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in it, he incurred great danger by disputing against the fuperftition of the Church of Rome, within the verge of the Vatican. Having employed his curiofity about * two years in France and Italy, on the news of a civil war breaking out in England, he returned; without taking a furvey of Greece and Sicily, as, at his fetting out, the scheme was projected. † At Paris the lord viscount Scudamore, ambassador from king Charles I. at the court of France, introduced him to the acquaintance of Grotius; who at that time was honoured with the fame character there by Christina queen of Sweden. In Rome, Genoa, Florence, and other cities of Italy, he contracted a familiarity with those who were of highest

reputation

* Et jam bis viridi furgebat culmus aristä,
Et totidem flavas numerabant horrea messes,-
Nec dum aderat Thyrfis: paftorem fcilicet illum
Dulcis amor Mufae Thufcâ retinebat in urbe.

+ Defenfio Secunda. Pag. 96. Fol.

Epitaph. Dam.

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 firft 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 conceived, of writing an epic Poem: and it appears by fome Latin verfes addreffed to the marquis with the title of Manfus, that he intended to fix on king Arthur for his hero: but Arthur was reserved to another destiny!

RETURNING from his travels he found

England on the point of being An. Etat. 32. involved in blood and confufion. It feems wonderful that one of fo

warm,

Lib. 20.

Fra Cavalier' magnanimi, e cortefi,
Refplende il Manfo.-

warm, and daring a fpirit, as his certainly was, fhould be reftrained from the camp in those unnatural commotions. I fuppofe we may impute it wholly to the great de. ference he paid to paternal authority, that he retired to lodgings provided for him in the city which being commodious for the reception of his fifter's fons, and some other young gentlemen, he undertook their education; and is faid to have formed them on the fame plan which he afterwards publifhed, in a fhort tractate infcribed to his friend Mr. HARTLIB.

In this philofophical course he continued without a wife to the year 1643; when he married Mary the daugh An. Etat. 35

ter of Richard Powell of Foreft-hill in Oxfordfhire; a Gentleman of eftate and reputation in that county; and of principles fo very oppofite to his fon-inlaw, that the marriage is more to be wondered

dered at, than the feparation which ensued, in little more than a month after fhe had cohabited with him in London. Her desertion provoked him both to write several treatises concerning the doctrine, and difcipline, of divorce; and alfo to make his addresses to a young lady of great wit and beauty but before he had engaged 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 impres fions it made on his imagination contributed much to the painting of that pathetic fcene in* PARADISE LOST, in which Eve addresseth herself to Adam for pardon, and peace. At the interceffion of his

friends

*Book X. ver. 909.

friends who were prefent, after a fhort reluctance, he generously facrificed all his refentment to her tears.

Soon his heart relented

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

And after this re-union, fo far was he from retaining an unkind memory of the provocations which he had received from her ill conduct, that when the king's caufe was entirely oppreffed, and her father, who had been active in his loyalty, was exposed to fequeftration; MILTON re. ceived both him and his family to protection, and free entertainment, in his own houfe, 'till their affairs were accommodated by his interest in the victorious faction.

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