentia abhor-
Tere, ratus ftlsitati tam apertse
palam eundam obviam esse, ne
turn ipudem de Carolo quicquam
scripa aut suasi, sed quid in
geneie contra tyrannoa liceret,
adducds hand paucis summorum
tbeokgorum testimoniis, ostendi ;
St iniBg&em hominqm meliora
fvroStentium siire ignorantiam
aire impudentiam prope concio*
nabundus incessi. Liber iste non
nisi post mortem regis prodiit.
ad componendos podus hominom
animos factus^ quam ad statuaft*
dum de Carolo quicquam, quod
non mea sed magutrmtamn inter-
erat, et penu:tum jam turn erat.
Drf. Sec. Pr. W. li. p. S85. E.
* To whidi are adde4 lanarks
upon the letter to Colonel Jones^
Cfovemor of Dublin, in which
Ormond sought to withdraw him
from the service of the Parlia*
ment, atid upon the representa-
tion of the Scots presbjTtery, at
Belfast, in Which they deduored
their abhorrence of the death of
the King; the breach of die co-
Tenant, and Uie toleration of the
different persuasions. Birch.
^ Milton thus describes his la»
boors and circumstances prior to
this call to a public situation.
Hanc intra privatos parietes me-
am operam nunc ecclesfse, nunc
reipublicB gratis dedi; mihi vi«
cissim vel haec vel ilia prster in-
LIF^ OF MILTON.
Re seired in the same xri^Mcity under OUver^ and
Richard, and the Rump, till the Restoiafion; and
without doubt a better Latin pen could not. have beea
found in the kingdom. For the RepuUic.and Crom-
well scorned to pay that tribute to any forogn prince^
which is usually paid to the French king, of managing
their affidrs in his language ; they thought it an indigo
nky and meanness, to which this or any free na:tioii
ought not to submit; an4 took a noble resolution
neither to write any letters to any foreign states, nor to
receive any answers from them, but in the Latin
tongue, which was common to them all. And it wouU
have been well, if succeeding princes had followed thm
example; for in the opinion of very wise men, the
universality of the French language will make way for
the universality of the French monarchy.
fiut it was not only in foreign dispatdies that the
government made use of his pen. He had disdiaiged
the business of his office a veiy little time, before he
was called to a work of anodiei kind. For soon after
the King^s death was published a book under his name,
entitled Euu^ Ba^'fXis^t or the royal image : and this
book, like Caesar's last will, making a deeper impres-
sion and exciting greater commi^ration in the minds
of the people than the King himself did while alive.
eolmnitatem tifliil; bonam oerte
osQidentiaiD, bonam apud bmum
exiitiinatioDep^ ethonestam hanc
dieencU Uberuten ficta ipsa nd-
did«re: ecmimoda alii« alii hone-
TCS gratis ad se trahebant: me
naaao ambieBteoiy ntmoper ami-
eoa ^nieqaam palentem, eanm
Aribos amzum petitorio vultu.
aut mittdrum oonventamn vestt-
bulls Asefentcm nemo me unqnam
vidit DomileremecolitineDam»
meis ipse fi^altalibiiSy tametsi
hoc dvilitumsltu magna ex parte
detentis. ct censam fere iniquins
mihi impositum, et vitam atcon-
que frugi tolerabam. Vr. W. iL
p. 386. ed. 1758. £.
d 3
xxxviii LIFE OF MILTON.
Milton was oodeied to prepare an aaawer . M it, which
was published by authority, and eotitled fioMf oidXarrvr*
or the image-Jineaker, the femoua suroaitae of many Gilsek
emperoiB, who in their zeal against idolatry broke all
supefBtitiQiis images to pieces. This piece was trans-
lated into Frendiy and two replies to it were publistied,
one in 1651, and the other in 1699, upon the reprinting
of Milton^s book at Amsterdam ^ In this controversy
a heavy chaige hath been alleged against Milton.
