different times of the year favourable to different parts of life. Mr. Richardfon conceives it impoffible that fuch a work should be fufpended for fix months, or for one. It may go on fafter or flower, but it must go on. By what neceffity it must continually go on, or why it might not be laid aside and refumed, it is not eafy to discover.

This dependance of the foul upon the feafons, thofe temporary and periodical ebbs and flows of intellect, may, I fuppofe, justly be derided as the fumes of vain imagination. Sapiens dominabitur aftris. The author that thinks himself weather-bound will find, with a little help from hellebore, that he is only idle or exhausted. But while this notion has poffeffion of the head, it produces the inability which it fupposes. Our powers owe much of their energy to our hopes; poffunt quia poffe videntur. When fuccefs feems attainable, diligence is enforced; but when it is admitted that the faculties are fuppreffed by a cross wind, or a cloudy sky, the day is given up without refiftance; for who can contend with the course of Nature?

From fuch prepoffeffions Milton feems not to have been free. There prevailed in his time an opinion that the world was in its decay, and that we have had the misfortune to be produced in the decrepitude of Nature. It was fufpected that the whole creation languished, that neither trees nor animals had the height or bulk of their predeceffors; and that every thing was daily finking in gradual diminution. Milton appears to fufpect that fouls partake of the general degeneracy, and is not

without

without fome fear that his book is to be writ ten in an age too late for heroick poefy.

Another opinion wanders about the world, and fometimes finds reception among wife men; an opinion that restrains the operations of the mind to particular regions, and fupposes that a lucklefs mortal may be born in a degree of latitude too high or too low for wifdom or for wit. From this fancy, wild as it is, he had not wholly cleared his head, when he feared left the climate of his country might be too cold for flights of imagination.

Into a mind already occupied by fuch fancies, another not more reasonable might easily find its way. He that could fear left his genius had fallen upon too old a world, or too chill a climate, might confiftently magnify to himfelf the influences of the feafons, and believe his faculties to be vigorous only half the year.

His fubmiffion to the seasons was at least more reasonable than his dread of decaying nature, or a frigid zone; for general caufes operate uniformly in a general abatement of mental power: if lefs could be performed by the writer, lefs likewife would content the judges of his work. Among this lagging race of frofty grovellers he might ftill have risen into eminence by producing fomething which they should not willingly let die. However inferior to the heroes who were born in better ages, he might still be great among his contemporaries, with the hope of growing every day greater in the dwindle of posterity. He might still be the giant of the pygmies, the one-eyed monarch of the blind.

Of his artifices of study, or particular hours of compofition, we have little account, and there was perhaps little to be told. Richardfon, who seems to have been very diligent in his enquiries, but discovers always a wish to find Milton difcriminated from other men, relates, that " he would fometimes lie awake "whole nights, but not a verse could he make; "and on a fudden his poetical faculty would "rufh upon him with an impetus, or aftrum, "and his daughter was immediately called to "fecure what came. At other times he would " dictate perhaps forty lines in a breath, and "then reduce them to half the number."

These bursts of light, and involutions of darkness; these tranfient and involuntary excurfions and retroceffions of invention, having fome appearance of deviation from the common train of Nature, are eagerly caught by the lovers of a wonder. Yet fomething of this inequality happens to every man in every mode of exertion, manual or mental. The mechanick cannot handle his hammer and his file at all times with equal dexterity; there are hours, he knows not why, when his band is out. By Mr. Richardfon's relation, cafually conveyed, much regard cannot be claimed. That, in his intellectual hour, Milton called for his daughter to fecure what came, may be queftioned; for unluckily it happens to be known that his daughters were never taught to write; nor would he have been obliged, as is univerfally confeffed, to have employed any casual vifiter in difburthening his memory, if his daughter could have performed the office.

The

The story of reducing his exuberance has been told of other authors, and though doubtlefs true of every fertile and copious mind, feems to have been gratuitoufly transferred to Milton.

What he has told us, and we cannot now know more, is, that he compofed much of his poem in the night and morning, I fuppofe before his mind was difturbed with common bufinefs; and that he poured out with great fluency his unpremeditated verfe. Verfification, free, like his, from the diftreffes of rhyme, muft, by a work fo long, be made prompt and habitual; and, when his thoughts were once adjusted, the words would come at his command.

At what particular times of his life the parts of his work were written, cannot often be known. The beginning of the third book fhews that he had loft his fight; and the Introduction to the feventh, that the return of the king had clouded him with discountenance; and that he was offended by the licentious feftivity of the Restoration. There are no other internal notes of time. Milton, being now cleared from all effects of his difloyalty, had nothing required from him but the common duty of living in quiet, to be rewarded with the common right of protection: but this, which, when he fculked from the approach of his king, was perhaps more than he hoped, feems not to have fatisfied him; for no fooner is he safe than he finds himself in danger, fallen on evil days and evil tongues, and with darkness and with danger compassed round. This darkness, had his eyes been better employed,

ployed, had undoubtedly deferved compaffion; but to add the mention of danger was ungrateful and unjuft. He was fallen indeed on evil days; the time was come in which regicides could no longer boaft their wickedness. But of evil tongues for Milton to complain, required impudence at least equal to his other powers; Milton, whofe warmeft advocates muft allow, that he never fpared any afperity of reproach or brutality of infolence.

But the charge itself feems to be false; for it would be hard to recollect any reproach caft upon him, either ferious or ludicrous, through the whole remaining part of his life. He perfued his ftudies, or his amusements, without perfecution, molestation, or infult. Such is the reverence paid to great abilities, however misused: they who contemplated in Milton the scholar and the wit, were contented to forget the reviler of his king.

;

When the plague (1665) raged in London, Milton took refuge at Chalfont in Effex where Elwood, who had taken the house for him, first saw a complete copy of Paradife Loft, and, having perufed it, faid to him, "Thou haft faid a great deal upon Paradife "Loft; what haft thou to fay upon Paradife "Found?"

Next year, when the danger of infection. had ceafed, he returned to Bunhill-fields, and defigned the publication of his poem. A licenfe was neceffary, and he could expect no great kindness from a chaplain of the archbishop of Canterbury. He feems, however, to have been treated with tenderness; for though