under fuch mortification by a magnanimous confidence in the justice of future ages, and a fanguine anticipation of his poetical immortality. The ftrength and dignity of his mind would indeed have armed him against any poffible difappointment of his literary ambition; but fuch was the reception of his work, that he could not be disappointed. Johnson has vindicated the public on this point with judgment and fuccefs: "The fale of books (he obferves) was

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not in Milton's age what it is in the prefent; the nation "had been fatisfied, from 1623 to 1664, that is forty-one years, with only two editions of the works of Shakespeare, "which probably did not together make one thousand copies. The fale of thirteen hundred copies in two years, in oppofition to fo much recent enmity, and to a style of verfification new to all, and disgusting to many, was an uncommon example of the prevalence of genius.” These remarks are perfectly juft; but when their author proceeds to say, "the admirers of Paradife Loft did not "dare to publish their opinion," he seems to forget the very spirited eulogies that were, during the life of the poet, bestowed on that performance. Panegyrick can hardly affume a bolder tone than in the English and Latin verfes addreffed to Milton by Marvel and Barrow. He received other compliments not inferior to thefe. The muse of Dryden affured him, that he poffeffed the united excellencies of Homer and of Virgil; and, if we may rely on an anecdote related by Richardson, the Paradife Loft was announced to the world in a very fingular manner, that may

be

be thought not ill-fuited to the pre-eminence of the work. Sir John Denham, a man diftinguished as a foldier, a fenator, and a poet, came into the House of Commons with a proof-fheet of Milton's new compofition wet from the prefs; and being queftioned concerning the paper in his hand, he said, it was part of the noblest poem that ever was written in any language or in any age." Richardson, whofe active and liberal affection for the poet led him to search with intelligent alacrity and fuccefs for every occurrence that could redound to his honour, has recorded another incident, which must be particularly interesting to every lover of literary anecdote, as it discovers how the Paradise Lost was first introduced to Dryden, and with what fervency of admiration he immediately fpoke of it. The Earl of Dorfet and Fleetwood Shepard, the friend of Prior, found the poem, according to this story, at a bookseller's in Little Britain, who, lamenting its want of circulation, entreated the Earl to recommend it; Dorfet, after reading it himself, fent it to Dryden, who said, in returning the book, "This man cuts us all out, and the ancients too." Thefe were probably the real fentiments of Dryden on his first perusal of the poem; but as that unhappy genius was not blest with the independent magnanimity of Milton, his opinions were apt to fluctuate according to his interest, and we find him occafionally disposed to exalt or degrade the tranfcendent performance, which he could not but admire. As the fix celebrated verfes, in which he has complimented the English Homer, fo much resemble what he faid of him to Lord Dorset, it is probable that those verses were written while

« Mr.

while his mind was glowing with admiration from his first furvey of the Paradife Loft; and as long as Milton lived, Dryden seems to have paid him the deference so justly due to his age, his genius, and his virtue. Aubrey relates, in the manufcript which I have repeatedly cited, that the poet laureat waited on Milton for the purpose of foliciting his permission to put his Paradife Loft into a drama. Milton (fays Aubrey) received him civilly, and told him, he would give him leave to tag his verfes," an expreffion that probably alluded to a couplet of Marvel's, in his poetical eulogy on his friend. The opera which Dryden wrote, in confequence of this permiffion, entitled the State of Innocence, was not exhibited in the theatre, and did not appear in print till two years after the death of Milton, who is mentioned in becoming terms of veneration and gratitude in the preface. The drama itself is a very fingular and ftriking performance; with all the beauties and all the defects of Dryden's animated unequal verfification, it has peculiar claims to the attention of thofe, who may wish to inveftigate the respective powers of English rhyme and blank verse, and it may furnish arguments to the partizans of each ; for, if in many paffages the images and harmony of Milton are deplorably injured by the neceffity of rhyming, in a few instances, perhaps, rhyme has imparted even to the ideas of Milton new energy and grace. grace. There are prefixt to this opera fome very animated but injudicious verfes by poor Nat. Lee, who has lavished the most exaggerated praise on his friend Dryden, at the expence of the fuperior poet.

It is highly pleafing to reflect, that Milton, who had fo many evils to fuftain in the courfe of his chequered life, had yet the high gratification of being affured, by very competent judges, that he had gloriously fucceeded in the prime object of his literary ambition, the great poetical atchievement, which he projected in youth, and accomplished in old age. He probably received fuch animating affurances from many of his friends, whofe applaufe, being intended for his private fatisfaction, has not defcended to our time; but when we recollect the honours already mentioned, that were paid to the living poet by Denham, Dryden, and Marvel, we may rest satisfied in the perfuafion, that he enjoyed a grateful earneft of his future renown, and, according to the petition he addreffed to Urania,,

"Fit audience found tho' few."

If the fpirit of a departed bard can be gratified by any circumftances of pofthumous renown, it might gratify Milton to perceive, that his divine poem was firft indebted for general celebrity to the admiration of Sommers and of Addison, two of the most accomplished and most amiable of English names. Sommers promoted the firft ornamenteď edition of Paradife Loft in 1688; and Addison wrote his celebrated papers on Milton in 171.2.

But to return to the living author; in the year 1670, the great poet afpired to new diftinction, by appearing in the character of an hiftorian.-He had long meditated a work, which, in his time, was particularly wanted in our

language,

language, and which the greater cultivation bestowed by the prefent age on this branch of literature has not yet produced in perfection—an eloquent and impartial history of England. Milton executed only fix books, beginning with the most early fabulous period, and closing with the Norman conqueft. Why he should have given the first part (says Johnson) which he feems not to believe, and which is univerfally rejected, it is difficult to conjecture." Had the critic taken the trouble to peruse a few pages of the work in queftion his difficulty would have vanished; he would at leaft have found the motive of the author, if he had not efteemed it fatisfactory :

"I have determined (fays Milton) in fpeaking of the ancient and rejected British fables, to beftow the telling over even of these reputed tales, be it for nothing else but in favour of our English poets and rhetoricians, who by their art will know how to use them judiciously." This fentiment implies a striking fondness for works of imagination, and a good natured disposition to promote them.

The historian discovers higher aims as he advances in his work, and expreffes a moral and patriotic defire to make the lessons suggested by the early calamities of this nation a fource of wisdom and virtue to his improving countrymen. The very paffage, which was most likely to produce fuch an effect, was ftruck out of the publication by the Gothic hand of the licenfer, an incident that feems to give new energy to all the noble arguments, which the injured author had formerly adduced in vindicating the liberty of the press.

The paffage in queftion contained a very masterly sketch

of