that though He liv'd always in a frugal retirement, and before his death had difpos'd of his library (which we may suppose to have been a valuable collection ) He left no more than fifteen hundred pounds behind him for the fupport of his family and whoever confiders the Pofts to which He was advanc'd, and the times in which. He enjoy'd them, will I believe confefs He might have accumulated a much more plen tiful fortimes in a dispaffionace mind it will not require any extraordinary measure of candor to conclude, that though He abode in the heritage of Oppreffors, and the spoils of his country lay at his feet ; neither his conscience, nor his honor, cou'd floop to gather them

A Commiffion to conftitu Ætat. 42.te him Adjmant-Generallto Sir William Waller was pros mis'd; but foon fuperfeded by Waller's being laid afide, when his Mafters thought it proper to new model their army, However, the keennels of his Pen hadfo effectually res commended him to Cromwell's esteem, that when he took the reins of government into his own hand, he advanc'd him to be Latin Secretary, both to himself and the Parlias ment: the former of these preferments He enjoy'd both under the Usurper, and his

Son;

Son; the other, 'till King Charles II. was reftor'd.For fome time He had an apartmeut for his family in White-hall; but his health requiring a freer acceffion of air, He was oblig'd to remove from thence to lodgings which open'd into St. James's Park. Not long after his fettlement there, his wife dy'd in child-bed: and much about the time of her death, a Gutta Serena, which had for feveral years been gradually increasing, totally extinguish'd his fight. In this melancholic condition he was eafily prevail'd with to think of taking another wife; who was Catharine the daughter of Captain Woodcock of Hackney: and she too, in less than a year after their marriage, dy'd in the fame unfortunate manner as the former had done; and in his twenty third Sonnet He does honor to her memory.

These private calamities

were much heighten'd, by An. Ætat. 52. the different figure he was

likely to make in the new scene of affairs, which was going to be acted in the State. For, all things now confpiring to promote the King's Reftoration, He was too conf cious of his own activity during the Ufur pation, to expect any favor from the Crown and therefore He prudently ab conded 'till the Ad of Oblivion was p Tome I

F

blish'd; by which He was only render'd incapable of bearing any office in the Nation. Many had very just esteem of his admirable parts and learning, who detested his principles; by whofe interceffion his Pardon pafs'd the Seals: and I wish the laws of Civil History could have extended the benefit of that oblivion to the memory of his guilt, which was indulg'd to his perfon; nè tanti facinoris immanitas aut extitiffe, aut non vindicata fuiffe, videatur.

Having thus gain'd a full protection from the Government, which was in truth more than he cou'd have reasonably hop'd) He appear'd as much in public as he formerly us'd to do; and employing his friend Dr. Paget to make choice of a third confort, on his recommendation He married Eliza beth the Daughter of Mr. Minshula Cheshire Gentleman, by whom He had no issue. Three daughters by his first wife were then living; the two elder of whom are faid to have been very ferviceable to him in his ftudies. For, having been inftructed to pronounce not only the Modern, but also the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages; they read in their respective originals whatever Authors He wanted to confult; though they understood none but their mothertongue. This employment, however, was

too unpleasant to be continued for any long procefs of time; and therefore He difmifs'd them to receive an education more agreeable to their fex, and temper.

We come now to take a furvey of him in that point of view, in which He will be look'd on by all fucceeding ages with equal delight, and admiration. An interval of above twenty years had ela

ps'd fince He wrote the Mask

*

29.

of Comus, L'Allegro, Il An. Etat. 26.. Penferofo, and + Lycidas; all in fuch and an exquisite

ftrain! that though He had left no other monuments of his Genius behind him, his name had been immortal. But, neither the infirmities of age and conftitution, nor the viciffitudes of fortune, cou'd deprefs the vigor of his mind; or divert it from executing a defign He had a long conceiv'd of writing an Heroic Poem. The Fal of Man was a fubject which He had fome years before fix'd on for a Tragedy, which He intended to form by the models of Antiquity: and fome, not without probability, fay the Play open'd with that Speech in the fourth Book of PARADISE LOST, ver. 32. which is addrefs'd by Satan to the Sun. Were it

a Par. Loft. B. 9. page 100. ver. 4.

material,. I believe I cou'd produce other paffages which more plainly appear to have been originally intended for the fcene. But whatever truth there may be in this report, 'tis certain that He did not begin to mold his Subject in the form which it bears now before He had concluded his controverfy with Salmafius and More; when He had wholly loft the ufe of his eyes; and was forc'd to employ in the office of an Ama nuenfis any friend who accidentally paid him a visit. Yet, under all these difcouragements, and various interruptions, in the

Year (a) 1669 He publis❜hd An. Etat. 6. his PARADISE LOST; the nobleft Poem, next to those of Homer and Virgil, that ever the wit of man produc'd in any age or nation. Need I mention any other evidence of its ineftimable worth, than that the finest Geniuses who have fucceeded him have ever esteem'd it a merit to relish, and illuftrate its beauties? Whilft the Critic who gaz'd, with fo much wanton malice, on the nakedness of ShakeSpear when he flept, after having (b) formally declar'd war againft it, wanted cou

(a) Milton's Contract with his Bokseller S. Simons for the Copy hears Date April 27. 1667. (The Tragedies of the last age confider'd, p. 1430