Some editions of the King^s book have certain prayers
added at the end, and among them a pray^ in time
of captivity, which is taken from that of Pamela in
Sir Philip Sidney^s Arcadia: and it is said, that this
prayer was added by the contrivance and artifice ci
Milton,, who together with Bredshaw prevailed upon
the printer to insert it, that from thence he maght
take occasion to bring a scandal upon the King^ and
to blast the reputation of his book, as he hath at-
tempted to do in the first section of his answer. This
ftct is related chiefly upon the authority of 'Henry
Hills the printer, who had frequency affimied it to
Dr. GriU and Dr. Bernard his physicians, as they
^ * • ■
* Th^se replies were called the monn, in a painphlel entitled
Eatttf mt}i^iiff, (1651.) and the Ei^y i wttrm. And these pieces
Vindicias Cardinse, (1699.) Mil* were the precursors of a violent
ton in the Iconoclastes freauently controversy, upon the question
intimated his suspicions Uiat the of the genuineness of the Icon
kxMi Basihke was not the pro- Batilike» the credit of that work
duction ai lAte King; and the being chdmcd, and with great
fiflunr AKukn was published ki ^w of reason, by Dr. Gaudoi,
I6i9 to enftste mt cham of afterwards Bishop of Worcester.
spBripnsneia aguinst the ** King's The public is at thk moment ex«
*^ Book," as it was then called* peotinff a work en this subject
This piece was answered die fromtSepeMof Dr. Wordswortli,
same year bv a very inferknr Master of Trinity College^ Cam-
writer, acconiing to Dn Sym- bridge. E, ' ''- ' '
LIFE CXE MILTON. xxxix
0
r
themdclfes faaive testified. But Hills was not himself
tiie(prtiiter5.wbo was^deolt witbiin this manner, and
coDseqoentl^r' lie could ^kave liie stoiy only froin heari
say: and though he xvas Cromwell's printer, yet aftsr-
wards he turned papist in die reign of James II, in
order to be that king's printer, and it was at that tiro^
that he used to mlate this story ; so that, I think, little
credit is due to his testimony. And hideed I cannot
but hqpe and believe, that Milton had a soul above
being guilty of so mean an action to serve so mesA
a purpose; and there is as little reason for fixti^ i*
upon him, as he had to liraduce die King for pro&niiig
the duty of prajer ** with the polluted trash of h>*
^' mances/' For thero are not many finer prayers in
the best books ol devotion ; aiid the King might as
lawfijily borrow and apply it to his own occasions, as
die Apostle nright make quotations iiom Heathen
poems and plays : and it became Milton the least of all
men to bring such an accusation agaiiist the King, as
he was himself partieukuiy fond of reading romances;
and has made use of them in some of the best and
latMt of his' writings \
^ Ou GboA, printer to the Par* pn^er. Peck, it U true, aitsra^
liament, was the person said to us that he had seen the earliest
have been me vdled on by Milton Snglish edition withont the
to interpoW a9 edition of the prayer. And Mr. Ibdd found
Icon which he was printing with, that it was not contained in Dr.
tlie prtnyet Krom the Arcadia* • Earle's Latin transialKm of the
But Boyston, who waa reported loon, printed in l64i9. But Dn
to have received the manuscript Symmons asserts, that he had in
Ihmi the King, and whose pgiaa his possession die firtt edition of
waa not suspected of any con- the Icon printed in 1649, for R.
nection widi MUton or Bradshaw, Royston, and to which this prayer
did in fiurt, as Tdland remarked, is attached; and this seems to
publish the edition which origi- establish the point that die ehatge
nally contained the controverted of interpoktion was an ttHlbanded
d 4
1
LIFE OF MFLTON.
But his most oel^iated work in pfose is his Defenoe
of the people of England against Salmasius, Defensio \
fto populo AnglicMo contra Claudii Anonymi, alias
Sahnasiiy Defensionem Regiam. Sahnasius, by birth a
Frenohmao, succeeded the famous Scaliger as honorary
Professor of die Univarsity of Lieyden, and had gained
great r^utation by bis PKntan Ezercitalions on Solinus»
and by bis critical remarks on several Latin and Greek
aiithors, and was generally esteemed one of the greatest
and most consummate scholars of 'that age: and is
commended by Milton himsdf in his Reason -of Church
^^^ • ^^^
Government, and called the learned Salmasius. Be-
sides his great learningv he had extraordinary talents io
railing. ^* This prince of schdars, as somebody said
^ of him, seemed to have erected his throne upon a
^ heap of stones, that he might have them at hand to
** throw at. every . one^s head vfbo passed by/' He was
therefore courted by Charles II, as the most able
man to write a defence of the late King his fiither, and
to traduce* his adverBaries, and a hundred Jacobuses
were given him for that purpose, and the book was
published in 1649 with this title, Defensio Regia pro
Carolo L ad Carolum IL No sooner did this book
appear in England, but the Council of State unani-
mously appointed Milton, who was then present, to
answer it: and he performed the task with amazing
spirit and vigour, though his health at that time was
such, that he could hardly endure the fatigue of writ-
ing, and being weak in body, he was forced to write by
aOomny i^iiufc Milton. See nn'i L\fe of Miliom, "p. 67— 8S.
