and marriage. After this, Lucifer appears; after his overthrow bemoans himself, feeks revenge on man. The Chorus prepare refiftance at his firft approach. At laft, after difcourfe of enmity on either fide, he departs whereat the Chorus fings of the battle and victory in heaven, against him and his accomplices: as before, after the first act, was fung a hymn of the creation. Here again may appear Lucifer, relating and infulting in what he had done to the deftruction of man. Man next, and Eve having by this time been feduced by the Serpent, appears confufedly covered with leaves. Confcience, in a fhape, accufes him; Juftice cites him to the place whither Jehovah called for him. In the mean while, the Chorus entertains the stage, and is informed by fome angel the manner of the Fall. Here the Chorus bewails Adam's fall; Adam then and Eve return; accufe one another; but efpecially Adam lays the blame to his wife; is ftubborn in his offence. Juftice appears, reafons with him, convinces him. The Chorus admonifheth Adam, and bids him beware Lucifer's example of impenitence. The angel is fent to banish them out of Paradife; but before caufes to pafs before his eyes, in fhapes, a mask of all the evils of this life and world. He is humbled, relents, defpairs; at laft appears Mercy, comforts him, promifes the Meffiah; then calls in Faith, Hope, and Charity; inftructs him; he repents, gives God the 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 pleasant to fee great works in their feminal ftate, pregnant with latent poffibilities of excellence; nor could there be any more delightful entertainment

than

than to trace their gradual growth and expanfion, and to obferve how they are fometimes fuddenly advanced by accidental hints, and fometimes flowly improved by fteady meditation.

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 himself 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 perusing them.

But while his greater defigns were advancing, having now, like many other authors, caught the love of publication, he amufed himself, as he could, with little productions. He fent to the press (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 Cafes, 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 ftill 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 Reftoration he bated no jot of heart or hopei

I 3

bope, but was fantastical enough to think that the nation, agitated as it was, might be fettled by a pamphlet, called A ready and easy way to establish a Free Commonwealth; which was, however, enough confidered to be both seriously and ludicroufly anfwered.

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

But whatever Milton could write, or men of greater activity could do, the King was now about to be re

This meeting of Harrington and his affociates is known by the name of the Rota club; the chief members whereof were Hartington, Henry Neville, Cyriac Skinner a difciple of Milton, John Aubrey, and others; it began in Michaelmas term 1659, and was held every evening at Mines's coffee houfe, in New Palaceyard: the purpose of it was to fettle the form of a commonwealth, the model of which was a facceffion of magiftiates in rotation, to be elected by ballot, and continue in office for three years. At thefe meetings were debated politic. queflions in the hearing of foldiers and others, whom curiofity and other wore motives drew to it. After fitting about fix months, and enduring many infults from their auditors, this factious affembly of political fanatics, forefeeing the return of the fecluded members of the houfe of Commons, and the restoration of monarchy, broke up. Their principles may be feen at large in the Oceana' and other writings of Harrington, Vide Athen. Oxon. Edit. 1721, vol. II. 591. ftored

ftored with the irrefiftible approbation of the people. He was therefore no longer fecretary, and was confequently obliged to quit the house 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 feek some shelter, 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 fhould 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 Goodwin's Obftructors of Juftice, 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 purfued.

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 act of oblivion than of grace. Goodwin was named, with nineteen more, as incapacitated

1 4

for

for any publick truft; but of Milton there was no exception.

Of this tendernefs 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 66 appears to be mistaken."

Forgotten he was not; for his profecution was ordered; it must be therefore by design that he was included in the general oblivion. He is faid to have had friends in the houfe, fuch as Marvel, Morrice, and Sir Thomas Clarges; and undoubtedly a man like him must have had influence. A very particular story of his efcape 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 efcape 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 benefit 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, elcaped with incapacitation; and as exclufion

from