known by the name of impofitions (oftentimes prescribed as punishments) did not fuit Milton's genius, being indeed even within our memory calculated rather for the drudgery of an induftrious plodder than fuited to the genius of a youth of parts and spirit. Wonderful must be that genius which has a taste for being flogged or banished!

"It feems plain," fays the new narrative," from his own verfes to Diodati, "that he had incurred ruflication, a temઃઃ porary difiniffion into the country, with perhaps the lofs of a term."

Milton was admitted of Chrift's College, February 12, 1624-5. He took his bachelor's degree in 1628, so that without a perhaps he loft no term. In

every college there is or fhould be a regifter, in which are entered all orders for expulfion and ruftication of delinquents. This is neceffary for the juftification of the master and fellows against whom appeals and complaints are often lodged by the fufferers, either before the vifitor or in Weftminster-Hall. We have been informed, from the beft authority, that there is an entry in the register of this very college, importing, that a candidate for a fellowship, being rejected by the fociety, was, upon calling in the vifitor +, established in his right, not without fome fevere expreffions inferted

* The late Dr. Hutton, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bishop Sherlock, then Vice-chancellor.

in the fentence, which the vifitor, upon application, refused to expunge.

If therefore the Regifters of Christ's College are filent with refpect to the expulfion of John Milton, it is not plain that he was either expelled or rufticated, not to mention that the terms, vetiti laris et exilium, may refer to twenty causes befides that affigned by the new Biographer. If Milton's return to college was

voluntary, it would be invidious to afcribe his abfence to compulfion, unless you will fuppofe that the prohibition was the effect of his father's oeconomy, which is by far moft likely to have been the cafe.

Milton however was certainly out of humour with the univerfities (except per

perhaps with a few of his ingenious and judicious friends in them); and Dr. Johnfon gives us our choice of two causes of it, the injudicious feverity of his governors, : and Milton's captious perverfeness*.

Had Milton left us nothing upon the fubject but rude and indifcriminate abuse of the univerfities, Dr. Johnson's、 alternative in affifting us to account for it had been liberal and gracious. But the single letter of Milton to Hartlib fhews that his objections were of another fort, and took their rife neither from any refentment against his governors for their severity, nor from any perverfeness of his own temper. So far from blaming their feverity, he reproves the idle vacancies

given both to schools and univerfities, as i a detrimental and improper indulgence; with refpect to his own difpofition, nothing appears here but a defire to meliorate the mode of education, in which Hartlib was as hearty as himself; and it appears by our late academical reformations, that the authors of them were no more in humour with the methods of. their predeceffors than Milton himself.

It is true, Milton was zealous for Reformation in the church, and who can fay it was not wanted? or who but Dr. John' fon will fay it? Milton laid the errors and abuses in the church to the account of the bishops. The bishops countenanced and encouraged the univerfities; and it was but natural for the univerfi