of the long parliament and affembly of divines, contrasting their fituation and their misconduct, after the death of Charles the First, with those of the ancient Britons, when, by the departure of the Roman power, they were left (according to the expreffion of the hiftorian) to the sway of their own councils." The author gave a copy of this unlicenced parallel to the celebrated Earl of Anglesey, a man distinguished by erudition, with a liberal respect for genius, and though a minister of Charles the Second, a frequent vifiter of Milton. This curious fragment was published in 1681, with a short preface, declaring, that it originally belonged to the third book of Milton's History; and in the edition of his profe works, in 1738, it was properly replaced. The poet would have fucceeded more eminently as an historian, had his talents been exercised on a period more favourable to their exertion. We have reason to regret his not having executed the latter part of his original intention, instead of dwelling on the meagre and dark annals of Saxon barbarity. In his early history, however, there are passages of great force and beauty; his character of Alfred in particular is worthy that engaging model of an accomplished monarch, and verifies a fentiment, which Milton profeffed, even while he was defending the commonwealth, that although a refolute enemy to tyrants, he was a fincere friend to fuch kings as merited the benediction of their people *. In 1671, the the year after the first appearance of his history, he published the Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes. Many his manner was, not idly or voluptuously, but in all virtuous employments both of mind and body, becoming a prince of his renown, ended his days in the year nine hundred, the fifty-. firft of his age, the thirtieth of his reign, and was buried regally at Winchefter: he was born at a place called Wanading, in Berkshire, his mother Ofburga, the daughter of Oflac the king's cup-bearer, a Goth by nation, and of noble descent. He was of perfon comelier than all his brethren, of pleafing tongue, and graceful behaviour, ready wit and memory; yet, through the fondnefs of his parents towards him, had not been taught to read till the twelfth year of his age; but the great defire of learning which was in him soon ap-. peared, by his conning of Saxon poems day and night, which, with great attention, he heard by others repeated. He was befides excellent at hunting, and the new art then of hawking, but more exemplary in devotion, having collected into a book certain prayers and pfalms, which he carried ever with him in his bofom to ufe on all occafions. He thirfted after all liberai knowledge, and oft complained, that in his youth he had no teachers, in his middle age fo little vacancy from wars and the cares of his kingdom; yet leifure he found fometimes, not only to learn. much himself, but to communicate thereof what he could to his people, by tranflating books out of Latin into English, Orofius, Boethius, Beda's hiftory, and others; permitted none unlearned to bear office, either in court or commonwealth. At twenty years of age, not yet reigning, he took to wife Egelfwitha, the daughter of Ethelred, a Mercian earl. The extremities which befel him in the fixth of his reign, Neothan Abbot told him were juftly come upon him for neglecting, in his younger days, the complaint of fuch as, injured and oppreffed, repaired to him, as then fecond perfon in the kingdom, for redress; which neglect, were it fuch indeed, were yet excufable in a youth, through jollity of mind, unwilling perhaps to be detained long with fad and forrowful narrations; but from the time of his undertaking regal charge no man more patient in hearing caufès, more inquifitive in examining, more exact in doing juftice, and providing good laws, which are yet extant; more fevere in punishing unjust-judges or obftinatė offenders, thieves efpecially and robbers, to the terror of whom in crofs-ways were hung upon a high post certain chains of gold, as it were daring any one to take them thence; fo that justice seemed în his days not to flourish only, but to triumph: no man can be more frugal of two precious things in man's life, his time and his revenue; no man wifer in the difpofal of both. His time, the day and night, he diftributed by the burning of certain tapers into three equal portions; the one was for devotion, the other. for public or private affairs, the third for bodily refreshment; how each hour past he was put in mind by one who had that office. His whole annual revenue, which his firft care was'fhould be juftly his own, he divided into two equal parts; the first he employed to fecular ufes, and fubdivided thofe into three; the first to pay his foldiers, household fervants, and guards, of which, divided into three bands, one attended monthly by turn; the fecond was to pay his architects and workmen, whom he had got together of feveral nations, for he was alfo an elegant builder, above the cuftom and conceit of Englishmen in those days; the third he had Many groundless remarks have been made on the supposed want of judgment in Milton to form a proper estimate of his own compofitions. "His laft poetical offspring (fays Johnfon) was his favourite; he could not, as Ellwood relates, 'endure to have Paradise Loft preferred to Paradife Regained." In this brief paffage, there is more than one mifrepresentation, It is not Ellwood, but Philips, who fpeaks of Milton's esteem for his latter poem; and inftead of faying that the author preferred it to his greater work, he merely intimates, that Milton was offended with the general cenfure, which condemned the Paradife Regained as infinitely inferior to the other, Instead of suppofing, therefore, that the great poet was under the influ ence of an abfurd predilection, we have only reason to con→ clude, that he heard with lively fcorn fuch idle witticifm as we find recorded by Toland," that Milton might be feen in Paradife Loft, but not in Paradife Regained." His own accomplished mind, in which fenfibility and judgment were proportioned to extraordinary imagination, moft pro in readiness to relieve or honour ftrangers, many rich gems and fpices; gifts also, and a bably affured him what is indifputably true, that uncommon energy of thought and felicity of compofition are apparent in both performances, however different in defign, dimenfion, and effect. To cenfure the Paradise Regained, because it does not more resemble the preceding poem, is hardly less abfurd than it would be to condemn the moon for not being a fun, instead of admiring the two different luminaries, and feeling that both the greater and the less are visibly the work of the same divine and inimitable power. Johnson has very liberally noticed one peculiarity in Milton, and calls it, with a benevolent happiness of expreffion, " a kind of humble dignity, which did not difdain "the meaneft services to literature. The epic poet, the "controvertist, the politician, having already defcended to accommodate children with a book of rudiments, now, "in the last years of his life, compofed a book of Logic, "for the initiation of ftudents in philofophy, and pub"lished, 1672, Artis Logicæ plenior Inftitutio ad Petri "Rami Methodum concinnata, that is, a new scheme of Logic, according to the method of Ramus." It is fo pleafing to find one great author speaking of another in terms, which do honour to both, that I transcribe, with singular satisfaction, the preceding paffage of the eminent biographer, whose frequent and injurious asperity to Milton I have fo repeatedly noticed, and must continue to notice, with reprehenfion and regret. In the very moment of delivering the juft encomium I have commended, the critic discovers an intemperate eager nefs nefs to revile the object of his praife; for he proceeds to fay of Milton, "I know not whether, even in this book, he "did not intend an act of hoftility against the univerfi ties, for Ramus was one of the first oppugners of the “ old philosophy, who disturbed with innovations the quiet "of the schools." Is there not a vifible want of candour in fhewing fo wildly a wish to impute a very inoffenfive and meritorious work of science to a malevolent motive ? Ramus was a man, whose writings and memory were justly regarded by Milton; for he resembled our great countryman in temperance, in fortitude, in passion for study, and, above all, in a brave and inflexible opposition to ignorance, tyranny, and fuperftition; his life was a continued struggle with these merciless enemies, and he perished at last with circumstances of peculiar barbarity, in the atrocious maffacre of St. Bartholomew. A defire of rendering justice to the talents and virtues of such a sufferer in the cause of learning might surely be afscribed to Milton, as a more probable and becoming motive on this occafion, than dark intentions of hostility against the universities. It is but a forry compliment to those universities to infinuate, that he engaged in warfare against them, who republished a simple and feasonable treatife on the management of human reafon. Milton with great judgment augmented the logic of Ramus, and added to his system an abridgment of the Latin life, which Fregius had written, of its unfortunate author. The |