tendency, and burn them by the common hangman. The attorney-general was ordered to prosecute the authors; but Milton was not feized, nor perhaps very diligently pursued.

Not long after (August 19) the flutter of innumerable bofoms was ftilled by an act, which the King, that his mercy might want no recommendation of elegance, rather called an act of oblivion than of grace. Goodwin was named, with nineteen more, as incapacitated for any publick truft; but of Milton there was no exception.

Of this tenderness fhewn to Milton, the curiosity of mankind has not forborn to enquire the reafon. Burnet thinks he was forgotten; but this is another instance which may confirm Dalrymple's obfervation, who fays, "that whenever Burnet's narrations are examined, he appears to be mistaken."

Forgotten he was not; for his profecution was ordered; it must be therefore by defign that he was included in the general oblivion. He is faid to have had friends in the House, fuch as Marvel, Morrice, and Sir Thomas Clarges;

as!

Clarges; and undoubtedly a man like him muft have had influence. A very particular ftory of his escape is told by Richardson in his Memoirs, which he received from Pope, as delivered by Betterton, who might have heard it from Davenant. In the war between the King and Parliament, Davenant was made prifoner, and condemned to die; but was fpared at the requeft of Milton. When the turn of fuccefs brought Milton into the like danger, Davenant repaid the benefit by appearing in his favour. Here is a reciprocation of generofity and gratitude fo pleafing, that the tale makes its own way to credit. But if help were wanted, I know not where to find it. The danger of Davenant is certain from his own relation; but of his escape there is no account. Betterton's narration can be traced no higher; it is not known that he had it from Davenant. We are told that the benefit exchanged was life for life ; but it feems not certain that Milton's life ever was in danger. Goodwin, who had committed the fame kind of crime, efcaped with incapacitation; and as exclufion from publick truft is a punishment which the power of government can commonly inflict

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without

without the help of a particular law, it res quired no great intereft to exempt Milton from a cenfure little more than verbal Something may be reasonably afcribed to veneration and compaffion; to veneration of his abilities, and compaffion for his diftreffes, which made it fit to forgive his malice for his learning. He was now poor and blind } and who would' purfue with violence an illuftrious enemy, depreffed by fortune, and difarmed by nature?

The publication of the act of oblivion put him in the fame condition with his fellowfubjects. He was, however, upon fome pretence not now known, in the custody of the ferjeant in December; and, when he was releafed, upon his refufal of the fees demanded, he and the ferjeant were called before the Houfe. He was now fafe within the fhade of oblivion, and knew himself to be as much out of the power of a griping officer as any other man. How the queftion was determined is not known. Milton would hardly have contended, but that he knew himself to have right on his fide.

6

He

He then removed to Jewin-street, near Alderfgate-street; and being blind, and by no means wealthy, wanted a domeftick com panion and attendant; and therefore, by the recommendation of Dr. Paget, married Elizabeth Minshul, of a gentleman's family in Cheshire, probably without a fortune. All his wives were virgins; for he has declared that he thought it grofs and indelicate to be a fecond husband: upon what other principles his choice was made, cannot now be known but marriage afforded not much of his hap pinefs. The first wife left him in disgust, and was brought back only by terror; the fecond, indeed, feems to have been more a favourite, but her life was fhort. The third, as Philips relates, oppreffed his children in his life-time, and cheated them at his death.

Soon after his marriage, according to an obfcure ftory, he was offered the continuance of his employment; and, being preffed by his wife to accept it, answered, "You, like "other women, want to ride in your coach ; "my wifh is to live and die an honeft man.' If he confidered the Latin fecretary as exer

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cifing any of the powers of government, he that had fhared authority either with the parliament or Cromwell, might have forborn to talk very loudly of his honefty; and if he thought the office purely minifterial, he certainly might have honeftly retained it under the king. But this tale has too little evidence to deferve a difquifition; large offers and fturdy rejections are among the most common topicks of falsehood.

He had fo much either of prudence or gra titude, that he forbore to difturb the new fettlement with any of his political or ecclefiaftical opinions, and from this time devoted himself to poetry and literature. Of his zeal for learning, in all its parts, he gave a proof by publishing, the next year (1661), Accidence commenced Grammar; a little book which has nothing remarkable, but that its author, who had been lately defending the fupreme powers of his country, and was then writing Paradife Loft, could defcend from his elevation to rescue children from the perplexity of grammatical confufion, and the trouble of leffons unneceffarily repeated.

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