"in the midst of his martial toil confeffed, that he "laboured but to gain an eulogy from Athens, I 66 may think myself fortunate indeed, and esteem it "as the highest honour, to be thus commended by "the man in whom alone the genius and virtue of "the ancient Athenians seem, after fo long an in terval, to revive and flourish. As your city has "produced many moft eloquent men, I am per"fectly willing to confefs, that whatever proficiency I have made in literature is chiefly owing to my long and inceffant study of their works. Had "I acquired from them fuch powers of language as might enable me to ftimulate our fleets and "armies to deliver Greece, the native feat of eloquence, from the tyranny of the Turks (a fplen"did enterprize, for which you almost feem to im plore our affiftance) I would affuredly do what "would then be among the first objects of my de"fire; for what did the bravest or most eloquent "men of antiquity confider as more glorious or "more worthy of themfelves, than by perfuafive eloquentiffimi gloriofius aut fe dignius effe duxerunt, quam vel fuadendo vel fortiter faciendo ἐλευθερες καὶ ἀυλονόμες ποιείσθαι τὰς "EAλnvas? Verum et aliud quiddam præterea tentandum eft meâ quidem fententia longe maximum, ut quis antiquam in animis Græcorum virtutem, induftriam laborum tolerantiam, antiqua illa ftudia dicendo, fufcitare atque accendere poffit. Hoc fi quis effecerit, quod à nemine potius quam abs te, pro tua illa infigni erga patriam pietate, cum fumma prudentia reique militaris peritia, fummo denique recuperandæ libertatis priftinæ ftudio conjunctâ, expectare debemus ; neque ipfos fibi Græcos neque ullam gentem Græcis defuturam effe confido. Works, vol. 2. p. 575. Vale.-Profe 166 language or bold exploits to render the Greeks "free, and their own legiflators." He clofes his letter by obferving very juftly, that it is first "neceflary to kindle in the minds of the modern "Greeks the fpirit and virtue of their ancestors,' (politely adding) that " if this could be accomplish"ed by any man, it might be moft reasonably exσε pected from the patriotic enthufiafm, and the ex 99 perience, civil and military, of his accomplished "correfpondent." This letter is dated June, 1652. Milton had foon afterwards the gratification of a vifit from this liberal Athenian, who took so tender an interest in the blindness of his friend, that, on his return to Paris, he wrote to him on the subject, The following answer of Milton relates the particulars of his disorder, and fhews at the fame time with what cheerful magnanimity he supported it. "To Leonard Philaras. "As I have cherished from my childhood (if ever mortal did) a reverential fondness for the Grecian *Leonardo Philare Athenienfi. Cum fim a pueritia totius Græci nominis, tuarumque in pri mis Athenarum cultor, fi quis alius, tuma una hoc femper mihi perfuafiffimum habebam, fore ut illa urbs præclaram aliquando redditura vicem effet benevolentiæ erga fe meæ. Neque defuit fane tuæ patriæ nobliffimæ antiquus ille genius augurio meo: deditque te nobis et germanum Atticum et noftri amantiffimum; qui me, fcriptis duntaxat notum, et locis ipfe disjunctus, humaniffime per literas compellens et Londinum poftea inopinatus adveniens, vifenfque non videntem, etiam in ea calamitate, propter quam conspectior nemini, defpe&tior multis fortaffis fim, eadem benevolentiâ Grecian name, and for your native Athens in particular, fo have I continually perfuaded myself, that at benevolentiâ profequaris. Cum itaque author mihi fis, ut vifus recuperandi fpem omnem ne abjiciam, habere te amicum ac neceffarium tuum Parifiis Tevenotum medicum, in curandis præfertim oculis præftantiffimum, quem fis de meis luminibus confulturus, fi modo acceperis a me unde is caufas morbi et fymtomata poffit intelligere; faciam equidem quod hortaris, ne oblatum undecunque divinitus fortaffis opem repudiare videar. Decennium, opinor, plus minus eft, ex quo debilitari atque, hebefcere vifum fenfi, eodemque tempore lumen, vifceraque omnia gravari, flatibufque vexari; et mane quidem, fi quid pro more legere cœpiffem, oculi ftatim penitus dolere, lectionemque refugere, post mediocrem deinde corporis exercitationem recreari; quam afpexiffem lucernam, iris quædam vifa eft redimere; haud ita multo poft finiftrâ in parte oculi finiftri (is enim oculus aliquot annis prius altera nubilavit) caligo oborta, quæ ad latus illud fita erant, omnia