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 should 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.

These 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 conscious nefs 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 ministerial 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 poli tical employment ?

Milton however made the experiment which happily Dr. Johnfon has not; and that too after the Reftoration; and refifted the temptations of court-favour, and the folicitations of his wife to accept of it, with a magnanimity which would do him honour with any man but the author of the new narrative..

Milton's reafon for rejecting this offer was, that "his wifh was to live and die ❝an honeft man." But, fays the Doctor, "If he confidered the Latin Secre

tary as exercifing any of the powers of "government, he that had fhared au"thority, either with the parliament or "Cromwell, might have förborn to talk very loudly of his honefty," p. 91..

The

The venom of this remark happens to 'be too weak to do any mischief. Cafuifts of all fects and complexions have done juftice to the honefty of men who adhered to their principles and perfuafions, though they might judge wrong in the choice of them.

He goes on, "And if he thought the "office minifterial only, he certainly "might have honestly retained it under "the King." Not quite fo certainly. But Milton's and Dr. Johnfon's notions of honesty are fo widely different, that we cannot admit the Doctor to estimate Milton's honefty by his own scale. In the end, however, he queftions the fact.

"But this tale has too little evidence "to deserve a difquifition: large offers "and

and fturdy rejections are among the

moft common topicks of falsehood." That is, in plain unaffected English, "No man could ever reject a large of"fer, though on conditions ever fo re

66

pugnant to his profeffed principles." But the Doctor is but an individual, and his experience from his own particular cafe will not be admitted as the ftandard of other men's integrity; and yet this is the only reafon he gives for rejecting this anecdote, fo honourable to Milton.

Milton's attachment to Cromwell was evidently founded on different confiderations. The narrowness of the Presbyterians in their notions of Liberty, and particularly of religious liberty, had appeared upon many occafions. He more

than