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public affairs than poets ufually are. And it has happened that more accounts have been written of his life, than of almost any author's, particularly by Antony Wood in his Fafti Oxonienfes, by our author's nephew Mr. Edward Philips before the English tranflation of Milton's State-letters printed in 1694, by Mr. Toland before the edition of our author's profe works in three volumes folio printed in 1698, by Monfieur Bayle in his Hiftorical and Critical Dictionary, by Mr. Fenton before the edition of our author's poetical works printed in 1725, by Mr. Richardfon in the preface to his Explanatory Notes and Remarks upon Milton's Paradife Loft, and by the reverend and ingenious Mr. Thomas Birch in the General Dictionary, and more largely before the edition of our author's profe works in two volumes folio printed in 1738. And I have not only read and compared thefe accounts together, and made the best extracts out of them which I poffibly could; but have also collected fome other particulars from Milton's own works as well as from other authors, and from credible tradition as well as from written teftimonies: and all thefe, like fo many different threds, I have woven into one piece, and formed into a continued narration, of which, whether it affords more or lefs fatisfaction and entertainment than former accounts, the reader must judge and determin: but it has been my study and endevor, as in the notes to comprife the flower of all other notes, fo in the life to include the fubftance of all former lives, and with improvements and additions.

In the conclufion are added copious indexes, one of the principal matters, and another of the words.

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The man, who is at the pains of making indexes, is really to be pitied; but of their great utility there is no need to fay any thing, when feveral perfons, who pafs in the world for profound scholars, know little more of books than title-pages and indexes, but never catch the spirit of an author, which is fure always to evaporate or die in fuch hands. The former of these indexes, if not drawn up by Mr. Tickell, was I think first inferted in his quarto edition of Milton's poetical works printed in 1720; and for the latter, which was much more laborious, it was composed at the defire and encouragement of Mr. Auditor Benfon by Mr. Cruden, who hath also published a very useful Concordance to the Bible.

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T is agreed among all writers, that the family of Milton came originally from Milton in Oxfordfhire; but from which of the Miltons is not altogether fo certain. Some fay, and particularly Mr. Philips, that the family was of Milton near Abington in Oxfordshire, where it had been a long time feated, as appears by the monuments still to be feen in Milton-church. But that Milton is not in Oxfordshire, but in Barkfhire; and upon inquiry I find, that there are no fuch monuments in that church, nor any remains of them. It is more probable therefore that the family came, as Mr. Wood fays, from Milton near Halton and Thame in Oxfordshire: where it florished several years, till at last the estate was fequefter'd, one of the family having taken the unfortunate fide in the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster. John Milton, the poet's grand-father, was, according to Mr. Wood, an under-ranger or keeper of the foreft of Shotover near Halton in Oxfordshire; he was of the religion of Rome, and fuch a bigot that he difinherited his fon only for being a proteftant. Upon this the fon, the poet's father, named likewise John Milton, settled in London, and became a fcrivener by the advice of a friend eminent in that profeffion: but he was not fo devoted to gain and to business, as to lofe all taste of the politer arts, and was particularly skilled in mufic, in which he was not only a fine performer,

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and there he excelled more and more, and diftinguished himself by feveral copies of verfes upon occafional fubjects, as well as by all his academical exercises, many of which are printed among his other works, and fhow him to have had a capacity above his years: and by his obliging behaviour added to his great learning and ingenuity he deservedly gained the affection of many, and admiration of all. We do not find however that he obtained any preferment in the university, or a fellowship in his own college; which feemeth the more extraordinary, as that fociety has always encouraged learning and learned men, had the most excellent Mr. Mede at that time a fellow, and afterwards boafteth the great names of Cudworth, and Burnet author of the Theory of the Earth, and several others. And this together with fome Latin verses of his to a friend, reflecting upon the university seemingly on this account, might probably have given occafion to the reproach which was afterwards caft upon him by his adversaries, that he was expelled from the univerfity for irregularities committed there, and forced to fly to Italy: but he fufficiently refutes this calumny in more places than one of his works; and indeed it is no wonder, that a perfon fo engaged in religious and political controverfies, as he was, fhould be calumniated and abused by the contrary party.

He was defigned by his parents for holy orders; and among the manufcripts of Trinity College in Cambridge there are two draughts in Milton's own hand of a letter to a friend, who had importuned him to take orders, when he had attained the age of twenty three: but the truth is, he had conceived

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