bed. She knows nothing of her aunt Philips or Agar's defcendents, but believes that they are all extinct: as is likewise Sir Christopher Milton's family, the laft of which were two maiden sisters, Mrs. Mary and Mrs. Katharine Milton, who lived and died at Highgate: And the herself is the only furvivor of Milton's own family; unless there be some in the EastIndies, which she very much questions, for the used to hear from them sometimes, but has heard nothing now for several years: fo that in all probability Milton's whole family would be extinct with her *, and he * Mrs. Foster died at Islington, May 9. 1754, in the 66th year of her age; and by her death all Milton's family became extinct. She had lived many years in a low way, and was at last depressed with poverty and the infirmities of old age. It does not appear, that any of her grandfather's admirers took any notice of her till 1750; when, on the 5th of April that year, Comus, wrote by Milton, was reprefented at Drury-Lane theatre, with a new prologue spoken by Mr. Garrick, for her benefit, which produced her above 130 1. "The prologue was printed both at London and Edinburgh for her benefit, and is as follows: Ye patriot crouds, who burn for England's fame, At length our mighty Bard's victorious lays Or trace his form on circulating gold; Unknown, he can live only in his writings: And, fuch is the caprice of fortune, this grand-daughter of a man, who will be an everlasting glory to the nation, has now for fome years with her husband kept a little chandler's or grocer's shop, for their subsistence, lately at the Lower Halloway in the road between High-gate and London, and at present in Cock lane, not far from Shore-ditch church. Another thing let me mention, that is equally to the honour of the present age. Though Milton received not above to 1. at two different payments for the copy of Paradise Loft, yet Mr. Hoyle, author of the Treatise on the Game of Whist, after having disposed of all the first impreflion, fold the copy to the bookseller, as I have been informed, for 200 guineas. To this Life from Dr. Newton, we shall fubjoin an account of the manner in which Milton loft his fight, which he so pathetically laments in the beginning of book iii. of Paradise Loft, taken from his own letter to Leonard Philaras, envoy from the Duke of Parma to the French King, dated, Westminster, Sept. 28. 1654. _ " I think 'tis about ten years, more or lefs, " fince I began to perceive, that my eye-fight grew " weak and dim, and at the same time my spleen and " bowels to be oppressed and troubled with flatus; " and in the morning, when I began to read, accord"ing to my custom, my eyes grew painful immedi ately, and to refuse reading, but were refreshed af Unknown, unheeded, long his offspring lay, 66 ter a moderate exercise of the body. A certain Iris began to furround the light of the candle, if I look"ed at it; foon after which, on the left part of the "left eye, (for that was fome years fooner clouded,) “ a mist arose, which hid every thing on that fide; " and looking forward, if I shut my right eye, ob"jects appeared smaller. My other eye also, for these " last three years, failing by degrees, some months "before all fight was abolished, things which I look"ed upon seemed to swim to the right and left. Certain inveterate vapours seem to possess my fore" head and temples, which, after meat especially, " quite to evening generally urge and depress my eyes with a fleepy heaviness. Nor would I omit, " that, whilst there was as yet some remainder of " fight, I no fooner lay down in my bed, and turns "ed on my fide, but a copious light dazzled out of my shut eyes: and, as my fight diminished, every day colours gradually more obfcure flashed out with vehemence; but now, that the lucid is in a manner wholly extinct, a direct blackness, or elfe spotted, and as it were woven with ash colour, is **used to pour itself in. Nevertheless, the constant and fettled darkness that is before me, as well by " night as by day, feems nearer to the whitish than the blackith; and the eye, rolling itself a little, "seems to admit I know not what little smallness of "light, as through a chink." The following TRANSLATION and SONNET are taken from Toland's and Birch's accounts of Milton's Life. The Verses to CHRISTINA Queen of SWEDEN, vol. ii. p. ult. translated. PRIGHT martial Maid, Queen of the frozen zone, Behold what furrows Age and Steel can plow; Thro' Thro' Fate's untrodden paths I move, my hands TOLAND'S Life of Milton. A SONNET, upon occasion of the Plague in London, faid to be written by Milton, and to have beenlately found on a glass-window at Chalfont, where he refided during the continuance of that dreadful calamity. F AIR mirror of foul times! whose fragile sheen Shall, as it blazeth, break; while Providence (Ay watching o'er his faints with eye unfeen,) Spreads the red rod of angry pestilence, To sweep the wicked and their counsels hence: Yea all to break the pride of lustful kings, Who Heaven's lore reject for brutish sense; As erst he scourg'd Jefsfides' fin of yore For the fair Hittite, when on seraph's wings He fent him war, or plague, or famine fore *. BIRCH'S Life of Miltons • If this fonnet was really wrote by Milton, he has blundered in representing the peftilence as a judgment upon David for his adul-tery with Bathsheba, whereas it was on account of his numbering the people. In PARADISUM AMISSAM summi poetæ JOANNIS MILTONI. Q UI legis Amiffam Paradisum, grandia magni Res cunctas, & cunctarum primordia rerum, Et tamen hæc hodie terra Britanna legit. Ad pænas fugiunt, & ceu foret Orcus afylum, Et quos fama recens vel celebravit anus. SAMUEL BARROW, M. D. On |