that tyranny is a monarchical defign, and not of those who have diffolved monarchy. "Witness (fays he) that confultation had in the court of France, "under Charles the IXth, at Blois, wherein Poncet, a certain court projector, brought in fecretly by "the chancellor Biragha, after many praises of the "Ottoman government, proposes ways and means "at large, in the prefence of the King, the queen 66 regent, and Anjou, the king's brother, how, with "best expedition and leaft noife, the Turkish tyranny might be fet up in France." I tranfcribe the paffage as an example of Milton's applying historical anecdotes with peculiar felicity. He now began to employ himself in one of the great works, with which he hoped to enrich his native language. The fketch that he has drawn of himself and his ftudies, at this period, is fo interefting and honourable, that it would be injurious not to translate the Latin expreffions to which I allude. "Thus (fays Milton) as a private citizen, I "gratuitously gave my affiftance to the church and "state; *Hanc intra privatos parietes meam operam nunc ecclefiæ, nunc reipublicæ, gratis dedi; mihi viciffim vel hæc vel illa præter incolumitatem nihil; bonam certe confcientiam, bonam apud bonos exiftimationem, et honeftam hanc dicendi libertatem facta ipfa reddidere: commoda alii, alii honores gratis ad fe trahebant; me nemo ambientem, nemo per amicos quicquam petentem, curiæ foribus affixum petitoris vultu aut minorum conventuum veftibulis hærentem nemo me unquam vidit. Domi fere me contineban; meis ipfe facultatibus, tametfi hoc civili tumultu magna ex parte fæpe detentis, et cenfum fere iniquius "state; on me, in return, they bestowed only the "common benefit of protection; but my condu& 66 affuredly gave me a good confcience, a good re"putation among good men, and this honourable "freedom of difcourfe; others have been bufy in "drawing to themselves unmerited emoluments " and honour; no one has ever beheld me folicit"ing any thing, either in perfon or by my friends; "I have confined myself much at home; and by my own property, though much of it has been "withheld from me in this civil tumult, I have fup"ported life, however fparingly, and paid a tax impofed upon me, not in the most equitable pro 66 66 66 portion. "Having now a profpect of abundant leifure, I "directed my ftudies to the history of my country, "which I began from its remotest fource, and in"tended to bring down, if poffible, in a regular procefs, to the present times. I had executed "four books, when, on the fettlement of the republic, the council of ftate, then firft established by the authority of parliament, called me moft "unexpectedly to its fervice, and wifhed to employ "me chiefly in its foreign concerns." It has not 66 દ mihi impofitum et vitam utcunque frugi tolerabam. His rebus yet, yet, I believe, been ascertained to whom Milton was particularly indebted for a public appointment. "He was (fays Wood) without any feeking of his, by the endeavours of a private acquaintance, who 66 was a member of the new council of state, chofen "Latin fecretary." The new council confifted of thirty-nine members, including two perfons, whom we may fuppofe equally inclined to promote the interest of Milton; these were Serjeant Bradshaw and Sir Harry Vane the younger: it seems probable that he owed his station of secretary to the former, fince, in his Second Defence, he mentions him as a friend entitled to his particular regard, and draws his character in colours fo vivid, that the portrait may be thought worthy of prefervation, even by those who have no esteem for the original. The character of a man fo extraordinary, derived from perfonal intimacy, and delineated by a hand fo powerful, can hardly fail to be interesting; yet it becomes ftill more fo, if we confider it as a monument of Milton's gratitude to the friend who fixed him in that public station, which gave signal exercise to the energy of his mind, and first made him, as a Latin writer, the admiration of Europe. Whatever influence gratitude might have on the description, and however different the ideas may be, that are commonly entertained of Bradshaw, the eulogy bestowed on him by Milton was certainly. fincere; for though not frugal of his praise, yet fuch was his probity, that it may, I think, be fairly proved, he never beftowed a particle of applaufe where where he did not think it deferved; a point that I hope to establish, by refuting, in the course of this narrative, the charge of fervile flattery, which he is falfely accused of having lavished upon Cromwell. To praife, indeed, appears to have been an occupation peculiarly fuited to his fpirit, which was naturally fanguine, free from the gloom of farcaftic melancholy, and ever ready to glow with affectionate enthusiasm. His character of Bradshaw may illuftrate this remark; it is written with peculiar elegance and affection; the following portion of it will be fufficient to fhew, not only the fervency of his friendship, but his facility and force of pencil in the delineation of character *. "Attulerat ad legum fcientiam ingenium liberale, animum "excelfum, mores integros ac nemini obnoxios; nec trif"tis, nec, feverus, fed comis ac placidus. In confiliis ac labo"ribus publicis maxime omnium indefeffus, multifque par unus ; "domi, fi quis alius, pro fuis facultatibus hofpitalis at fplendidus; "amicus longe fideliffimus; atque in omni fortuna certiffimus ; "bene merentes quofcunque nemo citius aut libentius agnofcit, "neque majore benevolentia profequitur; nunc pios, nunc doctos, "aut quamvis ingenii laude cognitos, nunc militares etiam et fortes "viros ad inopiam redactos fuis opibus fublevat; iis, fi non indi"gent, colit tamen libens atque amplectitur; alienas laudes per"petuo prædicare, fuas tacere folitus. Quod fi caufa oppreffi cu jufpiam defendenda palam, fi gratia aut vis potentiorum oppug“nanda, fi in quemquam benemeritum ingratitudo publica objur"ganda fit, tum quidem in illo viro, vel facundiam vel conftantiam "nemo defideret, non patronum, non amicum, vel idoneum magis "et intrepidum, vel difertiorem alium quifquam fibi optet; habet, "" quem non minæ dimovere recto, non metus aut munera pro"pofito bono atque officio, vultufque ac mentis firmiffimo ftatu dejicere valeant."-Profe Works, vol. ii. p. 389. 66 "He "He had, united to the knowledge of law, a libe"ral difpofition, an elevated mind, and irreproach"able integrity of morals, neither gloomy nor fe66 vere, but courteous and mild. "In public councils and labours he is the most "indefatigable of men, and alone equal to many; "in his house he, if any man, may be esteemed "hofpitable and fplendid, in proportion to his foras a friend faithful in the highest degree, " and most surely to be depended upon in every emergency; no man fooner or more freely ac"knowledges merit, wherever it may be found; << tune; 66 66 no man rewards it with greater.benevolence; he "raifes from indigence at his own coft, fometimes "men of piety, learning, and talents, fometimes "those brave military men, whose profperity has "not been equal to their valour: fuch perfons, if "they are not indigent, he still honours with his regard; it is his nature to proclaim the defert of "others, and to be filent on his own. "If the cause of any one under oppreffion is to "be openly defended, if the influence or authority "of men in power is to be oppofed, if the ingrati"tude of the public towards any individual of "merit is to be reproved, no want will be found in "this man, either of eloquence or courage; nor "can any fufferer wifh to find, on fuch occafions, a patron and a friend more suited to his neceffities, "more refolute, or more accomplished; he already poffeffes such a friend, and such a patron as no "menaces can drive from the line of rectitude, "whom neither terrors nor bribes can divert from 66 "the |