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ters will remain as authentic memorials of thofe times, to be admired equally by critics and politicians; thofe particularly about the fufferings of the poor Proteftants in Piedmont, who can read without fenfible emotion? He had this fubject very much at heart, for he was an utter enemy to all forts of perfecution; and he wrote a moft excellent fonnet on that occafion.

But Oliver Cromwell being dead, and the government weak and unfettled in the hands of Richard and the parliament, he thought it a feafonable time to offer his advice again to the public. He therefore in 1659 published 4 treatife of civil power in ecclefiaftical causes; and another tract, intitled, Confide ions touching the likelieft means to remove hirelings out of the church; both addreffed to the parliament of the commonwealth of England. After the parliament was diffolved, he wrote a letter to fome ftatefman, with whom he had a ferious difcourfe the night before, concerning the ruptures of the commonwealth; and another, as it is fuppofed, to Gen. Monk, being a brief delineation of a free commonwealth, eafy to be put in practice, and without delay. Thefe two pieces were first printed in the edition of our author's profe works in 1698. But Milton, ftill finding that affairs were every day tending more and more to the fubverfion of the commonwealth, and the restoration of the royal family, published his Ready and easy way to eftablish a free commonwealth, and the excellence thereof, compared with the inconveniencies and dangers of readmitting kingfhip in this nation. We are informed by Mr. Wood, that he published this piece in February 1659-60; and after this he published Brief notes upon a late fermon, intitled, The fear of God and the King, preached by Dr. Matthew Griffith, at Mercers chapel, March 25. 1660. So bold and refolute was he in declaring his fentiments to the last, thinking that his voice was the voice of expiring liberty.

A little before the King's landing he was discharged from his office of Latin Secretary, and was forced to leave his houfe in Petty France. Here he had lived eight years with great reputation, and had been

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vifited by all foreigners of note, who could not go out of the country without feeing a man who did fo much honour to it by his writings, and whofe name was as famous abroad as in his own nation; and by feveral perfons of quality of both fexes, and many learned and ingenious friends and acquaintance. But now it was not fafe for him to appear any longer in public; and therefore, by the advice of his wellwithers, he fled for fhelter to a friend's house near West Smithfield, where he lay concealed till the worst of the ftorm was blown over. On Saturday June 16. 1660 it was ordered by the houfe of Commons, that the ing thould be moved to iffue a proclamation for the calling in of Milton's two books, the Defence of the people and Iconoclaftes, and alfo Goodwyn's book, intitled, The obftructors of justice, written in juftification of the murder of the late king, and to order them to be burnt by the hands of the common hangman; and that the Attorney-General fhould proceed by way of indictment or information against Milton and Goodwyn, in refpect of their books, and that they themfelves fhould be fent for in cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms attending the house. On Wednesday June 27, an order of council was made accordingly for a proclamation against Milton's and Goodwyn's books; and the proclamation was iffued Aug. 13. wherein it was faid that the authors had fled, or did abfcond; and on Monday Aug. 27. the books were burnt at the Old Bailey, by the hands of the common hangman. On Wednesday Aug. 29. the act of indemnity was paffed; which proved more favourable to Milton than could well have been expected; for though John Goodwyn was excepted among the twenty perfons, who were to have penalties inflicted upon them, not extending to life, yet Milton was not excepted at all, and confequently was included in the general pardon. We find indeed that afterwards he was in cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms; but the time when he was taken into cuftody is not certain. He was not in cuftody on the 12th of September; for his name is not in a lift of the prifoners in cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms read that day

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in the Houfe; and next day the Houfe adjourned to Nov. 6. It is probable therefore, that after the paffing of the act of indemnity, and adjournment of the Houfe, Milton came out of his concealment, and was afterwards taken into custody by virtue of the former order of the Houfe. But we do not find that he was profecuted by the Attorney-general, or continued long in cuftody: For on Saturday Dec. 15. 1660, the Houfe ordered, that Mr. Milton, then in cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms, fhould be forthwith released, paying his fees; and on Monday the 17th, a complaint being made, that the Serjeant had demanded exceffive fees, it was referred to the committee of privileges and elections to examine that bufinefs, to call Mr. Milton and the Serjeant before them, and to determine what was fit to be given to the Serjeant for his fees. So courageous was Milton at all times in defence of liberty against all the incroachments of power, and though a prifoner, would yet be treated like a freeborn Englishman. The clemency of the government was furely very great towards him, confidering the nature of his offences; for though he was not one of the King's judges and murderers, yet he contributed more to murder his character and reputation than any of them all. To what therefore could it be owing, that he was treated with fuch lenity, and was fo eafily pardoned? It is certain, there was not wanting powerful interceffion for him both in council and in parliament. It is faid, that Secretary Morrice and Sir Thomas Clargis greatly favoured him, and exerted their interest in his behalf, and his old friend Andrew Marvel, member for Hull, formed a confiderable party for him in the House of Commons; and neither was Charles II. (as Toland fays) fuch an enemy to the Mufes, as to require his deftruction. But the principal inftrument in obtaining Milton's pardon was Sir William Davenant, out of gratitude for Milton's having procured his releafe when taken prifoner in 1650. It was life for life. Davenant had been faved by Milton's interest, and in return Milton was faved at Davenant's interceffion.