alio A tuffiaent refutation of this ed. i 780* E.
calumny in the Memarks os John"
LIF£ OF MILTON. aU
pieoe^meaU and to bimk off almoM every hour, as he
days himself io the iQtroductkm* This necessarily
occaabiied some deky, so that his Defence of the
people of England was not nrade public tiU the b^in-
ntog of the year ld51: and they who cannot read the
original, may yet have the pleatare of reading the Eng-
lish Tianslation by Mr. Washington of the Temple,
which was printed in 1699» and is inserted among
Miitoa's Works in the two last editions. It was
somewhat extraordinary, that Salmasius, a pensioner
to a republic, should pretend to write a defence of
monarchy ; but the States showed their disapprobation
by publicly condenming his book, and ordering it to
be suppressed. On the other hand Milton's book was
burnt at Paris, and at Toulouse by the hands of the
common hangman ; but this served only to procure it
the more readers: it was read and talked of every
where, and even they who were of different principles,
jret could not but acknowledge that he was a good
.defender of a bad cause; and Salmasius's book under-
'went only one impression, while this of Milton passed
ihiough several editions. On the first appearance of
it, he was visited or invited by all the foreign ministers
at London, not excepting even those of crowned heads ;
and was particularly honoured and esteemed by Adrian
Paaw, ambassador fit>m the States of Holland. He
was likewise highly complimented by letters from the
most learned and ingenious persons in France and
Germany; and Leonard Pbilaras, an Athenian bom,
and ambassador from the Duke of Parma to the
French king, wrote a fine encomium of his Defence,
and sent him his picture, as appears from Milton's
xlii LIFE OF MILTON.
letter to Phiii^ras; dslted at London in June 1659.
And what gave him tiie gr^^test sadsfiK^tion, the work
was highly applauded by those, who had desiied him
to undertake it; and they made him a present of a
thousand pounds, whidh in those days of frugality was
reckoned no inoonsiderafole reward for his performance*.
But the case was far otherwise with Salmasius. He
was then in high fkTour at the court of Christina
Queen of Sweden, who had invited thither sevi^ral of
flie most learned men of all countries: but when
Milton^s Defence of the people of England was thought
to Sweden, and was read to the Queen at her own
^ Mr. Todd cites a passage From a pltssf^e in the Second
from the Appendix to Bishop Defence, Dr. Symmons is led to
Watson's Sermon before the express some doobt of the oor-
House of Lords, Jan« 30, 1793> rectness .of Toland's assertion^
in which Milton is accused of that Milton's performance was
gtoss falsehood, in imputing the rewarded by thepresentof £1000.
seditious principles of die Brown- Yet upon the whole he seems
ists to the most eminent of the willing' to admit it, in concur-
fifat Reformers. Dr. Symmons rende with the other Biograpbem
indignantly cites the passage from of Milton. In the passage al-
the Defence, which had occa- l^ded to, after speaking of die
sioDed the charge^ as a complete reproaches which bis services to
refutation of it. But whoever the state had brought upon him,
would judge &irly of the question Milton adda^ nee pmmii et com^
should compare the attack of Sal- modorum inde provenientium
masius with the answer of Mil- partem longe minimam, ignomi-
ton, (both passs^ being ex- nice longe mazimam pcrvenisae
tracted by Mr. Todd;) and he ad me queror; contentus quse
will probably be of opinion that honesta tactu sunt, ea propter se
Milton's real offence consists in solum appettsse, et gratis perse-
the usual sophistry of controver- qui : id alii viderint, tuque scito,
sialists. His adversary having me iUas *' opimitates ' atqoe
spoken of sedUion, he speaks of '^ opes*' quas mihi exprobas^ noQ
Uberiy, and contends, that in ad- attigisse, neque eo nomine quo
vocating the principles of civil maxime accusas, dbolo fiictam
liberty me Brownists agreed with ditiorem.*' Pn W. ii. p. 378.
the most orthodox of the first Re- Mr. Hayley conjectures that the
formers. See the' Lives of Milton, reward was conferred upon him
by Todd, p. 78—81. ed. 2. and subsequently. E.
by Symmons, p. 372, 373. ed. S.