eripiebat. Anteriora quoque, fi dexterum forte oculum claufiffem, minora vifa funt. Deficiente per hoc fere triennium fenfim atque paulatim altero quoque lumine, aliquot ante menfibus quam vifus omnis aboleretur, quæ immotus ipfe cernerem, vifa funt omnia nunc dextrorfum nunc finiftrorfum natare; fron tem totam atque tempora inveterati quidem vapores videntur infediffe; qui fomnolentâ quadam gravitate oculos, a cibo præfertim ufque ad vefperam, plerumque urgent atque deprimunt; ut mihi haud raro veniat in mentem Salmydeffii vatis Phinei in Argonauticis: κάρος δέ μιν ἀμφεχάλυψεν Πορφύρεος, γαίαν δε πέριξ ἑδοκησε φερεσθαι Sed neque illud omiferim, dum adhuc vifùs aliquantulum fupererat, ut primum in lecto decubuiffem meque in alterutrum latus reclinaffem, confueviffe copiofum lumen claufis oculis emicare; deinde, imminuto indies vifu, colores perinde obfcuriores cum at fome period I should receive from that city a very fignal return for my benevolent regard: nor has the ancient genius of your most noble country failed to realize my prefage; he has given me in you an Attic brother, and one moft tenderly attached to me. Though I was known to you only by my writings, and though your refidence was far diftant from mine, you first addreffed me in the most engaging terms by letter; and afterwards coming unexpectedly to London, and visiting the ftranger, who had no eyes to fee you, continued your kindness to me under that calamity, which can render me a more eligible friend to no one, and to many, perhaps, may make me an object of difregard. impetu et fragore quodam intimo exilire; nunc autem, quafi extincto lucido, merus nigror, aut cineraceo diftinctus, et quafi Intextus folet fe affundere: caligo tamen quæ perpetuo obfervatur, tam noctu, quam interdiu albenti femper quam nigricanti proprior videtur; et volvente fe oculo aliquantulum lucis quafi per timulam admittit. Ex quo tametfi medico tantundem quoque fpei poffit elucere, tamen ut in re plane insanabili ita me paro atque compono; illudque fæpe cogito, cum deftinati cuique dies tenebrarum, quod monet fapiens multi fint, meas adhuc tenebras, fingulari numinis benignitate, inter otium et ftudia, vocefque amicorum, et falutationes, illis lethalibus multo effe mitiores. Quod fi, ut fcriptum eft, non folo pane vivit homo, fed omni verbo prodeunte per os Dei, quid eft, cur quis in hoc itidem non acquiefcat, non folis fe oculis, fed Dei ductu an providentia fatis oculatum effe. Sane dummodo ipfe mihi profpicit, ipfe mihi providet, quod facit, meque per omnem vitam quafi manu ducit atque deducit, ne ego meos oculos, quandoquidem ipfi fic vifum eft, libens feriari juffero. Teque, mi Philara, quocunque res cecidit, non minus forti et confirmato animo, quam ft Lynceus effem, valere jubeo. Weftmonafterio, Septemb. 28, 1654. Profe Works, Vol. II. p. 577 "Since, Since, therefore, you request me not to reject all hope of recovering my fight, as you have an intimate friend at Paris, in Thevenot the physician, who excels particularly in relieving ocular complaints, and whom you wish to confult concerning my eyes, after receiving from me fuch an account as may enable him to understand the fource and symp toms of my disorder, I will certainly follow your kind suggestion, that I may not appear to reject affiftance thus offered me, perhaps providentially. "It is about ten years, I think, fince I perceived my fight to grow weak and dim, finding at the fame time my inteftines afflicted with flatulence and opi preffion. "Even in the morning, if I began as ufual to read, my eyes immediately suffered pain, and seemed to fhrink from reading, but, after fome moderate bodily exercise, were refrefhed; whenever I looked at a candle I faw a fort of iris around it. Not long afterwards, on the left fide of my left eye (which began to fail fome years before the other) a darkness arofe, that hid from me all things on that fide;If I chanced to clofe my right eye, whatever was before me seemed diminished.-In the last three years, as my remaining eye failed by degrees fome months before my fight was utterly gone, all things that I could difcern, though I moved not myself, appeared to fluctuate, now to the right, now to the left. Obftinate vapours feem to have fettled all over my forehead and my temples, overwhelming my eyes with a fort of fleepy heavinefs, efpecially after food, till the evening; fo that I frequently recollect |