"doms and states from juftice and God's true wor

fhip. Laftly, whatsoever in religion is holy and fublime, in virtue amiable or grave, whatsoever "hath paffion or admiration in all the changes of "that, which is called fortune from without, or the

wily fubtleties and refluxes of man's thoughts "from within; all these things, with a solid and "treatable smoothness to paint out and defcribe, "teaching over the whole book of fanctity and "virtue, through all the instances of example, with "fuch delight, to those especially of foft and deli"cious temper, who will not fo much as look upon "truth herself, unless they fee her elegantly dreft; "that whereas the paths of honefty and good life

appear now rugged and difficult, though they be "indeed easy and pleasant, they will then appear "to all men both eafy and pleasant, though they were rugged and difficult indeed."

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"The thing which I had to say, and those inten"tions which have lived within me ever fince I could "conceive myself any thing worth to my country, "I return to crave excufe that urgent reafon hath

pluckt from me by an abortive and fore-dated "difcovery; and the accomplishment of them lies "not but in a power above man's to promife; but "that none hath by more ftudious ways endeavour"ed, and with more unwearied fpirit that none fhall, "that I dare almoft aver of myfelf, as far as life "and free leifure will extend. Neither do I think "it fhame to covenant with any knowing reader "that for fome few years yet I may go on trust "with him toward the payment of what I am now

"indebted,

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"indebted, as being a work not to be raised from "the heat of youth, or the vapours of wine, like "that which flows at wafte from the pen of fome vulgar amourist, or the trencher fury of a rhyming parafite; nor to be obtained by the invoca"tion of dame Memory and her firen daughters; "but by devout prayer to that eternal spirit, who "can enrich with all utterance and knowledge, and "fends out his Seraphim with the hallowed fire of "his altar to touch and purify the lips of whom he 66 pleases; to this must be added industrious and "select reading, steady observation, insight into "all feemly and generous arts and affairs; till "which in fome measure be compaffed at mine own peril and coft I refuse not to sustain this expectation from as many as are not loth to hazard "fo much credulity upon the best pledges that I can give them. Although it nothing content me. "to have difclofed thus much before hand; but "that I trust hereby to make it manifeft with what "fmall willingness I endure to interrupt the pur"fuit of no lefs hopes than thefe, and leave a calm "and pleafing folitarinefs, fed with cheerful and "confident thoughts, to embark in a troubled fea "of noise and hoarfe difputes, put from beholding "the bright countenance of truth, in the quiet and "still air of delightful studies."

Mr. Warton, who has cited the laft fentence of this very interesting paffage, as a proof that Milton, then engaged in controverfy, fighed for his more congenial pursuits, laments," that the vigorous. "portion of his life, that those years in which "imagination

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"imagination is on the wing, were unworthy and unprofitably wafted on temporary topics." Many lovers of poetry will fympathise with this amiable writer in his regret; but others may still entertain very different fenfations on the fubject. Allowing for a moment that the controverfial writings of Milton deserve to be neglected and forgotten, reafons may yet be found to rejoice, rather than lament, that he exerted his faculties in compofing them. The occupation, however it might fufpend his poetical enterprizes, cherished the ardour and energy of his mind, and, above all, confirmed in him that well founded and upright felf-esteem, to which we are principally indebted for his fublimeft production. The works I allude to were, in his own eftimation, indifpenfible and meritorious; had he not written them, as he frankly informs us," he would have "heard within himself, all his life after, of discou66 rage and reproach." Nothing, perhaps, but this retrofpect on a life paffed, as his own confcience affured him, in the faithful discharge of arduous and irksome duties, could have afforded to the declining days of Milton that confident vigour of mind, that intense and inextinguishable fire of imagination, which gave existence and perfection to his Paradife Lost.

He appears to have thought with a celebrated ancient, that perfect morality is neceffary to the perfection of genius; and that fublimity in compofition may be expected only from the man, who has attained the fublime in the fteady practice of virtue.

Thefe

These noble and animated ideas feem to have had great influence on his conduct very early in life; for in fpeaking of the studies and fentiments of his youth, he fays,

"I was confirmed in this opinion, that he who "would not be frustrate of his hope to write well "hereafter in laudable things, ought himself to be 66 a true poem; that is, a composition and pattern "of the honourableft things; not prefuming to "fing high praises of heroic men, or famous critics, "unless he have in himself the experience and the "practice of all that which is praife worthy."

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In reply to the abfurd charge of his leading a diffolute life, he gives an engaging and fpirited account of his domeftic conduct. "Thofe morning haunts "are where they fhould be, at home; not fleeping or concocting the furfeits of an irregular feaft, "but up and stirring; in winter often ere the found "of any bell awake men to labour or to devotion; "in fummer, as oft with the bird that first rouses, 66 or not much tardier, to read good authors, or "cause them to be read, till the attention be weary, " or memory have its full fraught; then with ufe"ful and generous labours, preserving the body's "health and hardinefs, to render lightfome, clear, " and not lumpifh obedience to the mind."

Had the profe works of Milton no merit but that of occafionally affording us little fketches of his fentiments, his manners, and occupations, they would on this account be highly valuable to every reader, whom a paffionate admiration of the poet has induced to wish for all poflible acquaintance with the

man.

man. To gratify fuch readers, I felect very copioufly from his various works those paffages that difplay, in the strongest point of view, his moral and domeftic character. It is my firm belief, that as this is more known, it will become more and more an object of affection and applaufe; yet I am far from furveying it with that blind idolatry, which fees no defect, or with that indifcreet partiality, which labours to hide the failing it difcovers; a biographer must have ill understood the nature of Milton, who could fuppofe it poffible to gratify his fpirit by homage fo unworthy; for my own part, I am perfuaded his attachment to truth was as fincere and fervent as that of the honest Montaigne, who says, "I would come again with all my heart from the other world to give any one the lie, who fhould report me other than I was, "though he did it to honour me."

I fhall not therefore attempt to deny or to excufe the fatiguing heavinefs or the coarse afperity of his ecclefiaftical difputes. The fincereft friends of Milton may here agree with Johnson, who fpeaks of his controverfial merriment as difgufting; but when the critic adds, fuch is his malignity, that "Hell σε grows dark at his frown," they must abhor this bafe mifapplication, I had almost said, this profanation, of Miltonic verse.

In a controverfial treatife that gave rife to fuch an imputation, we fhould expect to find the polemic favagery thirsting for the blood of his adverfaries: it is just the reverfe. Milton's antagonist had, indeed,