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Milton having thus obtained his pardon, took a house in Holburn, near Red-Lion Fields, but foon after removed into Jewen-ftreet, near Alderfgate-street. While he lived there, being in his 53d or 54th year, blind and infirm, and wanting fome body better than fervants to tend and look after him, he, at the recommendation of his friend Dr. Paget, to whom the lady was related, married his third wife, Elizabeth Minfhul, of a gentleman's family in Cheshire. It is faid, that an offer was made to Milton, as well as to Thurloe, of holding the fame place of Secretary under the King, which he had difcharged with fo much integrity and ability under Cromwell; but he perfifted in refufing it, though his wife preffed his compliance: "Thou "art in the right," fays he; you, as other women, "would ride in you coach; for me, my aim is to live " and die an honeft man." In 1661 he published his Accedence commenced Grammar, and a tract of Sir Walter Raleigh, intitled, Aphorifms of flate; as in 1658 he had publifhed another piece of the fame author, intitled, The cavinet-council difcabinated: An evident fign, that he thought it no mean employment, nor unworthy of a man of genius, to be an editor of the works of great authors. While he lived in Jewenftreet, Elwood the Quaker was first introduced to read to him: For having wholly loft his fight, he kept always fome body or other to perform that office; and ufually the fon of fome gentleman of his acquaintance, whom he took in kindness, that he might at the fame time improve him in his learning. Elwood was recommended to him by Dr. Paget, and went to his houfe every afternoon except Sunday, and read to him fuch books in the Latin tongue as Milton thought proper. Milton told him, that if he would have the benefit of the Latin tongue, not only to read and understand Latin authors, but to converfe with foreigners, he must learn the foreign pronunciation; and he inftructed him how to read accordingly. "Milton having a curious ear, understood by my tone," fays Elwood, "when I understood what I read, and when I did not; and he would ftop me and examine me, and

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open the most difficult paffages to me." Not long after his third marriage he left Jewen-ftreet, and removed to a house in the Artillery-walk, leading to Bunhillfields, in which he refided to his dying day: Only when the plague began to rage in London in 1665, he removed to a fmall houfe at St. Giles Chalfont in Buckinghamshire, where he remained during that dreadful calamity; but after the fickness was over, and the city was cleañfed and made fafely habitable again, he returned to his houfe in London.

His great work of Paradife Loft had principally engaged his thoughts for fome years paft, and was now completed. It is probable, that his firft defign of writing an epic poem was owing to his converfations at Naples with the Marquis of Villa about Taffo and his famous poem of the Delivery of Jerufalem; and in a copy of Verfes prefented to that nobleman before he left Naples, he intimated his intention of fixing upon King Arthur for his hero. In his eclogue upon the death of his friend Diodati, he propofed the fame defign and the fame fubject, and declared his ambition of writing fomething in his native language, which might render his name illuftrious in thefe iflands, though he thould be obscure and inglorious to the rest of the world. And in other parts of his works, after he had engaged in the controverfies of the times, he ftill promised to produce fome noble poem or other at a fitter feafon But it doth not appear that he had then determined upon the fubject; and King Arthur had another fate, being referved for the pen of Sir Richard Blackmore. The first hint of Paradife Loft is faid to have been taken from an Italian tragedy; and it is certain, that he first defigned it a tragedy himself, and there are feveral plans of it in the form of a tragedy ftill to be feen in the author's own manufcript, preferved in the library of Trinitycollege Cambridge. And it is probable, that he did not barely fketch out the plans, but alfo wrote fome parts of the drama itself. Mr. Philips informs us, that fome of the verfes at the beginning of Satan's fpeech addreffed to the Sun, book iv. ver. 32, &c.

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