LIFE OP MILTOlff. xliii
desim, iie sunk immediately in iher estaiein ^bd: the
opiiiidn of emrj body; and ibongh be talked- fa% at
fiisty and vowed the destruction of Milton and the
PailiamflQt, yet finding that he was kx)ked upon iHth
coldness, he thought proper to take leave of the court;
and he who came in honour, was didmiteed with roon*
tempt ^ He died some time afterwards at Spa in
Germany, and it is said more of a broken heart than of
any distemper, leaving a posthumous reply to Milton,
vriuch was not published till after the Restoration, and
was dedicated to Charles 11. by his son Claudius; but
it has doiie no great honour to his memory, abounding
with abuse much more than argument.
Isaac Vossius was at Stockholm, when Milton^s
book was brought thither, and in some of his letters to
Nicolas Heinsius, published by Professor Burman in
the thiid tome of his Sylloge Epistolarum, he says that
he had the only copy of Milton^s book, that the Queen
borrowed it of him, and was very much pleased with it,
and commended Milton^s wit and manner of writing in
the presence of several persons, and that Salmasius was
very angry, and very busy in preparing his answer,
wherein he abused Milton as if he had been one of the
vilest catamites in Italy, and also criticised bis Latin
poems. Hdnsius writes again to Vossius from Hoi-*
land, that he wondered that only one copy of Milton's
book was brought to Stockholm, when three were sent
thither, one to the Queen, another to Vossius which.
' Christina must have com- ever he was dismissed not with
mended the Defence of the People any mark of contempt, but with
in order to torment Salmasius; a train of attendance scarcely
and this might incline him to leas than regal. Johnson,
leave Sweden^ from which how-
xliv
LIFE OF MILTON.
he had received, and the thiid to Sfedmasius; that the
hock was in eveiy body^s handstand there had been
four editions in a few. months besides die English o&e;
that a Dutch translation was handed about, and a
French one was expected. And afterwards he writes
from Venice, that Holstenius had lent him Milton's
Latin poems; that diey were nothing, compared with
the elegance of his Apology; that he had offended
frequently against prosody, and here was a great open-
ing, for Salmasius's criticism : but as to Milton's having
been a catamite in Italy, he says, that it was a mere
calumny; on the contrary he was diriiked by the
Italians, for the. severity of his manners, and for the
freedom of his discourses against popery. And in
others of his letters to Vossius and to J. Fr. Gronovius
from Holland, Heinsius mentions how angry Salmasius
was with him for commending Milton's book, and says
that Graswinkeliiis had written something against
Milton, which was to have been printed by Elzevir,
but it vras suppressed by piublic authority^.
* Dr. Joseph Warton also c^tes
the followiDg passages in N.
H^Dsias's Letters, inserted in
Barman's Sylloffe, torn. iii. p. 270*
He says, in a Letter to Grono-
▼ins; ** Miser iste Senecio (Sal-
'* masios) prorsus delirat et in-
** sanit: Misit duas in hanc ur-
bem <Amstelod.) epistolas, ra-
biei sycophanticse non inanes,
*' qaibns omne se virus in me
** oonversuram minatar, quod
** Miltoni scriptum probari a me
'' intelligat. Ego vero dlxi et
'' dicam prorsus, malam a Mil-
^' tono causam tarn bene actam>
'' qaam R^s infelicissimi cau-
u
€€
€€
€€
'* sam peanme <git £bri6ofittit.—
Inter Regiddas si locum mihi
dat, at omni procul dubio da-
taxu9, videbis brevipro meritia
*' omatum depexum.** In a letter
fhxn Is. Vosstus to Heinsius, are
the following words, iiL 620.
'' Ex animo gaudet Salmasius^
'^ librum Miltooi Lutetiae pub*
" lice a Camifice esse oombustum
" — interim hoc scio fktom esse
«' boQonimlibrornm,athocmodo
<' vel pereant vel periclitentar.*'
Dr. Sy mmona extracts one or two
curious passages beside these.
See his Life o£ Milton, p. 3^6,
397. £.
LIFE OF MILTON-
x\y
Th0 Rnt reply that appaured. was published in 1651,
and eptitled an Apology for the King aEid people jicc.
