and a spurner of all juft authority, seems to have contracted a tender attachment to more than one disciplinarian concerned in his education. He is faid to have been the favorite fcholar of the younger Gill; and he has left traces of their friendship in three Latin epiftles, that exprefs the highest esteem for the literary character and poetical talents of his inftructor. On the 12th of February, 1624, he was entered, not as a fizer, which fome of his biographers have erroneoufly afferted, but as a penfioner of Chrift's College, in Cambridge. "At this time," 66 fays Doctor Johnson, "he was eminently skil"led in the Latin tongue, and he himself, by "annexing the dates to his firft compofitions, a "boaft of which the learned Politian had given "him an example, feems to commend the earli"nefs of his own proficiency to the notice of pof"terity; but the products of his vernal fertility "have been furpaffed by many, and particularly "by his contemporary, Cowley. Of the powers "of the mind it is difficult to form an eftimate; "many have excelled Milton in their firft effays, "who never rose to works like. Paradise Loft.” This is the first of many remarks, replete with detraction, in which an illuftrious author has indulged his fpleen against Milton, in a life of the poet, where an ill-fubdued propenfity to cenfure is ever combating with a neceffity to commend. The partifans of the powerful critic, from a natural partiality to their departed master, affect to confider his malignity as exifting only in the prejudices of those who endeavour to counteract his injuftice. A biographer of Milton ought therefore to regard it as his indifpenfible duty to fhow how far this malignity is diffufed through a long feries of obfervations, which affect the reputation both of the poet and the man; a duty that muft be painful in proportion to the fincerity of our efteem for literary genius; fince, different as they were in their principles, their manners, and their writings, both the poet and his critical biographer are affuredly entitled to the praife of exalted genius. Perhaps in the republic of letters there never exifted two writers more defervedly diftine guifhed, not only for the energy of their mental faculties, but for a generous and devout defire to benefit mankind by their exertion. Yet it must be lamented, and by the lovers of Milton in particular, that a moralift, who has gir ven us, in the Rambler, fuch fublime leffons for the difcipline of the heart and mind, fhould be unable to preserve his own from that acrimonious fpirit of detraction, which led him to depreciate, to the utmoft of his power, the rare abilities, and perhaps the still rarer integrity, of Milton. It may be said, that the truly eloquent and fplendid encomium, which he has bestowed on the great work of the poet, ought to exempt him from fuch a charge. The fingular beauties and effect of this eulogy shall be mentioned in the proper place, and with all the applause they merit; degree: they have additional value, from making us acquainted with feveral interefting particulars of his youth, and many of his opinions, which muft have had confiderable influence on his moral character. His fixth Elegy, addreffed to his bofom friend, Charles Diodati, seems to be founded on the idea, which he may be faid to have verified in his own conduct, that ftrict habits of temperance, and virtue are highly conducive to 'the perfection of great poetical powers. To poets of a lighter clafs he recommends, with graceful pleasantry, much convivial enjoyment; but for those who afpire to Epic renown, he prefcribes even the fimple regimen of Pythagoras. 3. Ille quidem parce, Samii pro more magiftri, Simply let thefe, like him of Samos, live; Pure as Heaven's minifter, arrayed in white, In his Elegy on the Spring, our poet expreffes the fervent emotions of his fancy in terms, that may be almoft regarded as a prophetic defcription of his fublimeft work: Jam mihi mens liquidi raptatur in ardua cœli, I mount, and, undepreffed by cumbrous clay, With these verses it may be pleafing to compare a fimilar paffage in his English vacation exercise, where, addreffing his native language, as applied to an inconfiderable purpose, he adds, Yet I had rather, if I were to chufe, Thy fervice in fome graver fubject ufe; Such as may make thee fearch thy coffers round, How he before the thunderous throne doth lie. "It is worth the curious reader's attention to obferve how much the Paradife Loft correfponds with this prophetic wifh," fays Mr. Thyer, one of the most intelligent and liberal of English com mentators. The young poet, who thus expreffed his ambi tion, was then in his nineteenth year. At the age of twenty-one (the period of his life when that pleafing portrait of him was executed, which the Speaker Onflow obtained from the executors of his widow) he compofed his Ode on the Nativity; a poem that furpaffes in fancy and devotional fire a compofition on the same subject by that celebrated and devout poet of Spain; Lopez de Vega. The moft trifling performances of Milton are fo fingular, that we may regret even the lofs of the verfes alluded to by Aubrey, as the offspring of his childhood. Perhaps no juvenile author ever displayed, with fuch early force, "The spirit of a youth Who means to be of note:" His mind, even in his boyish days, feems to have glowed, like the fancy and furnace of an alchymift, with inceffant hope and preparation for aftonishing productions. Such aufterity and moroseness have been falfely attributed to Milton, that a reader, acquainted |