dom to Pafs more Unmolefted Hereafter by Thofe Incumbrances, not fo much regarded for Themfelves, as for Those who Incite them? and what Defence can Properly be used in Such a Defpicable Encounter as This, but either the Slap or the Spurn? if they can Afford me None but a Ridiculous Adverfary, the Blame belongs not to Me, though the whole Difpute be Strew'd and Scatter'd with Ridiculous? a little after Thus Since my Fate extorts from me a Talent of Sport, which I had Thought to hide in a Napkin, He shall be my Batrachomuomachia, my Bavius, my Calandrino, the Common Adagy of Ignorance and Over-weening. I with the more Pleafure apply Thefe Paffages to the Difputants Milton had Now to deal with, Salmafius and Morus, as that the Character Here given of an Antagonist fo well fits Thefe Gentlemen; Contemptible in the Affair in which they were Engag'd, and with Regard to any Other Merit than as Scholars, Grammarians or Jokers. but Milton chofe much rather to Grapple with Another fort of Adverfary, and with other Weapons, for Thus he Concludes.If any Man Equal to the -Matter, fhall think it Appertains him to take in Hand This Controversy, if his Intents be Sincere to the Publick, and fhall carry him on without Bitterness to the Opinions or the • Perfon Diffenting, let him not, I intreat him, -guess by the Handling, which Meritorioufly hath been bestowed on this Object of Contempt and

e 2

and Laughter, that I account it any Difpleasure don me to be Contradicted in Print: But as it leads to the Attainment of any thing more True, fhall efteem it a Benefit, and fhall know how to Return bis Civility and Fair Argument in Such a Sort as He fhall Confefs that to do So is my Choice; and to have don Thus was my Chance. This was Written about fix Years before the Salmafian Controversy.

One would be tempted to Wonder what was become of the English, Especially the Great Names among the Clergy of That time, Such Zealous Preachers for the Church and Monarchy, that the Poor Banish'd King was put to the Great Expence (to Him Then) of Ja Hundred Jacobus's to Salmafius, for Writing against Those who had put his Father to Death, in a Manner So Amazing to the Whole World: and how came it to pass, that as the Difpute Spread we hear of None of them; only that Bramhall was Suppos'd to be the Author of an Inconfiderable Piece, which Milton made his Younger Nephew Anfwer? Who would not have thought to have found Numbers of Great Writers of our Own, Men of Piety, Learning, Judgment, and Wit, Engaging as Volunteers in Such a Caufe? No, All are Qujet. the Work is left to a Mercenary Foreigner, and at That time a Profeffor of a Republican University, and a Penfioner to that State; a Man of Learning indeed, and a Great Etymologist, but a

Meer

Meer Scholar, without Genius, Judgment, or Knowledge of the World; Morus was alfo a Worded Man; and he was a Celebrated Preacher, but That Fame was Owing to his Grace of Action as an Orator, or rather to that Faife Wit which produces Puns, Jokes, Conceits, &c. Always Odious, but Abominable in the Pulpit; for Such Qualities as Thefe, Infolence, Self-Conceit, Lying, Pride and Ill-Nature, not to fay worse, it has been Milton's Fate to have had his Enemies Remarkable. Thus it was in This Difpute, and it ended Accordingly; in Their Confufion, and in his Glory.

a haughty Wave Whelming on Ocean's back, Infults the Navy, and Derides the Wrack; but Pouring On Triumphant to'ard the Shoar Affaults a Rock; the Rock difdains the Roar, Receives the Stroak; 'tis but a Boafting Sound, nor more than Dash, and Foam, and Froth is found.

From the Year 52, to the time of the Reftoration, Milton liv'd in a Houfe, which look'd into the Park, Whither he had remov'd, from his Lodgings in Whitehall for the Benefit of the Air, his Health being much Impair'd, as well as his Sight gone. He was Allow'd a Subititute, and his Salary as Secretary was Continu'd.

Soon after his coming to This House, his Wife Dy'd, in Childbed. 'twas not long e'er

4

he Marry'd Again, Blind and Ill as he was; This Second Wife dy'd also in Childbed within a Year, and the Child foon after. he continu'd a Widower 'till after the Great Change of Government, and feems to have paft his Time after his Salmafian Controverfy was ended, which was in the Year 1655, as an Infirm, Blind Man could, but One who Loft both Health and Sight in the Pursuit of Knowledge, in Converfing with the Beauties of the Ancient Writings, and Applying All he could. Attain in the Service (as he was Fully Perfuaded) of Religion and National Liberty. a Great Part of This time he alfo had the Pleasure of feeing what he Conceiv'd a National Happiness, which Himself had Largely Contributed to, though he alfo, in the Latter part of Thefe Years must be Suppos'd to Obferve the Tottering Condition of that Fabrick with Grief and Terror. He Publifh'd three or four fmall Treatifes on Religion and Government.

-Probably in This Period he went on with what he had Began Before, the English Hiftory from the Earliest times in which Any Accounts of it dre Extant; he Difcontinued it when he had brought it down to the Norman Cons queft. he alfo fet himself to Collect out of all the Clafficks in Verfe and Profe, a Latin Thefaurus, in Emendation of That done by Stephanus, and to the Framing a Body of Divinity out of the Bible. the Hiftory was Pub

lifh'd

Lifh'd, but not 'till the Year 1670. the Other two were Never Printed, though faid to have been finish'd. but the Thefaurus is not Loft to the World, as appears by the Preface to Littleton's Dictionary.

T

He was ftill preparing Himself for his Great Work; Wood fays 'twas Begun in This time, but it does not appear he had gone in Earnest about it; not but that it feems to have been in View when he Wrote to Henry Oldenburgh, when h Minifter of Bremen to the Senate of England, Anno 1654. This Letter gives an Ïdea of Him at That time; in It he fays to this Effect. Now that I have done with thefe Disputes I prepare for Other things, I know not whether more Noble or more Ufefull than Alerting Liberty, if I can do it for my Ill Health, and this want of Sight more Grevous than any Old Age, if, in fine, for thefe Clamours and Evil Tongues which perpetually Surround Me, for an Idle Leifure never pleas'd Me, and Thofe Unforefeen Controverfies with the Adverfaries of Liberty Dragg'd me Unwillingly, Intent upon very Different, and Much more Delightfull Subjects; Yet So that I do not Repent me at all of having Undertaken them Jince 'twas Neceffary, for I am very far from thinking that That Controverfy was Vain and Trifling, as You feem to Intimate. A

K

it has been faid Milton was put upon Tranflating Homer; he was Certainly the Best Fit