Apologia pro r^ et populo AngUcano contra Johannis
Pdypragmatici (alias. Miltoni Angli) Defenaionem de-
stmctivam regis et popuU Anglican], It is not known,
who was the attdior . of this piece. Some attributed it
to one Janus a kiwy^ of Gray^s-Inn, and others to
Dr. John Bramhall, who was then Bishop of XHerry,
and was made Primate of Ireland af^^ the Restqration :
but it is utterly improbable, that. so mean a. perform^
ance, written in such barbarous Latin, and so full of
solecisms, should come from the hands of a prelate of
auoh distinguished aUlities and learning. But; who-
ever was the author of it, Milton did not tliink it worth
bis while to animadvert upon it himself,^ but employed
the younger c^ his nepbews to answer it; but he super*
vised and corrected the answer so much before it went
to the press, that it may in a manner be called his pwn.^
It came. forth in 1653 under this tide, Johannis
Philippi Angli Responsio ad Apologiam anonymi cu-
jusdam tend>rionis.pro rege et populo Anglicano infan*
tissimam ; and it is {Minted with Milton's works ; and
throughout the whole Mr. Philips, treats Bishop Bram-
hall with great severity as the author of the Apology^
thinking probably that so considerable an adversary
would make the answer more considerable'*.
^ M Ston's reti adversary was
John Rowland^ an EDf^lbh der-
gpouk, aocordiDg to his own as-
aertions in a second publication,
entitled, '' Polemica Ave Supple*
'' aentim ad Apologiam anony-
" mam pfo Bjege et popolo An-
'' glicanOj adTersos Jo, Miltoni
** Defenaionem popuU Angli»
'^ cani, &a Per Jo. BomUmdmH^
''Pastorem Anglicum, 1653.*'
12mo» Bp. Bramhall also in a
letter to his son, dated Antwerp,
May 1654^ says, "That nlly
** lxK>k which tie [Milton] a^
** scribes to me, W4» written by
lAm
LIFE OF MILTON.
Sii* itobert Film^r likew»e puUiBhed some animad-
versions upon Milton^ft Defence of the people, in a
piece printed in 1659^ and entitled Observations con-
cerning the original of government, upon Mr. Hobbes's
Leviatfaani Mr. Milton against ^masius, and Hugo
Grotius de Jure belli: but I do not find' that Mitton or
any of his fiiends took any notice of it ; but Milton's
quarrel was afterwards sttlHciently avenged by Mr.
Locke, who wrote against Sir Robert Filmer^s princi**
pies of government, more I suppose in condescension
to the prejudices of the age, than out of any regard to
the weight or importance of Filmer's arguments'.
It is probable that Milton, when he was first made
Latin Secretary, i^meived froib' bis house in High
Holbom to be nearer Whit^all : aiid for some titne be
bad lodging^ at one Thomson's, next door to the BulU
bead tavern at Charing-Cross» opening into Springs-
Garden, till the apartment, appointed for him^ in
Scotland^ Yard, couki be got ready -for bis reception.
He then removed thitber ; and Cbere his thitd chikl, a
son, was bom and named John, who through the ill
usage or bad constitution of thenunie died an infant.
His own health too was greatly impaired; and for the
benefit of the air, he removed from bis apartment in
Scotland^'Yard to a house in Petty-France Westminster,
which was next*door to Lord Scndaitiore^s, andop^hed
*^ one John Rowknd, who skice
''hath replied upon him. I
'' n^er rc«d a word ei^er of
'< tl^ first book, or of the replie^
" hi tny life * Todd.
^ In 1652 also the following
poblication apfpeared in DuMin
aganMt Mihon. ^'CsrcAaa I. ^
** tfecuri et calamo Miltoni vin-
^ dteatus:" and in l65S a work
was printed at Le3rden> entMedt
^' Caspari* Ziegleri Lipsiensis
" circa Rc^^ddiam Angtoram
'^ exeratatXNies. AcoeiUl Jaoobi
*'Schall^ DiMertatio ad loca
*' quttdam Miltxmt.*' Todd.
LIF/B QF MILTON. zlvix
into. Sti( James's Park; and dnere.he remaiiied. eight
yean» from the year iSiS till mthin a few weeks of the
Kiikg'it reatoration. In this house he had not been
settled long» before his first wife died in chiklbed ; and
his c6nd]tk>n requiring some care and attendance, he
was easily induced after a proper interval of time to
marry a second, who was Catharine daughter of
Captain Wloodcock of Hackney: and she too died in
childbed within a year after their marriage, and her
child^ who was a daughter, died in. a month after her;
and her husband has done honour to her memory in
one of his sonnets^.
