Marriage or Nullities of Marriage, published in the same year. These were followed by a translation of Martin Bucer's Judgement on the same side, in 1645. But the world did not see any urgent necessity of entering into these knotty speculations. One of Milton's sonnets complains of its apathy; and no author of celebrity ever undertook a formal answer to either of his treatises. He was attacked, indeed, by an anonymous pamphlet, written, as he says, by a serving man turned solicitor;' and, between mortification at the little notice, which was comparatively given to the question, and anger, that so ignoble a foe should aspire to be his equal, he replied in a truly pedagogical work, entitled the Colasterion, or a Rod of Correction for a Saucy Impertinent, 1645.*

The passage extracted from Phillips will suffi ciently show the object of Milton, in these several publications. To use his own language, he supposed that Moses sanctions the divorce of a couple, who could not fadge together;' or whose 'tempers,' to adopt the more courtly phrase of Mr. Godwin, were incompatible' with each other. Christ gave no such permission; but, as he came not to 'destroy the law,' it is attempted to reconcile the supposed contradiction, by considering what Moses said, as the rule of conduct, and what Christ added, as matter of advice. The passage in Moses is this: 'When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his

Ph. ap. Godw. p. 368. His treatises made more noise than is generally imagined. The author was brought before the House of Lords, through the intercession of the clergy; but, says Wood, whether approving his doctrines, or not favouring his accusers. they did soon dismiss him.' One sermon, at least, was preached against his books; and, not only were they noticed in many cotemporary and subsequent authors,-hut became the means of forming a sect, under the name of Divorcers, or Miltonists. Todd, vol. i. p. 53. 56.

+ Godw. Phh. p. 9.

language of Christ as to that of

lieve, with the rest of Milton's bioThe first formed a resolution to divorce n wrote these treatises to strengthen d justify his conduct. A man is not Is of a person, whom he has ceased iton, by remarking, that every mo

3

mind is not to be regarded," puts Jago's caution-Beware of jealousy, rey takes pains, however, in two , to declare he has so much charity › cannot believe, she would 'wrong ver heard the least suspicions, nor that any jealousie: but what man emplative)' he adds, would like to fe environ'd [and storm'd] by the d those of the enemie partie.' The were then at Oxford.†

()

Milton undertook to carry his new ractice, that the stubbornness of his o yield. There fell out a passage,' , which, though it altered not the was going to steer, yet it put a stop d (Phillips was a lexicographer) to hich was more than probably thought ritation: it was indeed a design of of Dr. Davis's daughters, a very vitty gentlewoman, but averse, as it otion. However, the intelligence then declining state of the king's sequently of the circumstances of 's family, caused them to set all ento restore the late married woman herein they a little before had plantdevice was pitch'd upon. There ne of St. Martin's le Grand, which

Div. b. ii. c. 13.

D

Aub, ap.Godw. p. 245.

eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement,' &c. She may now take another husband. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorce,' the former husband cannot take her back.* From the latter verse, it would, at first sight, appear, that the husband has only to 'hate' his wife, in order to hand her a bill of divorcement. We cannot think, that Moses intended to give this power to husbands, unless they have some reasonable cause, not of dislike merely,-but of absolute hatred. In the former passage, uncleanness' is considered as a cause; and, from other parts of this same book, it is beyond doubt, that uncleanness, in this place, means unchastity. If any man take a wife, (we are told) and go in to her, and hate herand say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid,' it is incumbent on the father and mother to disprove his assertion. If they succeed, she shall be his wife again, and he may not put her away all his days:' if they fail, she is to be brought to her father's door and stoned to death.† It appears, then, that, according to Moses, the cause of hatred in the husband must be the fornication of the wife; and that, if this fact be disproved, let him hate her as he will, he shall live with her all his days. If there be any thing else in the language of Christ, we have not been able to find his meaning. Whoever (says he) shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery.' Milton cites Grotius, indeed, as proving, 'that fornication is taken in Scripture for such a continual headstrong behaviour, as tends to plain contempt of the husband.' There can be no such construction put upon the passage we have just transcribed; and, even if there could, it must apply S. Matth. ch. v.

·

*Deut. ch. xxiv.

Ibid. ch, xxii.

as well to the language of Christ as to that of Moses.

We do not believe, with the rest of Milton's biographers, that he first formed a resolution to divorce his wife, and then wrote these treatises to strengthen his purpose, and justify his conduct. A man is not apt to be jealous of a person, whom he has ceased to love; and Milton, by remarking, 'that every mo tion of a jealous mind is not to be regarded, puts one in mind of Iago's caution-Beware of jealousy, my lord.' Aubrey takes pains, however, in two different places, to declare he has so much charity for her, that,' he cannot believe, she would 'wrong his bed.' He never heard the least suspicions, nor had Milton of that any jealousie: but what man (especially contemplative)' he adds, would like to have a young wife environ'd [and storm'd] by the sons of Mars, and those of the enemie partie.' The king's quarters were then at Oxford.†

It was not till Milton undertook to carry his new doctrines into practice, that the stubbornness of his spouse began to yield. "There fell out a passage,' says his nephew, which, though it altered not the whole course he was going to steer, yet it put a stop or rather an end (Phillips was a lexicographer) to a grand affair, which was more than probably thought to be then in agitation: it was indeed a design of marrying one of Dr. Davis's daughters, a very handsome and witty gentlewoman, but averse, as it is said, to this motion. However, the intelligence hereof, and the then declining state of the king's cause, and consequently of the circumstances of Justice Powell's family, caused them to set all engines on work, to restore the late married woman to the station wherein they a little before had planted: at last this device was pitch'd upon. There dwelt in the lane of St. Martin's le Grand, which

• Doc. and Disc. Div. b. ii. c. 18.

VOL. VII.

3)

† Aub, ap.Godw. p. 245.