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COROM a family, and town of his Name a to in Oxfordshire, our Author derived his defcent; but he was born at London in the Year 1608. The Publisher of his Works in Profe (on whofe veracity fome part of this narrative muft entirely depend) dates his birth two years earlier than this; but contradicting himfelf afterwards in his own computation, I reduce it to the time that Monfieur Bayle hath affign'd; and for the fame reafon which prevailed with him to affign it. His father, John Milton, by profeffion a Scrivener, liv'd in a reputable manner on a competent eftate, entirely his own. acquifition; having been early difinherited by his Parents. for renouncing the communion of the Church of Rome, to which they were zealously devoted. By his wife Sarah Cafton he had likewife one daughter, nam'd Anna ; and another fon, Chriftopher, whom he train'd to the practice of the Common Law; who in the Great Rebellion adher'd

her'd to the royal caufe: and in the reign of King James II. by too eafy a compliance with the doctrines of the Court, both religious and civil, he attain'd to the dignity of being made a Judge of the Common Pleas; of which he dy'd divested not long after the Revolution.

But JOHN, the fubject of the prefent effay, was the favourite of his father's hopes; who, to cultivate the great genius which early difplay'd itself, was at the expence of a domeftick Tutor: whofe care and capacity his Pupil hath gratefully celebrated in an excellent LaAn. Etat. 12. tin Elegy; the fourth in the prefent collection. At his initiation He is faid to have apply'd himself to Letters with fuch indefatigable induftry, that he rarely was prevail'd with to quit his ftudies before mid-night: which not only made him frequently fubject to fevere pains in his head; but likewife occafion'd that weakness in his eyes, which terminated in a total privation of fight. From a domestick education He was remov'd to St. Paul's School, to complete his acquaintance with the Claffics under the care of Dr. Gill: and after a fhort ftay there, was tranfplanted to Chrift's College in Cambridge, where He diftinAn. Etat. 15. guish'd himself in all kinds of Academical Exercifes. Of this Society He continued a Member 'till He commenc'd Master of Arts: and then leaving the Univerfity, He return'd to his father; who had quitted the town, and liv'd at Horton in BuckinghamAn. Etat. 23. hire; where he purfu'd his studies with un· parallel'd affiduity and fuccefs.

After fome years spent in his ftudious retirement, his mother dy'd and then He prevail'd with his father to gratify an inclination He had long entertain'd of seeing foreign countries. Sir Henry Wotton, at that time Provoft of Eton College, gave him a letter of adAn. Ætat. 30. vice for the direction of his travels: but by not observing an excellent Maxím in it, He incurr'd great danger by difputing against the fuperftition of the

**

I penfieri ftretti, ed il vifo fciolto.

Church

Church of Rome, within the verge of the Vatican. Having employ'd his curiofity about two years in France and Italy, on the news of a civil war breaking out in England, He return'd; without taking a survey of Greece and Sicily, as at his fetting out the scheme was projected. * At Paris the Lord Viscount Scudamore, Ambaffador from King Charles I, at the Court of France, introduc'd him to the acquaintance of Grotius; who at that time was honour'd with the fame character there by Chriftina Queen of Sweden. In Rome, Genoa, Florence, and other cities of Italy, He contracted a familiarity with those who were of highest reputation for wit and learning: feveral of whom gave him very obliging teftimonies of their friendship, and esteem, which are printed before his Latin Poems. The firit of them was written by Manfo Marquis of Villa, a great patron of Taffo, by whom he is celebrated in his Poem on the Conqueft of Jerufalem. It is highly probable that to his converfation with this noble Neapolitan we owe the first design which MILTON conceiv'd of writing an Epic Poem: and it appears by fome latin verfes addrefs'd to the Marquis with the title of Manfus, that He intended to fix on King Arthur for his heroe: but Arthur was referv'd to another destiny!

