debted to some modern latin poets of very inferior fame, from whose works extracts, in support of the alledged discovery, were produced. To this essay, of which the malevolence was discernible through the moderation of its language, three answers were given in the same periodical pamphlet, and Milton was defended against the charge of plagiarism, without the intimation of any doubt respecting the authenticity of Lauder's quotations.

Emboldened by his escape from detection, and now seemingly confident of ultimate success, the impostor, in the beginning of the year 1750, published, under the same title, that larger essay which he had promised. Though the intemperate language of this work would no longer suffer it to be a doubt, notwithstanding the strong assertion of probity in its concluding paragraph, whether malice or the love of truth was the writer's actuating motive, Mr. Samuel Johnson, who from his known connexion, at this period, with Cave, the editor of the Gentleman's Magazine, may fairly be concluded not to have been unassociated with Lauder's former publication, did not scrúple to ornament it with a preface and postscript, and thus to make himself an accomplice in the malignity, if

candour obliges us to admit his ignorance of the frauds of its author. This essay, the assertions of which, extending far beyond its

S

To gratify the curiosity of my readers I will transcribe for them some of the passages from this malignant publication,premising that they are taken, without any very curious selection, from many others stampt with equal or with greater

rancour.

P.59.

"The case is exactly the same," (says Lauder speaking of a passage, which he had himself fabricated for Grotius, and which, he affirms, Milton " borrowed without any intention of making an acknowledgment,) in a thousand other places, where much false incense has been offered on the wrong altar, and many lavish encomiums unjustly prostituted."

P. 71.

"The State of Innocence or Fall of Man," is a proof how readily Milton's poem, which was founded on a tragedy, " (the Adamus exul of the juvenile Grotius,)" may be reduced to a tragedy again. But there is this remarkable difference between the two authors, that Dryden, though never reputed a man of the strictest morals, frankly acknowledged to whom he stood obliged, while Milton, notwithstanding his high pretensions to integrity, most industriously concealed his obligations.

P. 72, 73.

"He" (Grotius) has as much reason to complain of ungrateful usage at Milton's hand, as the prince of the latin poets,

pretended proofs, affected the entire over

when he exclaimed with indignation, from a consciousness of injury done him by Bathyllus,

"Hos ego versiculos feci,- tulit alter honores."

P. 74.

After ridiculing the honours, which had been paid to Milton on the false supposition of his originality, and of the truth, with which he asserts that his song " pursues

"Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme,"

my no

Lauder says, with reference to one of the vindicators of the great poet, "But I must take the liberty to inform him that tions of morality taught me quite another lesson than to bestow the praise due to ingenuity and integrity on persons of a different character."

P. 77.

"'Tis true Ramsay's poem has been lately called a cento from Virgil; but I hope to shew (and I think I have partly done it already) that Milton stands infinitely more exposed to that censure, being compiled out of all authors, ancient or modern, sacred or profane, who had any thing in their works suitable to his purpose: nor do I blame him for this unlimited freedom, but for his industriously concealing it.

P. 86.

"By this time, I hope, the mist of delusion begins to disperse; for though Milton has been so long in possession of Paradise, that he may even plead prescription in his favour, yet I have ventured (and I think successfully) to call his title in question; as unjustly acquired at first, and which therefore, no length of time can make valid;—according to that known and approved

B

throw of Milton's poetical and indeed moral

maxim, quod ab initio vitiosum est tractu temporis non convalescit.

P. 115.

"And here I could produce a whole cloud of witnesses, as fresh vouchers of the truth of my assertion, with whose fine sentiments, as so many gay feathers, Milton has plumed himself; like one who would adorn a garland with flowers, secretly taken out of various gardens: or a crown with jewels, stolen from the different diadems, or repositories of princes; by which means he shines indeed, but with a borrowed lustre-a surreptitious majesty."

P. 133:

"In the sixth book (the greatest part of which, I have already observed, is ungenerously copied from this young German," (Taubman,) &c.

P. 138.

"This elegant work," (Taubman's Bellum Angelicum,) among many others, has enabled Milton to reach the summit of Parnassus more truly than that extraordinary poetical inspiration which the deluded world has imagined him possessed of."→

P. 161.

The circumstance of Milton's refusing to instruct his daughters in the languages, which he taught them to read to him, was a contrivance, according to Lauder, to keep them in ignorance of his thefts." "Milton well knew," (says this strange man) "the loquacious and incontinent spirit of the sex; and the danger, on that account, of intrusting them with so important a secret as his unbounded plagiarism; he, therefore, wisely

reputation, was inscribed by Lauder to the two Universities; and the cause, between the accuser and the numerous admirers of the British Homer, was now brought to a decisive issue. In this state of things, the indignant and agitated public was under the necessity of acquiescing for the space nearly of a twelvemonth; during which period the forger and his auxiliary were permitted to triumph, one for his gratified animosity to the fame of the great poet, and the other for the success of his fraudulent contrivances.

About the end of the same year, (1750,) Mr. Douglas, (then rector of Eaton Constantine, in Shropshire, and now adorning with his virtues the mitre of Salisbury,) addressed to the Earl of Bath a letter intitled, "Milton vindicated from the charge of plagiarism brought against him by Mr. Lauder.”—Having in this pamphlet, first clearly proved that Lauder's quotations, allowing them to be authentic, would not support the charges, urged

confined them to the knowledge of the words and pronunciation only, but kept the sense and meaning to himself." Lauder strictly observes the precept of the critic,

servetur ad imum

Qualis ab incepto processerit et sibi constet.

The essay concludes in the same inveterate and rancorous