his virility behind him. Salmafius was a Frenchman, and was unhappily married to a fcold. Tu es Gallus, fays Milton, et, ut aiunt, nimium gallinaceus. But his fupreme pleasure is to tax his adverfary, fo renowned for criticism, with vitious Latin. He opens his book with telling that he has ufed Perfona, which, according to Milton, fignifies only a Mask, in a sense not known to the Romans, by applying it as we apply Person. But as Nemefis is always on the watch, it is memorable that he has enforced the charge of a solecism by an expreffion in itself grofsly folecistical, when, for one of thofe fuppofed blunders, he fays, as Ker, and I think fome one before him, has remarked, propino te grammatiftis tuis vapulandum. From vapulo, which has a paffive fenfe, vapulandus can never be derived. No man forgets his original trade: the rights of nations, and of kings, fink into questions of grammar, if grammarians difcufs them. Milton when he undertook this answer was weak of body, and dim of fight; but his will was forward, and what was wanting of health was fupplied by zeal. He was rewarded with a thousand pounds, and his book book was much read; for paradox, recommended by spirit and elegance, easily gains attention; and he who told every man that he was equal to his King, could hardly want an audience. That the performance of Salmafius was not dispersed with equal rapidity, or read with equal eagernefs, is very credible. He taught only the ftale doctrine of authority, and the unpleafing duty of fubmiffion; and he had been fo long not only the monarch but the tyrant of literature, that almost all mankind were delighted to find him defied and infulted by a new name, not yet confidered as any one's rival. If Chriftina, as is faid, commended the Defence of the People, her purpose must be to torment Salmafius, who was then at her Court; for neither her civil ftation nor her natural character could dispose her to favour the doctrine, who was by birth a queen, and by temper defpotick. That Salmafius was, from the appearance of Milton's book, treated with neglect, there is not much proof; but to a man fo long accustomed to admiration, a little praise praise of his antagonist would be fufficiently offenfive, and might incline him to leave Sweden, from which, however, he was dif miffed, not with any mark of contempt, but with a train of attendance fcarce lefs than regal. He prepared a reply, which, left as it was imperfect, was published by his fon in the year of the Restauration. In the beginning, being probably moft in pain for his Latinity, he endeavours to defend his ufe of the word perfona; but, if I remember right, he miffes a better authority than any that he has found, that of Juvenal in his fourth fatire : -Quid agis cum dira & fœdior omni As Salmafius reproached Milton with lofing his eyes in the quarrel, Milton delighted himself with the belief that he had fhortened Salmafius's life, and both perhaps with more malignity than reafon. Salmafius died at the Spa, Sept. 3, 1653; and as controvertists are commonly faid to be killed by their laft difpute, Milton was flattered with the credit of deftroying him. Cromwell Cromwell had now difmiffed the parliament by the authority of which he had destroyed monarchy, and commenced monarch himfelf, under the title of protector, but with kingly and more than kingly power. That his authority was lawful, never was pretended; he himself founded his right only in neceffity; but Milton, having now tafted the honey of publick employment, would not return to hunger and philosophy, but, continuing to exercise his office under a manifeft ufurpation, betrayed to his power that liberty which he had defended. Nothing can be more just than that rebellion should end in flavery; that he, who had justified the murder of his king, for fome acts which to him feemed unlawful, fhould now fell his fervices, and his flatteries, to a tyrant, of whom it was evident that he could do nothing lawful. He had now been blind for fome years; but his vigour of intellect was fuch, that he was not disabled to discharge his office of Latin fecretary, or continue his controverfies. His mind mind was too eager to be diverted, and too strong to be subdued. About this time his firft wife died in childbed, having left him three daughters. As he probably did not much love her, he did not long continue the appearance of lamenting her; but after a fhort time married Catherine, the daughter of one captain Woodcock of Hackney; a woman doubtless educated in opinions like his own. She died within a year, of childbirth, or fome diftemper that followed it; and her husband has honoured her memory with a poor fonnet. The first Reply to Milton's Defenfio Populi was published in 1651, called Apologia pro Rege & Populo Anglicano, contra Johannis Polypragmatici (alias Miltoni) defenfionem deftructivam Regis & Populi. Of this the author was not known; but Milton and his nephew Philips, under whofe name he published an answer so much corrected by him that it might be called his own, imputed it to Bramhal; and, knowing him no friend to regicides, thought themselves at liberty to treat |