attempted by the learned Usher; and to the Confutation Milton published a Reply, intituled, Of Prelatical Epifcopacy, and whether it may be deduced from the Apoftolical Times, by virtue of thofe Teftimonies which are alledged to that Purpofe in fome late Treatifes, one whereof goes under the Name of James Lord Bishop of Armagh.

I have tranfcribed this title to fhew, by his contemptuous mention of Ufher, that he had now adopted the puritannical favagenefs of manners. His next work was, The Reafon of Church Government urged against Prelacy, by Mr. John Milton, 1642. In this book he discovers, not with oftentatious exultation, but with calm confidence, his high opinion of his own powers; and promises to undertake fomething, he yet knows not what, that may be of use and honour to his country. "This," fays he, "is "not to be obtained but by devout prayer to that "Eternal Spirit that can enrich with all utterance "and knowledge, and fends out his Seraphim, with "the hallowed fire of his altar, to touch and purify "the lips of whom he pleases. To this must be "added, induftrious and felect reading, fteady ob "fervation, and infight into all feemly and gene❝rous arts and affairs; till which in fome measure "be compast, I refuse not to fustain this expecta"tion." From a promise like this, at once fervid, pious, and rational, might be expected the Paradife Loft.

He published the fame year two more pamphlets, upon the fame queftion. To one of his antagonists, who affirms that he was vomited out of the University, he answers, in general terms: "The Fellows of the College

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"College wherein I spent some years, at my parting, after I had taken two degrees, as the manner "is, fignified many times how much better it would " content them that I should stay. As for the com

mon approbation or diflike of that place, as now it "is, that I fhould efteem or difefteem myself the more "for that, too fimple is the answerer, if he think to "obtain with me. Of fmall practice were the phy"fician who could not judge, by what she and her "fifter have of long time vomited, that the worser "ftuff the ftrongly keeps in her stomach, but the "better she is ever kecking at, and is queafy; the ❝ vomits now out of fickness; but before it will be

well with her, fhe muft vomit by strong phyfick. "The university, in the time of her better health, "and my younger judgment, I never greatly ad"mired, but now much less."

This is furely the language of a man who thinks that he has been injured. He proceeds to defcribe the course of his conduct, and the train of his thoughts; and, because he has been fufpected of incontinence, gives an account of his own purity: "That if I be justly charged," says he, "with this "crime, it may come upon me with tenfold shame.”

The ftyle of is piece his rough, and fuch perhaps was that of his antagonist. This roughness he juftifies, by great examples, in a long digreffion. Sometimes he tries to be humourous: "Left I should take "him for fome chaplain in hand, fome fquire of the

body to his prelate, one who ferves not at the altar "only, but at the Court-cupboard, he will beftow on us "a pretty model of himfelf; and fets me out half a do"zen ptifical mottoes, wherever he had them, hopping "short

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fhort in the meafure of convulfion fits; in which labour the agony of his wit having efcaped narrowly, "inftead of well-fized periods, he greets us with a

quantity of thumb-ring poefies. — And thus ends "this fection, or rather diffection, of himfelf." Such is the controverfial merriment of Milton; his gloomy ferioufnefs is yet more offenfive. Such is his malig nity, bat hell gows darker at bis frown.

His father, after Reading was taken by Effex, came to refide in his houfe; and his fchool increased. At Whitfuntide, in his thirty-fifth year, he married Mary, the daughter of Mr. Powel, a justice of the peace in Oxfordshire. He brought her to town with ling, and expected all the advantages of a conjugal life. The lady, however, feems not much to have delighted in the pleafures of fpare diet and hard frudy; for, as Philips relates, having for a month

led a philofophick life, after having been ufed at home to a great houfe, and much company and joviality, her friends, poflibly by her own defire, made earnest suit to have her company the remaining part of the fummer; which was granted, upon a promife of her return at Michaelmas."

Milton was too bufy to much mifs his wife; he pursued his ftudies; and now and then vifited the Lady Margaret Leigh, whom he has mentioned in one of his fonnets. At laft Michaelmas arrived; but the lady had no inclination to return to the fullen gloom of her husband's habitation, and therefore very willingly forgot her promife. He fent her a letter, but had no aafwer: he fent more with the fame fuccefs. It could be alledged that letters mifcarry ; he therefore difpatched a meffenger, being by

this time too angry to go himfelf. His meffenger was fent back with fome contempt. The family of the lady were Cavaliers.

In a man whofe opinion of his own merit was like Milton's, lefs provocation than this might have raised violent refentment. Milton foon determined to repudiate her for difobedience; and, being one of those who could easily find arguments to juftfy inclination, published (in 1644) The Doctrine and Difcipline of Divorce; which was followed by The Judgement of Martin Bucer, concerning Divorce; and the next year, his Tetrachordon, Expofitions upon the four chief Places of Scripture which treat of Marriage.

This innovation was oppofed, as might be expected, by the clergy, who, then holding their famous affembly at Weftminster, procured that the author fhould be called before the Lords; "but "that houfe," fays Wood, "whether approving the "doctrine, or not favouring his accufers, did foon "difmifs him."

There feems not to have been much written against him, nor any thing by any writer of eminence. The antagonist that appeared is ftyled by him, A Serving Man turned Solicitor. Howel, in his Letters, mentions the new doctrine with contempt; and it was, I fuppofe, thought more worthy of derifion than of confutation. He complains of this neglect in two fonnets, of which the firft is contemptible, and the fecond not excellent.

From this time it is obferved, that he became an enemy to the Prefbyterians, whom he had fayoured before. He that changes his party by his humour is not more virtuous than he that changes

it by his intereft; he loves himself rather than truth.

His wife and her relations now found that Milton was not an unrefifting sufferer of injuries; and perceiving that he had begun to put his doctrine in practice, by courting a young woman of great accomplishments, the daughter of one Doctor Davis, who was however not ready to comply, they refolved to endeavour a re-union. He went fometimes to the house of one Blackborough, his relation, in the lane of St. Martin's le-Grand, and at one of his usual vifits was furprised to fee his wife come from another room, and implore forgiveness on her knees. He refifted her intreaties for a while: "but partly," fays Philips, "his own generous nature, more inclinable

to reconciliation than to perfeverance in anger or "revenge, and partly the ftrong interceffion of friends "on both fides, foon brought him to an act of ob"livion and a firm league of peace." It were injurious to omit, that Milton afterwards received her father and her brothers in his own houfe, when they were diftreffed, with other Royalifts.

He published about the fame time his Areopagitica, a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of unlicenfed Printing. The danger of fuch unbounded liberty, and the danger of bounding it, have produced a problem in the fcience of government, which human understanding feems hitherto unable to folve. If nothing may be published but what civil authority fhall have previously approved, power must always be the standard of truth: if every dreamer of innovations may propagate his projects, there can be no fettlement; if every murmurer at government

may