that abusive spirit and those grim expressions, which the turbulence of the times excited, are followed by a gentleness, which, like the beautiful calm that succeeds his own elemental commotion, presents him

X

Milton is supposed to have been an admirer of the works of Jeremy Taylor; to have even studied them; and to have borrowed from them ideas and expressions. With proofs of this description we are not yet supplied. But the energy of his prose has been allowed to equal, though not to surpass, that of the prelate. Perhaps the prose of Taylor is not very often of similar character to that of Milton. Nor is that of bishop Hall, another eloquent contemporary. But from this great triumvirate we gather abundantly the diversified arrangement and application of bright and majestick sentiments, of the most powerful and commanding words. Milton perhaps has never soared, in compositions of this kind, to a greater height, than when with romantick, and classical, and scriptural allusions, he hints at the future production of some noble poem; as in his Reason of Church Government already cited; where he also loftily tells of " an inward prompting,

"Par. Regained, B. iv. 435.

66

* See the Life of bishop Taylor by archdeacon Bonney, and by bishop Heber.

In p. 52, et seq.

which in his youth grew daily upon him, that by labour and intense study he might perhaps leave something so written to after-times, as they should not willingly let it die;" the very anticipation, which he had before communicated to Deodati, that he was meditating an immortality of fame; an anticipation, which the judgement of posterity has confirmed.

z Literæ Fam. dat. Sept. 23, 1637.

SECTION VI.

Of the personal and general character of Milton; of his circumstances; and of his family.

MILTON, in his youth, is said to have been extremely a handsome. He was called the Lady of his Col

• The first published portrait of Milton was that by Marshall, prefixed to the edition of the juvenile poems in 1645. With the palpable dissimilitude of this portrait Milton was justly displeased, as his verses, In Effigiei Sculptorem, evidently prove. In the year 1670, there was another plate, by Faithorne, from a drawing in crayons by Faithorne, prefixed to his History of Britain, with this legend; "Gul. Faithorne ad vivum delin. et sculpsit. Joannis Miltoni effigies, Etat. 62. 1670." It is also prefixed to the edition of his Prose-Works in 1698. It has been observed, that this engraving is not in Faithorne's best manner. The print has been several times copied. By an ingenious young artist a new drawing was taken from Faithorne's picture, (supposed to be the best likeness extant of the poet, and for which he sat at the age of sixty-two,) by the kind permission of William Baker, Esq. in whose possession it now is; from which an engraving was made for my first edition of Milton's poetical works. From the same picture the neat engraving in the present edition is also made. Faithorne's print is copied by W. Dolle, before Milton's Logick, 1672. Dolle's print is likewise prefixed to the second edition of Paradise Lost. Faithorne was also copied afterwards by Robert White, and next by Vertue. Mr. Warton has given many other particulars of paintings and engravings of Milton.

lege; an appellation which he himself has recorded, and which Mr. Hayley says he could not relish.

The

"There are four or five original pictures of our author. first, a half length with a laced ruff, is by Cornelius Jansen, in 1618, when he was only a boy of ten years old. It had belonged to Milton's widow, his third wife, who lived in Cheshire. This was in the possession of Mr. Thomas Hollis, having been purchased at Mr. Charles Stanhope's sale for thirty-one guineas, in June, 1760. Lord Harrington wishing to have the lot returned, Mr. Hollis replied, his lordship's whole estate should not repurchase it.' It was engraved by J. B. Cipriani, in 1760. Mr. Stanhope bought it of the executors of Milton's widow, for twenty guineas. The late Mr. Hollis, when his lodgings in Coventgarden were on fire, walked calmly out of the house with this picture by Jansen in his hand, neglecting to secure any other portable article of value. I presume it is now [1791] in the possession of Mr. Brand Hollis. Another, which had also belonged to Milton's widow, is in the possession of the Onslow family. This, which is not at all like Faithorne's crayon-drawing, and by some is suspected not to be a portrait of Milton, has been more than once engraved by Vertue: who in his first plate of it, dated 1731, and in others, makes the age twenty-one. This has been also engraved by Houbraken in 1741, and by Cipriani. The ruff is much in the neat style of painting ruffs, about and before 1628. The picture is handsomer than the engravings. This portrait is mentioned in Aubrey's manuscript Life of Milton, 1681, as then belonging to the widow. And he says, ' MEм. Write his name in red letters on his pictures which his widowe has, to preserve them.' Vertue, in a Letter to Mr. Christian the seal engraver, in the British Museum, about 1720, proposes to ask Prior the poet, whether there had not been a picture of Milton in the late lord Dorset's Collection. The duchess of Portland has [had] a miniature of his head, when young; the face has a stern thoughtfulness, and, to use his own expression, is severe in youthful beauty. Before Peck's New Memoirs of Milton, printed 1740, is a pretended head of Milton in exquisite mezzotinto, done by the second J. Faber which is characteristically unlike any other representation of our author I remember to have seen. It is from a

From his Defensio Secunda, and his Apology for Smectymnuus, several circumstances, respecting his

6

painting given to Peck by sir John Meres of Kirkby-Belers in Leicestershire. But Peck himself knew that he was imposing upon the publick. For having asked Vertue whether he thought it a picture of Milton, and Vertue peremptorily answering in the negative, Peck replied, I'll have a scraping from it, however; and let posterity settle the difference.' Besides, in this picture the left hand is on a book, lettered Paradise Lost. But Peck supposes the age about twenty-five, when Milton had never thought of that poem or subject. Peck mentions a head done by Milton himself on board: but it does not appear to be authenticated.

"The Richardsons, and next the Tonsons, [before Mr. Baker,] had the admirable crayon-drawing above mentioned. About the year 1725, Vertue carried this drawing, with other reputed engravings and paintings of Milton, to Milton's favourite daughter Deborah, a very sensible woman, who died the wife of Abraham Clark a weaver in Spitalfields, in 1727, aged 76. He contrived to have them brought into the room as if by accident, while he was conversing with her. At seeing the drawing, taking no notice of the rest, she suddenly cried out in great surprise, ' O Lord, that is the picture of my father! How came you by it?' And, stroking down the hair of her forehead, added, ' Just so my father wore his hair.' She was very like Milton. Compare Richardson, Explan. Notes, p. xxxvi. This head, by Faithorne, was etched by Richardson the father about 1734, with the addition of a laurel-crown to help the propriety of the motto. It is before the Explanatory Notes on the Paradise Lost, by. the Richardsons, Lond. 1734. 8vo. The busts prefixed to Milton's Prose-Works by Birch 1738, and by Baron 1753, are engraved by Vertue from a bad drawing made by J. Richardson, after an original cast in plaster about fifty. Of this cast Mr. Hollis gave a drawing by Cipriani to Speaker Onslow in 1759. It was executed, perhaps, on the publication of the Defensio, by one Pierce an artist of some note, the same who did the marble bust of sir Christopher Wren in the Bodleian library, or by Abraham Simon. Mr. Hollis bought it of Vertue. It has been remodelled in wax by Gosset. Richardson the father also etched this bust for The Poems and