Two or three years before this second marriage he
had totally lost his sights And his enemies triumphed
in his blindness, and imputed ic as>a judgment upon
him for writing against: the Xing : but . his sight, had
been deoayiiig seveial years > before, through his close
applieatkai to study^ apd the frequent head^chte' [ to
which hi^ had been subject from his childhood, and. his
continued •tampering iwith physic^ which perhaps was
more pernicious than all the rest; and he himself- has
informed: us in his secgnd Defence, that .when he was
appointed by authority ^to write his Defence, of the
people. against Sakb^sins^' he had almost lost the sight
of one kyes^ and the iphysicians declared, to him, that if
he undertook that ivrork, he wouM alio lose the sight of
' "Mrs. Catharine Milton, * Prdbably early In 1652; as
" yrife to John Milton, 'Etq*. Dr. SymiHons has ecmclticied
''buried Feb. 10, l657." Bp. from MUton's being upl^aided
Keimet's MS. o^leetiona for St< widi his blindness in ihe " R^gii
Maigaref 6 Pai^fth, Wc^rtminster. " Snigfiinia <;lainor/' pubUabed
See Mr. Malcolm's Hist, of lExm- in 1D52. Ji,
don, 4to. !?6l. IT. pw isa. TodcL
xlviii LIFE OF MILTON^
the other: but be was Qothii^ discouraged^ and chose
ratber to lose both his eyes, than desert what he thought
bis duty* It was the sight of bis left eye that he lost
first : and at the desire of his friend Leonard PhilaiuSf.
the Duke of Parma's minister at Paris, be sent .him a
particular account of his case, and of the manner of bis
growing blind, for him to consult Theveoot the pfay«^
sician, who was reckoned famous in cases of the eyes.
The letter is the fifteenth of bis familiar epistles, is
dated September 38, 1654, and is thus translated by
Mn Richardson «
(C
(I
Since you advise me n6t to fling away all hopes of
recovering my sight, for that you have a firiead. at
Paris, Thevenot the physician, parjticulariy famous
^^ for the eyes, whom you ofier to consult in my behalf
if you receive from me an accomit by which he may
judge of the causes and ffy^mptoms of my disease, I
^^ will do what you advise me to, that I may not seem
" to refuse any assistance that is ofiered, perhaps firom
"God.
" I think it is about ten years, more or less, since I
" b^an to perceive that my eye-psight grew weak and
" dkn, and at the same time my spleen, and boweb to
be oppressed and troubled with flatus; and in the
morning when I b^;an to read, according to custom^
my eyes grew painful immediately, and to refuse
reading, but were refreshed after a moderate exercise
of the body. A certain iris began to surround the
" light of the candle if I looked at it ; soon after which,
*' on the left part of the left eye, (for that was some
" years sooner clouded,) a mist arose which bid every
(C
C€
€1
LIFE OF MILTON. xlix
cc
44
I
I «
thing on that side ; and looldng forward if I shut my
right eye, objects appeared smaller. My other eye
^* also, f<Mr these last three years, failing by degrees,
*^ some months before all sight was aboUshed things
^^ which I looked upon seemed to swim to the right
^^ and left ; certain inveterate vapours seem to possess
^* my fordiead and temples, which after meat especially,
«« quite to evening, generally, uige an4 depress my
eyes with a sleepy heaviness. Nor would I omit
«« Ihat whilst diere was as yet some remainder of sight,
I no sooner lay down in my bed, and turned on my
^* side, but a copious light dazzled out of my shut eyes;
<« and as my sight diminished every day colours gradually
<< more obscure flashed out with vehemence ; but now
^* that the lucid is in a manner wholly extinct, a direct
^^ blackness, or else spotted, and, as it were, woven
** with ash-colour, is used to pour itself in. Never-
^< thdkss the constant and settled darkness that is
^ before me as well by night as by day, seems nearer
*^ to the whitish than the blackish ; and the eye-rolling
** itself a little, seems to admit I know not what little
«« smallness of light as tfarough'a chink.^,^
But it does not appear what answer he received;
we may presume, none that administered any relief.
His blindness however did not disable him entirely
from performing the business of his office. An as-
sistant was allowed him^ and his salary as secretary
still continued to him.
And there was further occasion for his service besides
dictating of letters, For the controversy with Salma-
voL. I. ^ e
c.
1 LliPE OP MILTON.
stu^ did ntit die witb him, and there Was publisiied at
the Hague in 1659 a book entitled th€f Cry of the
King's blood &c. R^i sanguinis Clamor ad ggbIiIiA
adversus Parricidas AnglicaROs. The true author of
this book was Peter du MouKn the
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