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But it was not only in foreign difpatches that the government made ufe of his pen. He had discharged the bufinefs of his office a very little time, before he was called to a work of another kind. For foon after the King's death was published a book under his name intitled Εικων Βασιλικη, or the royal image: and this book, like Cæfar's laft will, making a deeper impreffion, and exciting greater commiferation in the minds of the people, than the King himfelf did while alive, Milton was ordered to prepare an answer to it, which was published by authority, and intitled Exovonλans or the image-breaker, the famous furname of many Greek emperors, who in their zeal against idolatry broke all fuperftitious images to pieces. This piece was tranflated into French; and two replies to it were published, one in 1651, and the other in 1692, upon the reprinting of Milton's book at Amfterdam. In this controverfy a heavy charge hath been alleged against Milton. Some editions of the King's book have certain prayers added at the end, and among them a prayer in time of captivity, which is taken from that of Pamela in Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia: and it is faid, that this prayer was added by the contrivance and artifice of Milton, who together with Bradshaw prevailed upon the printer to infert it, that from thence he might take occafion to bring a fcandal upon the King, and to blaft the reputation of his book, as he hath attempted to do in the first section of his answer. This fact is related chiefly upon the authority of Henry Hills the printer, who had frequently affirmed it to Dr. Gill and Dr. Bernard his phyficians, as they themfelves have teftified. But Hills was not himself

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the printer, who was dealt with in this manner, and confequently he could have the story only from hearfay: and tho' he was Cromwell's printer, yet afterwards he turned papift in the reign of James II, in order to be that king's printer, and it was at that time that he used to relate this ftory; fo that, I think, little credit is due to his teftimony. And indeed I cannot but hope and believe, that Milton had a foul above being guilty of fo mean an action to ferve fo mean a purpofe; and there is as little reafon for fixing it upon him, as he had to traduce the King for profaning the duty of prayer "with the

polluted trafh of romances." For there are not many finer prayers in the best books of devotion, and the King might as lawfully borrow and apply it to his own occafions, as the Apostle might make quotations from Heathen poems and plays: and it became Milton the leaft of all men to bring fuch an accufation against the King, as he was himself particularly fond of reading romances, and has made ufe of them in fome of the beft and latest of his writings.

But his moft celebrated work in profe is his Defenfe of the people of England againft Salmafius, Defenfio pro populo Anglicano contra Claudii Anonymi, alias Salmafii, Defenfionem Regiam. Salmafius, by birth a Frenchman, fucceeded the famous Scaliger as honorary Profeffor of the univerfity of Leyden, and had gained great reputation by his Plinian Exercitations on Solinus, and by his critical remarks on feveral Latin and Greek authors, and was generally efteemed one of the greatest and most confummate fcholars of that age: and is commended by Milton himself in his Reafon of Church Government, and called the learned

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learned Salmafius. And befides his great learning he had extraordinary talents in railing. "This prince "of scholars, as fome body faid of him, feemed to "have erected his throne upon a heap of ftones, "that he might have them at hand to throw at every " one's head who paffed by." He was therefore courted by Charles II, as the most able man to write a defense of the late King his father and to traduce his adverfaries, and a hundred Jacobufes were given him for that purpofe, and the book was published in 1649 with this title Defenfio Regia pro Carolo I. ad Carolum II. No fooner did this book appear in England, but the Council of State unanimously appointed Milton, who was then prefent, to answer it: and he performed the task with amazing spirit and vigor, tho' his health at that time was fuch, that he could hardly indure the fatigue of writing, and being weak in body he was forced to write by piece-meal, and to break off almost every hour, as he fays himself in the introduction. This neceffarily occafioned fome delay, fo that his Defense of the people of England was not made public till the beginning of the year 1651 and they who cannot read the original, may yet have the pleasure of reading the English tranflation by Mr. Washington of the Temple, which was printed in 1692, and is inferted among Milton's works in the two laft editions. It was somewhat extraordinary, that Salmafius, a penfioner to a republic, should pretend to write a defense of monarchy; but the States fhowed their difapprobation by publicly condemning his book, and ordering it to be fuppreffed. And on the other hand Milton's book was burnt at Paris, and at Toloufe by the

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hands of the common hangman; but this ferved only to procure it the more readers: it was read and talked of every where, and even they who were of different principles, yet could not but acknowledge that he was a good defender of a bad cause; and Salmafius's book underwent only one impreffion, while this of Milton paffed thro' feveral editions. On the first appearance of it, he was vifited or invited by all the foreign minifters at London, not excepting even those of crowned heads; and was particularly honored and efteemed by Adrian Paaw, embaffador from the States of Holland. He was likewise highly complimented by letters from the moft learned and ingenious perfons in France and Germany; and Leonard Philaras, an Athenian born, and embaffador from the Duke of Parma to the French king, wrote a fine encomium of his Defense, and fent him his picture, as appears from Milton's letter to Philaras dated at London in June 1652. And what gave him the greatest fatisfaction, the work was highly applauded by thofe, who had defired him to undertake it; and they made him a prefent of a thousand pounds, which in those days of frugality was reckoned no inconfiderable reward for his performance. But the cafe was far otherwise with Salmafius. He was then in high favor at the court of Chriftina Queen of Sweden, who had invited thither feveral of the most learned men of all countries: but when Milton's Defense of the people of England was brought to Sweden, and was read to the Queen at her own defire, he funk immediately in her esteem and the opinion of every body; and tho' he talked big at firft, and vowed the deftruction

deftruction of Milton and the Parlament, yet finding that he was looked upon with coldness, he thought proper to take leave of the court; and he who came in honor, was difmiffed with contempt. He died some time afterwards at Spa in Germany, and it is faid more of a broken heart than of any diftemper, leaving a pofthumous reply to Milton, which was not published till after the Restoration, and was dedicated to Charles II. by his fon Claudius; but it has done no great honor to his memory, abounding with abufe much more than argument.

Ifaac Voffius was at Stockholm, when Milton's book was brought thither, and in fome of his letters to Nicolas Heinfius, publifhed by Profeffor Burman in the third tome of his Sylloge Epiftolarum, he fays, 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 feveral perfons, and that Salmafius was very angry, and very bufy in preparing his anfwer, wherein he abufed Milton as if he had been one of the vileft catamites in Italy, and alfo criticized his Latin poems. Heinfius writes again to Voffius from Holland, that he wondered that only one copy of Milton's book was brought to Stockholm, when three were fent thither, one to the Queen, another to Voffius which he had received, and the third to Salmafius; that the book was in every body's hands, and there had been four editions in a few months befides the English that a Dutch tranflation was handed about, and a French one was expected. And afterwards he writes from Venice, that Holftenius had lent

one;

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