given both to schools and univerfities, as 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 himfelf; 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 himfelf.

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 abufes in the church to the account of the bishops. The bishops counte nanced and encouraged the univerfitics; and it was but natural for the univerfi

ties in their turn to inculcate that fort of learning which tended to uphold the episcopal authority, and confequently to prevent the reformation Milton wished for.

One of his abjections," fays the Doctory to academical education, as it was then conducted, is, that men defigned for orders in the church were per"mitted to act plays, writhing and un

boning their clergy limbs to all the antic "and difboneft gestures of Trinculoes, "buffoons, and bawds, proftituting the "Shame of that ministry, which either they "bad or were nigh having, to the eyes of "courtiers and court-ladies, with their grooms and madamoifelles *.??

*

Apology for Smestymnus, p. 110. Birch's èd.

Num fingit, num mentitur! If Ignoramus was well acted at Trinity College, thefe ludicrous appearances must be exhibited to the spectators, who were perfons exactly anfwering the defcription. here given of them; and if the characters were perfonated by clergymen, or candidates for orders, there is propriety as well as truth in Milton's reflection. But this is not the objection.

"This is fufficiently peevish," favs the Doctor," in a man, who, when he " mentions his exile from the college, "relates, with great luxuriance, the "compenfation which the pleafures of "the theatre afford him. Plays were "therefore only criminal when they were "acted by academicks *.

* Life, p. 12.

The

The Doctor undoubtedly depended, that he had fufficiently difgufted his readers' with his account of Milton's profe writings, to prevent their looking for the context to his quotation, to which there is no reference, or mention of the tract. from whence it is taken.

Perhaps indeed fome of the more moderate idolizers of Dr. Johnfon might perceive, even from this mutilated ci tation, that Milton did not blame these actors as they were academics, but as they were clergymen. But Milton had likewise another objection to them; they were fcurvy performers.

There," fays Milton, "while they "acted and over-acted, among other

66

young fcholars, I was a fpectator; they "thought

thought themfelves gallant men, and I "thought them fools; they made fport,

and I laughed; they mif-pronounced, and I mifliked; and, to make up the atticifm, they were out, and I hifs'd *." Thefe were not the faults of men of the theatrical profeffion, who were daily practitioners upon the ftage, and by whom Milton was fo highly entertained in the Metropolis.

Milton's epifcopalian opponents reproached him as a diffolute rake; and, among other irregularities, mentioned his frequenting the theatres, which they inferred from his fpeaking of vizzards and falfe beards. He anfwers, that there was no occafion to go to the public playhoufes to learn the ufes of thefe difguifes; Apology, P.213.

for.