66 authors, and improved by all, even by romances, of which he had been fond in his younger years; and as the bee can extract honey out of weeds, so (to use his own words in his Apology for Smectymnuus) "those "books, which to many others have been the fuel of wantonness and loose living, proved to him so many "incitements to the love and observation of virtue." His favourite author after the holy Scriptures was Homer. Homer he could repeat almost all without book; and he was advised to undertake a translation of his works, which no doubt he would have executed to admiration. But (as he says of himself in his postscript to the Judgment of Martin Bucer) " he never "could delight in long citations, much less in whole "traductions." And accordingly there are few things, and those of no great length, which he has ever translated. He was possessed too much of an original genius to be a mere copier. "Whether it be natural disposition, says he, or education in me, or that my "mother bore me a speaker of what God made my own, and not a translator." And it is somewhat remarkable, that there is scarce any author who has written so much, and upon such various subjects, and yet quotes so little from his contemporary authors, or so seldom mentions any of them. He praises Selden indeed in more places than one, but for the rest he appears disposed to censure rather than commend". 66 And, next to these, Euripides and Ovid. See the last paragraph of Mr. Warton's note on v. 55 of the ode, Ad J. Rousium. He preferred Sallust before all the other Roman historians. See Epist. Fam. Pr. W. ii. p. 582. "In his Areopagitica, however, he has extolled, in terms of superabundant eulogy, the merits of Lord Brooke, who had lately After his severer studies, and after dinner as we observed before, he used to divert and unbend his mind with playing upon the organ or bass-viol, which was a great relief to him after he had lost his sight; for he was a master of music as was his father, and he could perform both vocally and instrumentally, and it is said that he composed very well, though nothing of this kind is handed down to us. It is also said that he had some skill in painting as well as in music, and that somewhere or other there is a head of Milton, drawn by himself; but he was blessed with so many real excellencies, that there is no want of fictitious ones to raise and adorn his character. He had a quick apprehension, a sublime imagination, a strong memory, a piercing judgment, a wit always ready, and facetious or grave as the occasion required: and I know not whether the loss of his sight did not add vigour to the faculties of the mind. He at least thought so, and often comforted himself with that reflection P. But his great parts and learning have scarcely gained fallen in the service of the Parliament, and had written a treatise Against the English Episcopacy, and, against the danger of Sects and Schisms. He has also spoken of John Cameron with high respect in his Tetrachordon. Todd. • He had a delicate tunable voice, and had good skill. Aubrey. ? De mea animi tranquillitate in hoc tanto luminis detrimento, deque mea in excipiendis exteris hominibus comitate ac studio, persuasum tibi esse gaudeo. Orbitatem certe luminis quidni leniter feram, quod non tam amissum quam revocatum intus atque retractum, ad acuendam potius mentis aciem quam ad hebetandam, sperem. Quo fit, ut neque Literis irascar, nec earum studio penitus intermittam, etiamsi me tam male multaverint: tam enim morosus ne sim, Mysorum Regis Telephi saltem exemplum erudiit; qui eo telo, quo vulneratus est, sanari postea non recusavit. Epist. Fam. 21. Pr. W. p. 581. ed. 1753. See also his reflections upon his blindness in his Second Defence, p. 374-377. ed. 1753. "Utinam de cæcitate "—condonare." E. him more admirers, than his political principles have raised him enemies. And yet the darling passion of his soul was the love of liberty; this was his constant aim and end, however he might be mistaken in the means. He was indeed very zealous in what was called the good old cause, and with his spirit and his resolution it is somewhat wonderful, that he never ventured his person in the civil war; but though he was not in arms, he was not inactive, and thought, I suppose, that he could be of more service to the cause by his pen than by his sword". He was a thorough republican, and in this he thought like a Greek or Roman, as he was very conversant with their writings. And one day Sir Robert Howard, who was a friend to Milton as well as to the liberties of his country, and was one of his constant visitors to the last, inquired of him how he came to side with the republicans. Milton answered among other reasons, because theirs was the most frugal government, for the trappings of a mo So he says himself, Def. Sec. Pr. W. ii. p. 366. ed. 1753. Atque illi quidem Deo perinde confisi, servitutem honestissimis armis pepulere: cujus laudis etsi nullam partem mihi