ment, and Affembly of Divines, was excluded; of which the author gave a copy to the Earl of Anglefea, and which, being afterwards published, has been fince inferted in its proper place.

The fame year were printed Paradife Regained; and Sampson Agonistes, a tragedy written in imitation of the Ancients, and never defigned by the author for the stage. As thefe poems were published by another bookfeller, it has been afked, whether Simmons was difcouraged from receiving them by the flow fale of the former. Why a writer changed his bookfeller a hundred years ago, I am far from hoping to difcover. Certainly, he who in two years fells thirteen hundred copies of a volume in quarto, bought for two payments of five pounds each, has no reafon to repent his purchase.

When Miton fhewed Paradife Regained to Elwood, "This," faid he, " is owing to you; for you "put it in my head by the question you put to me "at Chalfont, which otherwife I had not (thought " of."

His laft poetical offspring was his favourite. He could not, as Elwood relates, endure to hear Paradife Loft preferred to Paradife Regained. Many caufes may vitiate a writer's judgement of his own works. On that which has coft him much labour he fets a high value, because he is unwilling to think that he has been diligent in vain; what has been produced without toilfome efforts is confidered with delight, as a proof of vigorous faculties and fertile invention;. and the laft work, whatever it be, has neceffarily moft of the grace of novelty. Milton, however it

hap

happened, had this prejudice, and had it to himfelf.

To that multiplicity of attainments, and extent of comprehenfion, that entitled this great author to our veneration, may be added a kind of humble dignity, which did not difdain the meaneft fervices to literature. The epic poet, the controvertist, the politician, having already defcended to accommodate children with a book of rudiments, now, in the laft years of his life, compofed a book of Logick for the initiation of ftudents in philofophy; and published (1672) Artis Logica plenior Inftitutio ad Petri Rami Methodum concinnata; that is, "A new Scheme of Logick, according to the Method of Ramus." I know not whether, even in this book, he did not intend an act of hoftility against the Universities; for Ramus was one of the first oppugners of the old philofophy, who disturbed with innovations the quiet of the schools.

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His polemical difpofition again revived. He had now been safe so long, that he forgot his fears, and published a Treatife of true Religion, Herefy, Schifm, Toleration, and the best Means to prevent the Growth of Popery.

But this little tract is modeftly written, with respectful mention of the Church of England, and an appeal to the Thirty-nine Articles. His principle of toleration is, agreement in the fufficiency of the Scriptures; and he extends it to all who, whatever their opinions are, profefs to derive them from the facred books. The Papifts appeal to other teftimonies, and are therefore, in his opinion, not to be permitted the liberty of either publick or private wor

fhip; for though they plead confcience, we have no wa rant, he fays, to regard confcience, which is not grounded in Scripture.

Those who are not convinced by his reafons, may be perhaps delighted with his wit. The term Roman Carbonck is, he fays, one of the Pope's bulls ; it is particular univerfal, or ca bolic fchifmatick.

He has, however, fomething better. As the best prefervative against Popery, he recommends the diligent perufal of the Scriptures, a duty, from which he warns the bufy part of mankind not to think themfelves excufed.

He now reprinted his juvenile poems, with fome additions.

In the last year of his life he fent to the prefs, feeming to take delight in publication, a collection of Familiar Epiftles in Latin; to which, being too few to make a volume, he added fome academical exercifes, which perhaps he perufed with pleasure, as they recalled to his memory the days of youth, but for which nothing but veneration for his name could now procure a reader.

When he had attained his fixty-fixth year, the gout, with which he had been long tormented, prevailed over the enfeebled powers of nature. He died by a quiet and filent expiration, about the tenth of November, 1674, at his houfe in Bunhill-fields; and was buried next his father in the chancel of St. Giles at Cripplegate. His funeral was very fplendidly and numerously attended.

Upon his grave there is fuppofed to have been no memorial; but in our time a monument has been erected in Westminster-Abbey To the Author of Para

dife Loft, by Mr. Benfon, who has in the infcription bestowed more words upon himself than upon Milton.

When the infcription for the monument of Philips, in which he was faid to be foli Miltono fecundus, was exhibited to Dr. Sprat, then dean of Weftminfter, he refufed to admit it; the name of Milton was, in his opinion, too deteftable to be read on the wall of a building dedicated to devotion. Atterbury, who fucceeded him, being author of the infcription, permitted its reception. "And fuch has been the

change of publick opinion," faid Dr. Gregory, from whom I heard this account," that I have feen " erected in the church a ftatue of that man, whose "name I once knew confidered as a pollution of its "walls."

Milton has the reputation of having been in his youth eminently beautiful, fo as to have been called the Lady of his college. His hair, which was of a light brown, parted at the fore-top, and hung down upon his fhoulders, according to the picture which he has given of Adam. He was, however, not of the heroick ftature, but rather below the middle fize, according to Mr. Richardfon, who mentions him as having narrowly efcaped from being fhort and thick. He was vigorous and active, and delighted in the exercife of the fword, in which he is related to have been eminently skilful. His weapon was, I believe, not the rapier, but the back-fword, of which he recommends the ufe in his book on Education.

His eyes are faid never to have been bright; but, if he was a dexterous fencer, they must have been once quick.

His domeftick habits, fo far as they are known, were thofe of a fevere ftudent. He drank little ftrong drink of any kind, and fed without excess in quantity, and in his earlier years without delicacy of choice. In his youth he ftudied late at night; but afterwards changed his hours, and refted in bed from nine to four in the fummer, and five in the winter. The course of his day was best known after he was blind. When he first rofe, he heard a chapter in the Hebrew Bible, and then ftudied till twelve; then took fome exercise for an hour; then dined, then played on the organ, and fang, or heard another fing, then studied to fix; then entertained his vifitors till eight; then fupped, and, after a pipe of tobacco and a glass of water, went to bed.

So is his life defcribed: but this even tenour appears attainable only in colleges. He that lives in the world will fometimes have the fucceffion of his practice broken and confufed. Vifitors, of whom Milton is reprefented to have had great numbers, will come and stay unfeasonably; bufinefs, of which every man has fome, must be done when others will do it.

When he did not care to rife early, he had fomething read to him by his bedfide; perhaps at this time his daughters were employed. He compofed much in the morning, and dictated in the day, fitting obliquely in an elbow-chair, with his leg thrown over the arm.

Fortune appears not to have had much of his care. In the civil wars he lent his perfonal eftate to the Parliament; but when, after the conteft was decided, he folicited repayment, he met not only with neglect,

but