by a money-fcrivener, whom he had intrufted with that fum; and likewise an estate at Westminster of 601. a year, which belonged to the Dean and Chapter, and was reftored to them at the Restoration: That he was very temperate in his eating and drinking; but what he had, he always loved to have of the beft: That he feldom went abroad in the letter part of his life, but was vifited even then by persons of diftinction, both foreigners and others: That he kept his daughters at a great diftance, and would not allow them to learn to write, which he thought unneceffary for a woman: That her mother was his greatest favourite, and could read in feven or eight languages. though the understood none but English: That her mother inherited his headaches and diforders, and had fuch a weakness in her eyes, that she was forced to make ufe of fpectacles from the age of eighteen: and fhe herfelf, the fays, has not been able to read a chapter in the Bible these twenty years: That fhe was mistaken in informing Mr. Birch *, what he had printed upon her authority, that Milton's father was born in France; and a brother of hers who was then living, was very angry with her for it, and like a true born Englishman refented it highly, that the family fhould be thought to bear any relation to France: That Milton's fecond wife did not die in childbed, as Mr. Philips and Toland relate, but above three months after of a confumption; and this too Mr. Birch relates upon her authority: But in this particular she must be mistaken as well as in the other; for our author's fonnet on his deceased wife plainly implies, that she did die in child * Accounts of Milton's life have been wrote by feven different perfons, viz. by Antony Wood in his Fafti Oxonienfes; by Mr. Edward Philips before the English tranflation of Milton's ftate-letters, printed in 1694; by Mr. Toland before the edition of Milton's profe works in three volumes folio, printed in 1698; by M. Bayle in his historical and critical dictionary; by Mr. Fenton before the edition of Milton's poetical works printed in 1725; by Mr. Richardfon in the preface to his explanatory notes and remarks upon Paradife Loit; and by Mr. Thomas Birch in the general dictionary, and more largely before the edition of Milton's profe works in two volumes folio, print❤ ed in 1738. bed, bed, She knows nothing of her aunt Philips or Agar's defcendents, but believes that they are all extinct; as is likewife Sir Chriftopher Milton's family, the last of which were two maiden fifters, Mrs. Mary and Mrs. Katharine Milton, who lived and died at Highgate : And fhe herfelf is the only furvivor of Milton's own family; unless there be fome in the Eaft-Indies, which The very much questions, for fhe used to hear from them fometimes, but has heard nothing now for feveral years: fo that in all probability Milton's whole family would be extinct with her, and he can live only in his writings *. And Mrs. Fofter died at Islington, May 9, 1754, in the 66th year of her age; and by her death all Milton's family became extinct. She had lived many years in a low way, and was at last depreffed with poverty and the infirmities of old age. It does not appear, that any of her grandfather's admirers took any notice of her till 1750; when, on the 5th of April that year, Comus, wrote by Milton, was reprefented at Drury-Lane theatre, with a new Prologue spoken by Mr. Garrick, for her benefit; which produced her above 1301 The prologue was printed both at London and Edinburgh, for her benefit; and is as follows: Ye patriot crouds, who burn for England's fame, Ye nymphs, whofe bofoms beat at MILTON's name, And rifing ages haften to be just, At length our mighty Bard's victorious lays And baffled Spite, with hopelefs Anguish dumb, Unknown, And fuch is the caprice of fortune, this granddaughter of a man, who will be an everlasting glory to the nation, has now for fome years with her husband kept a little chandler's or grocer's fhop, for their fubfiftence, lately at the lower Halloway in the road between Highgate and London, and at present in Cock-lane, not far from Shoreditch church. Another thing let me mention, that is equally to the honour of the prefent age. Though Milton received not above 101. at two different payments for the copy of Paradife Loft, yet Mr. Hoyle, author of the Treatife on the Game of Whift, after having difpofed of all the first impression, fold the copy to the bookfeller, as I have been informed, for two hundred guineas. To this Life from Dr. Newton, we fhall fubjoin an account of the manner in which Milton loft his fight, which he fo pathetically laments in the beginning of book iii. of Paradife Loft; taken from his own letter to Leonard Philaras, envoy from the Duke of Parma to the French King, dated, Westminster, Sept. 28, 1654. "I think 'tis about ten years, more or less, "fince I began to perceive, that my eye-fight grew "weak and dim; and at the faire time my fpleen and "bowels to be oppreffed and troubled with flatus; "-and in the morning, when I began to read, accord"ing to my cuftom, my eyes grew painful immediately, and to refufe reading, but were refreshed af"ter a moderate exercife of the body. A certain Iris Unknown, unheeded, long his offspring lay, Yours is the charge, ye Fair, ye Wife, ye Bave! ་་ "began to furround the light of the candle, if I look"ed at it; foon after which, on the left part of the " left eye, (for that was fome years fooner clouded), "a mist arose, which hid every thing on that fide; " and looking forward, if I fhut my right eye, objects "appeared fmaller. My other eye alfo, for thefe laft "three years, failing by degrees, fome months before "all fight was abolithed, things which I looked upon "feemed to fwim to the right and left. Certain in" veterate vapours feem to poffefs my forehead and temples, which, after meat especially, quite to even"ing, generally urge and deprefs my eyes with a fleepy heavinefs. Nor would I omit, that whilft "there was as yet fome remainder of fight, I no fooner lay down in my bed, and turned on my fide, but a copious light dazzled out of my fhut eyes: and "as my fight diminished, every day colours gradually more obfcure flashed out with vehemence; but now "that the lucid is in a manner wholly extinct, a direct blackness, or elfe fpotted, and as it were woven "with afh-colour, is used to pour itfelf in. Never"theless, the conftant and fettled darknefs that is be"fore me, as well by night as by day, feems nearer "to the whitish than the blackish; and the eye rolling "itfelf a little, feems to admit I know not what little "fmallness of light, as through a chink." The following TRANSLATION and SONNET are taken from Toland's and Birch's accounts of Milton's Life. The Verfes to CHRISTINA Queen of SWEDEN, vol. ii. p. ult. tranflated. RIGHT martial Maid, Queen of the Frozen Zone, BR The Northern Pole fupports thy fhining throne; Behold what furrows Age and Steel can plow, The helmet's weight opprefs'd this wrinkled brow. Through Fate's untrodden paths I move, my hands Still act my free-born people's bold commands: G 2 Yet Yet this ftern fhade to you submits his frowns, A SONNET, upon occafion of the Plague in London, faid to be written by Milton, and to have been lately found on a glass-window at Chalfont, where he refided during the continuance of that dreadful calamity. FAIR AIR mirrour of foul times! whofe fragile fheen To sweep the wicked and their counfels hence: For the fair Hittite, when on Seraph's wings *If this Sonnet was really wrote by Milton, he has blundered, in reprefenting the peftilence as a judgment upon David for his ar dultery with Bathsheba, whereas it was on account of his numbering the people. |