vendico, a reprehensione tamen vel timiditatis vel ignaviæ, siqua infertur, facile me tueor. Neque enim militiæ labores et pericula sic defugi, ut non alia ratione et operam multo utiliorem, nec minore cum periculo meis civibus navarim, et animum dubiis in rebus neque demissum unquam, neque ullius invidiæ, vel etiam mortis plus æquo metuentem præstiterim. Nam cum ab adolescentulo humanioribus essem studiis sa ut qui maxime deditus, et ingenio semper quam corpore validior, posthabita castrensi opera, qua me gregarius quilibet robustior facile superasset, ad ea me contuli, quibus plus potui; ut parte mei meliore ac potiore, si perem, non deteriore, ad rationes patriæ, causamque hanc præstantissimam, quantum maxime possem momentum accederem. Sic itaque existimabam, si illos Deus res gerere tam præclaras voluit, esse itidem alios a quibus gestas dici pro dignitate atque ornari, et defensam armis veritatem ra tione etiam (quod unicum est præsidium vere ac proprie humanum) defendi voluerit. E. narchy might set up an ordinary commonwealth. But then his attachment to Cromwell must be condemned, as being neither consistent with his republican principles, nor with his love of liberty. And I know no other way of accounting for his conduct, but by presuming (as I think we may reasonably presume) that he was far from entirely approving of Cromwell's proceedings, but considered him as the only person who could rescue the nation from the tyranny of the Presbyterians, who he saw were erecting a worse dominion of their own upon the ruins of prelatical episcopacy; and of all things he dreaded spiritual slavery, and therefore closed with Cromwell and the Independents, as he expected under them greater liberty of conscience. And though he served Cromwell, yet it must be said for him, that he served a great master, and served him ably, and was not wanting from time to time in giving him excellent good advice, especially in his second Defence: and so little being said of him in all It is remarkable, that the magnanimity and high tone of the address to the Protector, in Milton's second Defence, struck Morus, and was objected by him to his adversary as an evidence of overweening pride, and an imperious spirit. Quæ quidem omnia spiritus tibi tam altos induerunt, ut proximus a primo censeri concupiveris, adeoque celsissimo Cromuello celsior appareas interdum; quem sine ulla honoris præfatione familiariter appellas, quem specie laudantis doces, cui leges dictas, titulos circumscribis, munia præscribis, consilia suggeris, el si secus fecerit, minas ingeris. Illi arma et imperium concedis, ingenium tibi togamque vindicas. Alex. Mori Fides Publica, p. 72, 73. Symmons. There is no appearance of any thing like intimacy between Milton and Cromwell in A. Marvel's account of his presenting the Second Defence to the Protector; and, in a letter which Mr. Godwin notices, addressed to P. Heimbach, (Dec. 18, 1657,) who desired a recommendation for the office of secretary to our Embassador in Holland, Milton pleads his inability to assist him partly on account of his slight acquaintance with persons in power-propter paucissimas familiaritates meas cum gratiosis, qui domi fere, idque libenter me contineo. E. Secretary Thurloe's state-papers, it appears that he had no great share in the secrets and intrigues of government; what he despatched was little more than matters of necessary form, letters and answers to foreign states; and he may be justified for acting in such a station, upon the same principle as Sir Matthew Hale for holding a Judge's commission under the Usurper: and in the latter part of his life he frequently expressed to his friends his entire satisfaction of mind, that he had constantly employed his strength and faculties in the defence of liberty, and in opposition to slavery. In matters of religion too he has given as great offence, or even greater, than by his political principles. But still let not the infidel glory; no such man was ever of that party. He had the advantage of a pious education, and ever expressed the profoundest reverence of the Deity in his words and actions, was both a Christian and a Protestant, and studied and admired the holy Scriptures above all other books whatsoever; and in all his writings he plainly showeth a religious turn of mind, as well in verse as in prose, as well in his works of an earlier date as in those of later composition. When he wrote the Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, appears to have been a Calvinist; but afterwards he entertained a more favourable opinion of Arminius. Some have inclined to believe, that he was an Arian; but there are more express passages in his works to overthrow this opinion, than any there are to confirm it. For in the conclusion of his treatise of Reformation he thus solemnly invokes the Trinity; "Thou therefore "that sittest in light and glory unapproachable, Parent "of Angels and Men! next thee I implore Omnipo he |