gerous consequences as their necessary result, to disclaim the inferences which themselves have not drawn. But Milton was too severe a reasoner, and too honest a man, to disavow or shrink from the avowal of all legitimate inferences from his own opinions. He was therefore neither appalled nor shaken by the view of his system as a whole; which, however it admits the expediency, and even the duty, of uniting in a particular church, would inevitably produce in its result the isolation of every individual, and the dissolution of every religious community."

Nor may the following criticism, in another country, which notices the religious opinions of Milton, and refers to his various changes of them, be overpassed. "Una criticà delle opinioni politiche e religiose di Milton si può avere nell' opera Ritratti Poetici, Storici, e Critici di varii moderni uomini di lettere di Appio Anneo da Faba cromaziano. Ven. 1796, tom. ii. p. 78; dove si può conoscere quanto sia vero che Milton in giovinezza Puritano, in età matura Anabatista e Indipendente, in vecchiezza di nessuna setta, cangio religion cangiando pelo, com' ivi è scritto. Sembra che l'odio di lui verso il Clero non fosse che una consequenza di quell' amore di libertà, che lo dominava, e cui opponeva un grande ostaculo la somma influenza dell' ordine religioso sulle cose dell' Inghilterra al tempo di quelle fiere sommosse: crederei quindi che piu

odiasse l'abuso di quello che la cosa in se stessa. Un uomo del suo ingegno non poteva non conoscere quanto in massima la forza morale della religione sia necessaria a consolidare la felicità di uno Stato. E' anche da notare che a quei tempi erano molto in voga le questioni teologiche, delle quali niente v' ha di più pericoloso a far cadere in incertezze ed errori."

IN the FIRST SECTION I have omitted the circumstances, which were related in my former account of the life and writings of Milton from the communication of Mr. Richards, of Milton's father-in-law being of Sandford in the vicinity of Oxford, of Milton himself residing at Forest-hill and there writing a great part of his Paradise Lost, and of Mr. Warton's finding there many papers of Milton's own writing. For Mr. Warton himself notices only some papers of Mr. Powell, which he there saw; no other document has been found to shew Mr. Powell's residence or connection with Sandford; and the improbability of Milton's writing at Forest-hill any part of his immortal poem, I have stated.

b

8

C

In the SECOND SECTION I have only to observe, that what Dr. Newton and other biographers of

a See the present account, &c. p. 269, note *..

See the details of his property, &c. pp. 69, 70, &c.

• See before, p. 29.

Milton have stated, as to the correspondence of the Council of State with other governments, is not quite correct. Dr. Newton says, "Milton served as Latin secretary for foreign affairs under Oliver, and Richard, and the Rump, till the Restoration ; and without doubt a better Latin pen could not have been found in the kingdom. For the republick and Cromwell scorned to pay that tribute to any foreign prince, which is usually paid to the French king, of managing their affairs in his language they thought it an indignity and meanness, to which this or any free nation ought not to submit; and took a noble resolution neither to write any letters to any foreign states, nor to receive any answers from them, but in the Latin tongue, which was common to them all." Now, in the preceding Orders of Council, it will be seen that they did receive answers from other states in their respective languages, which Milton was directed to translate.

To the THIRD SECTION a curious addition is now given, which I remember not to have met with in any remarks of the biographers on the classical taste of Milton. It is, that "he often read Plautus, in order the better to rail at Salmasius." In the same section, the letter of Milton, which was given while the sheet was printing, in behalf of Marvel,

See before, pp. 141, 146.

e Toland's Vindicius Liberius, or Defence of himself, &c. 1702, p. 8.

See before, p. 162.

confirms what in my former account of the poet I had said without alteration, that he was not totally blind before 1653, but to which I have added in the present, from Du Moulin's inhuman taunt, a belief that in 1652, in which year Du Moulin published the book that contained it, the sight of both eyes was gone. This letter, however, dated Feb. 21, 1652, that is, 1652-3, is written steadily with his own hand throughout, and clearly proves that he had still the use of one eye, which could direct his hand to express elegantly the friendly feelings of his heart. It may here be mentioned that Marvel was in 1653 appointed by Cromwell tutor to Mr. Dutton; possibly through the interest of Milton. Marvel thus acknowledges the former kindness, in a letter to Milton, dated at Eton, June 2, 1654. "He [Bradshawe] might suspect that I delivering it [a letter] just upon my departure, it might have brought in it some second proposition, like to that which you have before made to him by your letter to my advantage."

h

To the FOURTH AND FIFTH SECTIONS I offer no addition.

In the SIXTH SECTION what the wife of Milton told the early admirers of his poetry, must be inserted;

See before, p. 147.

h Milton's State-Letters, &c. p. 98. Biograph. Brit. Art. Marvel.