cuted, and the people protected in the peaceable and legal enjoyment of their lives, properties, and municipal rights and privileges, there can be no fuch thing as ufurpation, in whofe hands foever the executive power fhould be lodged. From this doctrine Milton never fwerved; and in that noble apoftrophe to Cromwell, in his Second Defenfe of the people of England, he fpares not to remind him, what a wretch and a villain he would be, fhould he invade thofe liberties which his valour and magnanimity had reftored. If, after this, Milton's employers deviated from his idea of their duty, be it remembered, that he was neither in their fecrets, nor an inftrument in their arbitrary acts or encroach

ments on the legal rights of the fubject; many (perhaps the moft) of which were

to be juftified by the neceffity of the times, and the malignant attempts of those who laboured to restore that wicked. race of defpotic rulers, the individuals of which had uniformly profeffed an utter enmity to the claims of a free people, and had acted accordingly, in perfect conformity to Dr. Johnfon's political creed. On another hand, be it obferved, that in thofe State-letters, latinized by Milton, which remain, and in thofe particularly written in the name of the Protector Oliver, the ftricteft attention is paid to the dignity and importance of the British nation, to the protection of trade, and the Proteftant religion, by fpi

sited expoftulations with foreign powers on any infraction of former treaties, in at ftyle of fteady determination, of which there have been few examples in fubfequent times. A certain fign in what efteem the British government was held at that period by all the other powers of Europe. And as this was the only pro-` vince in which Milton acted under that government which Dr. Johnfon calls an ufurpation, let his fervices be compared with thofe performed by Dr. Johnfon for his prefent patrons; and let the conftitutional fubject of the British empire judge which of them better defervés. the appellation of a traitor to public liberty, or have more righteously 'earned' the honey of a pension! Plea

The

The real ufurper is the wicked ruler over a poor people, by whatever means the power falls into his hands. And whenever it happens that the imperium ad optimum quemque a minus bono transfertur,” the fubject is or fhould be too much interested in the fact to confider any character of the rejected ruler but his vicious ambition, the violence and injuftice of his counfels, and the flagitious acts by which they were executed.

Thefe petulant reflections of the Doctor on Milton, might, many of them, eafily be answered by recrimination; we have often wondered, in running over this new narrative, that the confcioufnefs of the hiftorian's heart did not difable his hand for recording feveral things

to

to the reproach of Milton, which rebound with double force on his own notorious conduct. Has he always believed. that the government of the House of Hanover was lefs an ufurpation than that of Oliver Cromwell? Having tafted the honey of a penfion for writing minifterial pamphlets, would he feel no regret in returning once more to hunger and philofophy

The Doctor perhaps will tell us, that he is in no danger of ftarving, even though his penfion fhould be fufpended to-morrow. Be it fo; and by what kind of proof will he fhew that Milton had no means of earning his bread but his political employment?