glory, fubmits to his penalty. The Chorus briefly concludes. Compare this with the former draught."

These are very imperfect rudiments of Paradife Loft; but it is pleafant to fee great works in their feminal state, pregnant with latent poffibilities of excellence; nor could there be any more delightful entertainment than to trace their gradual growth and expansion, and to obferve how they are fometimes fuddenly advanced by accidental hints, and fometimes flowly improved by fteady medita

tion.

Invention is almoft the only literary labour which blindness cannot obftruct, and therefore he naturally folaced his folitude by the indulgence of his fancy, and the melody of his numbers. He had done what he knew to be neceffarily previous to poetical excellence; he had made himfelf acquainted with feemly arts and affairs; his comprehenfion was extended by various knowledge, and his memory ftored with intellectual treasures. He was fkilful in many languages, and had by reading and compofition attained the full mastery of his own. He would have wanted little help from books, had he retained the power of perufing them.

But while his greater defigns were advancing, having now, like many other authors, caught the love of publication, he amufed himfelf, as he could, with little productions. He fent to the prefs (1658) a manufcript of Raleigh, called the Cabinet Council; and next year gratified his malevolence to the clergy, by a Treatife of Civil Power in Ecclefiaftical Ca

fes, and the means of removing Hirelings out of

the Church.

Oliver was now dead; Richard was conftrained to refign: the fyftem of extemporary government, which had been held together only by force, naturally fell into fragments when that force was taken away; and Milton faw himself and his caufe in equal danger. But he had still hope of doing fomething. He wrote letters, which Toland has published, to fuch men as he thought friends to the new commonwealth; and even in the year of the Restoration he bated no jot of heart or hope, but was fantastical enough to think that the nation, agitated as it was, might be fettled by a pamphlet, called A ready and eafy Way to establish a Free Commonwealth; which was, however, enough confidered to be both seriously and ludicrously answered.

The obftinate enthufiafin of the commonwealthmen was very remarkable. When the king was apparently returning, Harrington, with a few affociates as fanatical as himself, used to meet, with all the gravity of political importance, to fettle an equal government by rotation; and Milton, kicking when he could ftrike no longer, was foolish enough to publifh, a few weeks before the Restoration, Notes upon a fermon preached by one Griffiths, intituled, The Fear of God and the King. To these notes an answer was written by L'Estrange, in a pamphlet petulantly called No blind Guides.

But whatever Milton could write, or men of greater activity could do, the king was now evidently approaching with the irresistible approbation of the people. He was therefore no

longer

longer fecretary, and was confequently obliged to quit the houfe which he held by his office; and, proportioning his fenfe of danger to his opinion of the importance of his writings, thought it convenient to seek fome fhelter, and hid himself for a time in Bartholomew Clofe by Weft Smithfield.

I cannot but remark a kind of refpect, perhaps unconsciously, paid to this great man by his biographers: every houfe in which he refided is hiftorically mentioned, as if it were an injury to neglect naming any place that he honoured by his prefence.

The king, with lenity of which the world has had perhaps no other example, declined to be the judge or avenger of his own or his father's wrongs; and promifed to admit into the Act of Oblivion all, except those whom the parliament should except; and the parliament doomed none to capital punishment but the wretches who had immediately co-operated in the murder of the king. Milton was certainly not one of them; he had only justified what they had done.

This juftification was indeed fufficiently offenfive; and (June 16) an order was iffued to feize Milton's Defence, and Godwin's Obftructors of Justice, another book of the fame tendency, and burn them by the common hangman. The attorney-general was ordered to profecute the authors; but Milton was not feized, nor perhaps very diligently pursued.

Not long after (Auguft 19) the flutter of innumerable bofoms was ftilled by an act, which the king, that his mercy might want no recommendation of elegance, rather called

an

an act of oblivion than of grace. Godwin was named, with nineteen more, as incapacitated for any publick truft; but of Milton there was no exception.

Of this tenderness fhewn to Milton, the curiofity of mankind has not forborn to enquire the reafon. Burnet thinks he was forgotten; but this is another inftance which may confirm Dalrymple's obfervation, who fays, "that "whenever Burnet's narrations are examined, "he appears to be mistaken."

Forgotten he was not; for his profecution was ordered; it must be therefore by defign that he was included in the general oblivion. He is faid to have had friends in the House, fuch as Marvel, Morrice, and Sir Thomas Clarges; and undoubtedly a man like him must have had influence. A very particular ftory of his escape is told by Richardfon in his Memoirs, which he received from Pope, as delivered by Betterton, who might have heard it from Davenant. In the war between the king and parliament, Davenant was made prifoner, and condemned to die; but was fpared at the request of Milton. When the turn of fuccefs brought Milton into the like danger, Davenant repaid the benefit by appearing in his favour. Here is a reciprocation of generofity and gratitude fo pleafing, that the tale makes its own way to credit. But if help were wanted, I know not where to find it. The danger of Davenant is certain from his own relation; but of his escape there is no account. Betterton's narration can be traced no higher; it is not known that he had it from Davenant. We are told that the be

nefit exchanged was life for life; but it feems not certain that Milton's life ever was in danger. Godwin, who had committed the fame kind of crime, efcaped with incapacitation; and as exclufion from publick truft is a punishment which the power of government can commonly inflict without the help of a particular law, it required no great intereft to exempt Milton from a cenfure little more than verbal. Something may be reasonably afcribed to veneration and compaffion; to veneration of his abilities, and compaffion for his diftreffes, which made it fit to forgive his malice for his learning. He was now poor and blind; and who would purfue with violence an illuftrious enemy, depreffed by fortune, and difarmed by nature?

The publication of the act of oblivion put him in the fame condition with his fellow

fubjects. He was, however, upon fome pretence not now known, in the cuftody of the ferjeant in December; and, when he was releafed, upon his refufal of the fees demanded, he and the ferjeant were called before the House. He was now fafe within the fhade of oblivion, and knew himself to be as much out of the power of a griping officer as any other man. How the question was determined is not known. Milton would hardly have contended, but that he knew himself to have right on his fide.

He then removed to Jewin-ftreet, near Alderfgate-street; and being blind, and by no means wealthy, wanted a domeftick companion and attendant; and therefore, by the recommendation of Dr. Paget, married Elizabeth Minihul,