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the fufferings and real fentiments of the poet, as well as those of his hero, we may derive from this extraordinary compofition a kind of pathetic delight, that no other drama can afford; we may applaud the felicity of genius, that contrived, in this manner, to relieve a heart overburdened with anguish and indignation, and to pay a half concealed yet hallowed tribute to the memories of dear though difhonored friends, whom the state of the times allowed not the afflicted poet more openly to deplore.

The concluding verfes, of the beautiful chorus (which I have already cited in part) appear to me particularly affecting, from the perfuafion that Milton, in composing them, addreffed the two laft immediately to Heaven, as a prayer for himself :

In fine,

Juft or unjuft alike feem miferable,
For oft alike both come to evil end.

So deal not with this once thy glorious champion,
The image of thy ftrength, and mighty minister.
What do I beg? how haft thou dealt already?
Behold him in this state calamitous, and turn
His labors, for thou can'ft, to peaceful end.

If the conjecture of this application be juft, we may add, that never was the prevalence of a righteous prayer more happily conspicuous; and let me here remark, that however various the

opinions of men may be concerning the merits or demerits of Milton's political character, the integrity of his heart appears to have fecured to him the favor of Providence, fince it pleased the Giver of all good not only to turn his labors to a peaceful end, but to irradiate his declining life with the most abundant portion of those pure and fublime mental powers, for which he had conftantly and fervently prayed, as the choiceft bounty of Heaven.

At this period, his kind friend and physician, who had proved so serviceable to him in the recommendation of an attentive and affectionate wife introduced to his notice a young reader of Latin, in that fingular character, Thomas Ellwood, the quaker, who has written a minute history of his own life a book, which fuggefts the reflection, how ftrangely a writer may fometimes mistake his way in his endeavours to engage the attention of pofterity. Had the honest quaker bequeathed to the world as circumftantial an account of his great literary friend, as he has done of himself, his book would certainly have engroffed no common fhare of public regard: we are indebted to him, however, for his incidental mention of the great poet; and as there is a pleafing air of fimplicity and truth in his narrative, I fhall gratify the reader by inferting it with very little abridgment:

"JOHN MILTON, a gentleman of great note. for learning throughout the learned world, having

filled a public ftation in former times, lived now a private and retired life in London; and having wholly loft his fight, kept always a man to read to him, which usually was the fon of fome gentleman of his acquaintance, whom in kindness he took to improve in his learning.

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By the mediation of my friend, Ifaac Penington, with Dr. Paget, and of Dr. Paget with John Milton, was I admitted to come to him, not as a fervant to him, which at that time he needed not, nor to be in the house with him, but only to have the liberty of coming to his house at certain hours, when I would, and to read to him what books he should appoint me, which was all the favor I defired."

Ellwood was at this time an ingenuous but undisciplined young man, about three-and-twenty;

his father, a juftice of Oxfordshire, had taken him, very unfeasonably, from fchool, with a view to leffen his own expenfes, and this his younger fon, after wafting fome years at home, attached himself, with great fervency, to the sect of quakers. His religious ardor involved him in a long and painful quarrel with his father, and in many fingular adventures-he united with his pious zeal a lively regard for literature; and being grieved to find that his interrupted education had permitted him to acquire but a flender portion of claffical learning, he anxiously fought the acquaintance of Milton, in the hope of improving it.

"I went, therefore (fays the candid quaker) and took myself a lodging near to his house, which was then in Jewin-street as conveniently as I could, and from thence forward went, every day if the afternoon, except on the firft days of the week, and fitting by him in his dining-room, read to him fuch books in the Latin tongue as he pleased to hear me read.

At my first fitting to read to him, obferving that I used the English pronunciation, he told me, if I would have the benefit of the Latin tongue, not only to read and underftand Latinauthors, but to converfe with foreigners, either abroad or at home, I must learn the foreign pronunciation; to this I confenting, he inftructed me how to found the vowels: this change of pronunciation proved a new difficulty to me; but,

Labor omnia vincit
Improbus ;

And fo did I; which made my reading the more acceptable to my mafter. He, on the other hand, perceiving with what earneft defire I pursued learning, gave me not only all the encouragement, but all the help he could; for having a curious ear, he understood by my tone when I understood what I read, and when I did not, and accordingly would ftop me, examine me, and open the most difficult paffages to me.

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Tle clearness and fimplicity of Ellwood's narrative brings us, as it were, into the company of Milton, and fhows, in a very agreeable point of view, the native courtesy and sweetness of a temper, that has been ftrangely mifreprefented as morofe and auftere.

Johnson, with his accustomed afperity to Mil

discovers an inclination to cenfure him for his mode of teaching Latin to Ellwood; but Milton, who was inftructing an indigent young man, had probably very friendly reasons for wifhing him to acquire immediately the foreign pronunciation; and affuredly the patience, good nature, and fuccefs, with which he condefcended to teach this fingular attendant, do credit both to the disciple and the preceptor.

Declining health foon interrupted the ftudies. of Ellwood, and obliged him to retire to the house of a friend and phyfician in the country. Here, after great fuffering from fickness, he revived, and returned again to London.

"I was very kindly received by my Master (continues the interefting quaker) who had conceived fo good an opinion of me, that my converfation, I found, was acceptable, and he feemed heartily glad of my recovery and return, and into our old method of ftudy we fell again I reading to him, and he explaining to me, as occafion required. "

But learning (as poor Ellwood obferves) was almoft a forbidden fruit to him. His intercourfe