mifcellany, entitled, The Literary Mufeum, in a note to Rofcius Anglicanus, has, in a very liberal manner, collected and refuted the charges against Milton on this point, and abundantly proved, that instead of cenfuring the unfortunate Charles for amufing himself with Shakespeare, he only cenfured him for imitating the religious hypocrify of Richard the Third fo clofely as to utter the very fentiments that are affigned to Richard in the page of the dramatic poet. Milton undoubtedly thought, what an ardent political writer of the prefent age has not fcrupled to affert, that "Charles the Firft lived and died an hypocrite." These two acute judges of mankind were, I believe, mistaken in this idea: it seems more probable, that this unfortunate prince was flattered into a perfuafion, that he was really the meritorious martyr his adherents endeavoured to represent him. But whatsoever his genuine character might be, the fevere fentiments which Milton entertained of the king, and the delufive hopes that he cherished of the protector, had equally their fource in the virtuous ardour of his own fpirit. The confcioufnefs of his integrity, when time had fully unveiled to him fome illufions, gave that tranquillity and vigour to his declining days, which enabled him to produce his aftonishing poems, not ..more aftonishing for their intrinfic merit, than for the period of their production; fo that his poetry, in this point of view, may be regarded both as the offspring and the witnefs of his virtue. The world had never been enriched with his two poems on Paradife, Paradife, if their great author, when he was, ac. cording to his own true and pathetic defcription, "In darkness and with dangers compafs'd round," had not, in fome little degree, resembled the hero of his latter poem, and like that hallowed perfonage, whom he delineates fo divinely, amid the darkness and the fiends of the defert, "Sat unappall'd in calm and finless peace." Yet to fuch mifreprefentations has the life and the poetry of Milton been expofed, that both have been confidered as too auftere to be amiable, though affuredly, both in the one and the other, the most engaging qualities are admirably united to the most aweful the graceful and the tender to the grand and the fublime.. The attractions of his muse have triumphed over obloquy, and in the estimation of the world fhe is justly thought to resemble the enchanting Eve of the poet, Adorn'd With what all earth or heav'n could bestow But equal justice has not hitherto been rendered to the personal virtues of the author; it has, therefore, been my chief aim, in a delineation of his life, to make Milton rather more beloved than more admired; and I may the more reasonably hope to fucceed in that idea, because, though I have 1 never been attached to his political opinions, yet, in proportion to my refearches into his character as a man, he has advanced in my efteem and my affection. I lament that the neceffity of investigating many mifreprefentations, and of correcting much afperity against him, has frequently obliged me to speak rather in the tone of an advocate, than of a common biographer; but I may fay, in the words of the great Roman author, pleading the caufe of a poet infinitely lefs entitled to love and admiration; Hunc ego non diligam, non admirer, non omni ratione defendendum putem? Atque fic a fummis hominibus eruditiffimifque accepimus, cæterarum rerum ftudia et doctrina, et præceptis, et arte conftare; poetam natura ipfa valere, et mentis viribus excitari, et quafi divino quodam fpiritu afflari-if poetical powers may ever deferve to be regarded as heavenly inspiration, fuch undoubtedly were those of Milton, and the ufe to which he applied them was worthy of the fountain whence they flowed. He is pre-eminent in that clafs of poets, very happily described in the two following verfes by the amiable lord Falkland; Who, while of heav'n the glories they recite, It is by the epic compofitions of Milton alone that England may efsteem herself as a rival to antiquity in the highest province of literature; and it appears |