Returning from his travels He found An. Ætat. 32. England on the point of being involv'd in

blood and confufion. It seems wonderful that one of fo warm, and daring a spirit, as his certainly was, fhould be reftrain'd from the camp in thofe unnatural commotions. I fuppofe we may impute it wholly to the great deference He paid to paternal authority, that He retired to lodgings

Et jam bis viridi furgebat eulmus aristâ,
Et totidem flavas numerabant horrea messes,-
Nec dum aderat Thyrfis: paftorem fcilicet illum
Dulcis amor Mufa Thufcâ retinebat in urbe.

* Defenfio Secunda. Pag. 96. Fol. A
1 Fra Cavalier magnanimi, e cortefi,
Lib. 20.

Refplende il Manfo.

Epitaph. Dam.

provided

provided for him in the city: which being commodious for the reception of his fifter's fons, and fome other young Gentlemen, He undertook their education: and is faid to have form'd them on the fame plan which He afterwards publish'd, in a fhort tractate infcrib'd to his friend Mr. Hartlib.

In this philofophical courfe He continued without a wife to the year 1643; when He marry'd An. Etat. 35. Mary the Daughter of Rickard Powell of Foreft-bill in Oxfordshire: a Gentleman of estate and reputation in that county; and of principles fo very oppofite to his Son-in-law, that the marriage is more to be wonder'd at, than the feparation which enfued, in little more than a month after flie had cohabited with 1..m in London. Her desertion provok'd him both to write several treatises concerning the doctrine and difcipline of Divorce; and alfo to make his addreffes to a young Lady of great wit and beauty: but before he had engag'd her affections to conclude the marriage-treaty, in a vifit at one of his relations He found his Wife proftrate before him, imploring forgiveness, and reconciliation. It is not to be doubted but an interview of that nature, fo little expected, muft wonderfully affect him: and perhaps the impreffions it made on his imagination contributed much to the painting of that pathetick Scene in ‡ PARADISE LOST, in which Eve addrefs'd herself to Adam for pardon, and peace. At the interceffion of his friends who were prefent, after a fhort reluctance He generously sacrificed all his resentment to her tears.

Soon his heart relented

Tow'rds her, his life fo late, and fole delight:
Now, at his feet jubmiffive in diftrefs!

And after this re-union, fo far was He from retaining an unkind memory of the provocations which He had receiv'd from her ill conduct, that when the King's cause

Book X. ver. 909.

was

was entirely oppress'd, and her father, who had been active in his loyalty, was expos'd to fequeftration; MILTON received both him and his family to protection, and free entertainment, in his own house, 'till their affairs were accommodated by his intereft in the victorious faction. For He was now grown famous by his

polemical writings of various kinds, and An. Etat. 41. held in great favour and esteem, by those who had power to difpofe of all preferments in the State. "Tis in vain to diffemble, and far be it from me to defend, his engaging with a Party combin'd in the deftruction of our Church and Monarchy. Yet, leaving the juftification of a mifguided fincerity to be debated in the Schools, may I prefume to obferve in his favour, that his zeal, diftemper'd and furious as it was, does not appear to have been infpirited by felf-interested views? For it is affirm'd, that though He liv'd always in a frugal retirement, and before his death had difpofed of his Library (which we may fuppofe to have been a valuable collection) He left no more than fifteen hundred pounds behind him for the fupport of his family and whoever confiders the Pofts to which he was advanc'd, and the times in which he enjoy'd them, will, I believe, confefs he might have accumulated a much more plentiful fortune: in a difpaffionate mind it will not require any extraordinary measure of candour to conclude, that though he abode in the heritage of oppressors, and the fpoils of his country lay at his feet, neither his conscience, nor his honour, could ftoop to gather them.

A Commiffion to conftitute him Adju- An. Ætat. 42. tant-General to Sir William, Waller was pro

mis'd; but foon fuperfeded by Waller's being laid afide, when his Mafters thought it proper to new-model their army. However, the keennefs of his Pen had fo effectually recommended him to Cromwel's efteem, that when he took the reins of government into his own hand, he advanc'd him to be Latin Secretary, both to himself and the Parliament: the former of thefe Preferments he enjoy'd both under the Ufurper, and his Son; the other, 'till King Charles II. was restored. For fome time he had` an apartment for his family in Whitehall; but his health requiring

3.

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