This innovation was oppofed, as might be expected, by the clergy; who, then holding their famous affembly at Westminster, procured that the author fhould be called before the Lords; "but "that house," fays Wood, "whether "approving the doctrine, or not favouring his accufers, did foon difmifs "him."

66

There feems not to have been much

written against him, nor any thing by any writer of eminence. The antagonift that appeared is filed by him, a Serving-man turned Solicitor. Howel in

his letters mentions the new doctrine with contempt; and it was, I fuppose, thought more worthy of derifion than of confutation. He complains of this neglect

neglect in two fonnets, of which the firft is contemptible, and the fecond not excellent.

From this time it is obferved that he

He

became an enemy to the Presbyterians, whom he had favoured before. 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 fufferer 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 resolved

to

to endeavour a re-union. He went fometimes to the house of one Blackborough, his relation, in the lane of St. Martin'sle-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 "inclinable to reconciliation than to per"severance in anger or revenge, and " partly the ftrong interceffion of friends "on both fides, foon brought him to "an act of oblivion and a firm league "of peace." It were injurious to omit, that Milton afterwards received her father and her brothers in his own house, when

when they were diftreffed, with other

Royalists.

He published about the fame time his Areopagitica, a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the liberty of unlicensed Printing. The danger of fuch unbounded liberty, and the danger of bounding it, have produced a problem in the fcience of Government, which human understanding feems hitherto unable to folve. If nothing may be published but what civil authority shall have previously approved, power must always be the ftandard of truth; if every dreamer of innovations may propagate his projects, there can be no fettlement; if every murmurer at government may diffufe difcontent, there can be no peace; and if every fceptick

in theology may teach his follies, there can be no religion. The remedy against thefe evils is to punish the authors; for it is yet allowed that every fociety may punish, though not prevent, the publication of opinions, which that fociety fhall think pernicious: but this punishment, though it may crufh the author, promotes the book; and it seems not more reasonable to leave the right of printing unreftrained, because writers may be afterwards cenfured, than it would be to fleep with doors unbolted, because by our laws we can hang a thief.

But whatever were his engagements, civil or domeftick, poetry was never long out of his thoughts. About this