hifhed a treatise of Reformation in two books, against the established Church; being willing to help the Puritans, who were, he fays, inferior to the Prelates in learning.

Hall bishop of Norwich had published an Humble Remonftrance, in defence of Epifcopacy; to which, in 1641, fix minifters, of whofe names the first letters made the celebrated word Smectymnus, gave their Anfwer. Of this Anfwer a Confutation was attempted by the learned Uber; and to the Confutation Milton published a Reply, intituled, Of Prelatical Epifcopacy, and whether it may be deduced from the Apoftolical Times, by virtue of thofe teftimonies which are alledged to that purpose in some late treatifes, one whereof goes under the name of James lord bishop of Armagh.

I have transcribed this title to fhew, by his contemptuous mention of Ufher, that he had now adopted the puritanical favageness of manners. His next work was, The Reason of Church Government urged against Prelacy, by Mr. John Milton, 1642. In this book he difcovers, not with oftentatious exultation, but with calm confidence, his high opinion of his own powers; and promises to undertake fomething, he yet knows not what, that may be of use and honour to his country. "This," fays he, " is not to be obtained but by devout prayer "to that Eternal Spirit that can enrich "with all utterance and knowledge, and fends "out his Seraphim with the hallowed fire of "his altar, to touch and purify the lips of "whom he pleases. To this must be added, "induftrious and felect reading, steady obfer

vation, and infight into all feemly and ge

<< nerous

"nerous arts and affairs; till which in fome "measure be compaft, I refuse not to sustain "this expectation." From a promife like this, at once fervid, pious, and rational, might be expected the Paradife Loft.

He published the fame year two more pamphlets, upon the fame queftion. To one of his antagonists, who affirms that he was vomited out of the univerfity, he answers, in general terms; "The Fellows of the College "wherein I spent some years, at my parting, "after I had taken two degrees, as the man"ner is, fignified many times how much bet"ter it would content them that I fhould "ftay. As for the common approbation or "diflike of that place, as now it is, that I "should esteem or difefteem myself the more "for that, too fimple is the anfwerer, if he "think to obtain with me. Of small practice "were the phyfician who could not judge, by "what she and her fifter have of long time "vomited, that the worfer stuff she strongly

keeps in her ftomach, but the better she is "ever kecking at, and is queafy; fhe vomits now out of ficknefs; but before it be well "with her, the muft vomit by ftrong phyfick. "The university, in the time of her better "health, and my younger judgement, I never greatly admired, but now much lefs."

This is furely the language of a man who thinks that he has been injured. He proceeds to describe the course of his conduct, and the train of his thoughts; and, because he has been fufpected of incontinence, gives an account of his own purity: "That if I be just

"ly charged," fays he, "with this crime, it may come upon me with tenfold fhame.

The stile of his piece is rough, and fuch perhaps was that of his antagonist. This roughness he juftifies, by great examples, in a long digreffion. Sometimes he tries to be humorous: "Left I should take him for "fome chaplain in hand, fome fquire of the body to his prelate, one who serves not at "the altar only but at the Court-cupboard, " he will bestow on us a pretty model of him"felf; and fets me out half a dozen ptifical "mottos, wherever he had them, hopping "fhort in the measure of convulfion fits; in "which labour the agony of his wit having scaped narrowly, instead of well-fized periods, he greets us with a quantity of thumbring pofies.---And thus ends this fection, or rather diffection of himself." Such is the controverfial merriment of Milton: his gloomy seriousness is yet more offenfive. Such is his malignity, that hell grows darker at his frown.

His father, after Reading was taken by Effex, came to refide in his houfe; and his fchool increased. At Whitfuntide, in his thirty-fifth years, he married Mary, the daughter of Mr. Powel, a juftice of the peace in Oxfordshire. He brought her to town with him, and expected all the advantages of a conjugal life. The lady, however, feems not much to have delighted in the pleasures of fpare diet and hard study; for, as Philips relates, "having "for a month led a philofophical life, after

having been used at home to a great house, "and much company and joviality, her friends,

" poffibly

poffibly by her own defire, made earnest "fuit to have her company the remaining part of the fummer; which was granted, upon a promise of her return at Michael"mas."

Milton was too busy to much miss his wife: he pursued his ftudies; and now and then vifited the lady Margaret Leigh, whom he has mentioned in one of his fonnets. At last Michaelmas arrived; but the lady had no inclination to return to the fullen gloom of her husband's habitation, and therefore very willingly forgot her promise. He sent her a letter, but had no anfwer; he fent more with the fame fuccefs. It could be alledged that letters miscarry; he therefore difpatched a meffenger, being by this time too angry to go himself. His messenger was fent back with fome contempt. The family of the lady were Cavaliers.

In a man whose opinion of his own merit was like Milton's, lefs provocation than this might have raised violent refentment. Milton foon determined to repudiate her for disobedience; and, being one of those who could eafily find arguments to juftify inclination, published (in 1644) The Doctrine and Difcipline of Divorce; which was followed by The Judgement of Martin Bucer concerning Divorce; and the next year, his Tetrachordon, Expofitions upon the four chief Places of Scripture which treat of Marriage.

This innovation was opposed, as might be expected, by the clergy; who, then holding their famous affembly at Westminster, procured that the author fhould be called before the

3

Lords;

"whe

Lords; "but that houfe," fays Wood, "ther approving the doctrine, or not favouring his accufers, did foon dismiss him.”

There feems not to have been much written against him, nor any thing by any writer of eminence. The antagonist that appeared is ftiled by him, a Serving-man turned Solicitor. Howel in his letters mentions the new doctrine with contempt; and it was, I fuppofe, thought more worthy of derifion than of confutation. He complains of this neglect in two fonnets, of which the firft is contemptible, and the fecond not excellent.

From this time it is obferved that he became an enemy to the Prefbyterians, whom he had favoured before. He that changes his party by his humour, is not more virtuous than he that changes it by his intereft; he loves himfelf rather than truth.

His wife and her relations now found that Milton was not an unrefifting sufferer of injuries; and perceiving that he had begun to put his doctrine in practice, by courting a young woman of great accomplishments, the daughter of one Doctor Davis, who was however not ready to comply, they refolved to endeavour a re-union. He went fometimes to the house of one Blackborough, his relation, in the lane of St. Martin's-le-Grand, and at one of his ufual vifits was surprised to fee his wife come from another room, and implore forgiveness on her knees. He refifted her intreaties for awhile; "but partly," fays Philips," his own generous nature, more incli"nable to reconciliation than to perfeverance "in anger or revenge, and partly the strong

"inter