though objections were made to particular paffages, and among them to the fimile of the fun eclipfed in the first book, yet the license was granted; and he fold his copy, April 27, 1667, to Samuel Simmons for an immediate payment of five pounds, with a ftipulation to receive five pounds more when thirteen hundred fhould be fold of the first edition; and again, five pounds after the fale of the fame number of the fecond edition, and another five pounds after the fame fale of the third. None of the three editions were to be extended beyond fifteen hundred copies.

The first edition was of ten books, in a small quarto. The titles were varied from year to year; and an advertisement and the arguments of the books were omitted in fome copies, and inferted in others.

The fale gave him in two years a right to his fecond payment, for which the receipt was figned April 26, 1669. The second edition was not given till 1674; it was printed in fmall octavo ; and the number of books was encreased to twelve, by a divifion of the seventh and twelfth; and fome other fmall improvements were made. The third edition was published in 1678; and the widow, to whom the copy was then to devolve, fold all her claims to Simmons for eight pounds, according to her receipt given Dec. 21, 168c. Simmons had already agreed to transfer the whole right to Brabazon Aylmer for twenty-five pounds; and Aylmer fold to Jacob Tonfon half, August 17, 1683, and half, March 24, 1690, at a price confiderably enlarged.

The

The flow fale and tardy reputation of this poem, have been always mentioned as evidences of neglected merit, and of the uncertainty of literary fame; and enquiries have been made, and conjectures offered, about the caufes of its long obfcurity and late reception. But has the cafe been truly stated? Have not lamentation and wonder been lavished on an evil that was never felt?

That in the reigns of Charles and James the Paradife Loft received no publick acclamations is readily confeffed. Wit and literature were on the fide of the Court: and who that folicited favour or the fashion would venture to praise the defender of the regicides? All that he himself could think his due, from evil tongues in evil days, was that reverential filence which was generously preferved. But it cannot be inferred that his poem was not read, or not, however, unwillingly, admired.

The fale, if it be confidered, will justify the publick. Those who have no power to judge of past times but by their own, fhould always doubt their conclufions. The fale of books was not in Milton's age what it is in the prefent. To read was not then a general amusement; neither traders, nor often gentlemen, thought themselves difgraced by ignorance. The women had not then aspired to literature, nor was every house supplied with a closet of books. Thofe indeed, who profeffed learning, were not lefs learned than at any other time; but of that middle race of students who read for pleasure or accomplishment, and who buy the numerous products of modern typography, the number was then comparatively small.

Το

To prove the paucity of readers, it may be fufficient to remark, that the nation had been satisfied, from 1623 to 1664, that is forty-one years, with only two editions of the works of Shakespeare, which probably did not together make one thousand copies.

The fale of thirteen hundred copies in two years, in oppofition to fo much recent enmity, and to a ftyle of verfification new to all and difgufting to many, was an uncommon example of the prevalence of genius. The demand did not immediately encreafe; for many more readers than were fupplied at first the nation did not afford. Only three thousand were fold in eleven years; for it forced its way without affiftance: its admirers did not dare to publish their opinion; and the opportunities now given of attracting notice by advertisements were then very few; for the means of proclaiming the publication of new books have been produced by that general literature which now pervades the nation through all its ranks.

But the reputation and price of the copy still advanced, till the Revolution put an end to the fecrecy of love, and Paradife Loft broke into open view with fufficient fecurity of kind reception.

Fancy can hardly forbear to conjecture with what temper Milton furveyed the filent progrefs of his work, and marked his reputation ftealing its way in a kind of fubterraneous current through fear and filence. I cannot but conceive him calm and confident, little difappointed, not at all dejected, relying on his own merit with steady consciousness, and waiting,

without

without impatience, the viciffitudes of opinion, and the impartiality of a future gene

ration.

In the mean time he continued his ftudies, and supplied the want of fight by a very odd expedient, of which Philips gives the following account:

Mr. Philips tells us, "that though our au"thor had daily about him one or other to read, fome perfons of man's eftate, who, of "their own accord, greedily catched at the opportunity of being his readers, that they

might as well reap the benefit of what they "read to him, as oblige him by the benefit of "their reading; and others of younger years "were fent by their parents to the fame end: "yet excufing only the eldest daughter, by "reafon of her bodily infirmity, and difficult

utterance of fpeech, (which, to say truth, "I doubt was the principal caufe of excufing her) the other two were condemned to the "performance of reading, and exactly pro"nouncing of all the languages of whatever "book he fhould, at one time or other, think "fit to perufe, viz. the Hebrew (and I think "the Syriac), the Greek, the Latin, the Ita

lian, Spanish, and French. All which forts "of books to be confined to read, without

understanding one word, muft needs be a "trial of patience almoft beyond endurance. "Yet it was endured by both for a long time, though the irksomeness of this employment "could not be always concealed, but broke out more and more into expreffions of un"eafinefs; fo that at length they were all, even the eldest also, fent out to learn fome " curious

"curious and ingenious forts of manufacture, "that are proper for women to learn; particularly embroideries in gold or filver."

In the scene of mifery which this mode of intellectual labour fets before our eyes, it is hard to determine whether the daughters or the father are most to be lamented. A language not understood can never be fo read as to give pleasure, and very feldom fo as to convey meaning. If few men would have had refolution to write books with such embarrassments, few likewise would have wanted ability to find fome better expedient.

Three years after his Paradife Loft (1670), he published his Hiftory of England, comprifing the whole fable of Geoffry of Monmouth, and continued to the Norman invafion. Why he should have given the first part, which he feems not to believe, and which is univerfally rejected, it is difficult to conjecture. The ftile is harsh; but it has fomething of rough vigour, which perhaps may often strike, though it cannot please.

On this history the licenfer again fixed his claws, and before he would tranfmit it to the prefs tore out several parts. Some cenfures of the Saxon monks were taken away, left they fhould be applied to the modern clergy; and a character of the Long Parliament, and Affembly of Divines, was excluded; of which the author gave a copy to the earl of Anglefea, and which, being afterwards published, has been fince inferted in its proper place.

The fame year were printed Paradife Regained, and Sampson Agonistes, a tragedy written in imitation of the ancients, and never defigned