there are hours, he knows not why, when his hand is out. By Mr. Richardfon's relation, cafually conveyed, much regard cannot be claimed. That, in his intellectual hour, Milton called for his daughter to fecure what came, may be queftioued; for unluckily it happens to be known that his daughters were never taught to write; nor would he have been obliged, as is univerfally confeffed, to have employed any cafual vifitor in difburthening his memory, if his daughter could have performed the office.

The story of reducing his exuberance has been told of other authors, and, though doubtlefs true of every fertile and copious mind, feems to have been gratuitoufly transferred to Milton.

What he has told us, and we cannot now know more, is, that he compofed much of his poem in the night and morning, I fuppofe before his mind was difturbed with common bufinefs; and that he poured out with great fluency his unpremeditated verfe. Verfification, free, like his, from the diftreffes of rhyme, muft, by a work fo long, be made prompt

prompt and habitual; and, when his thoughts were once adjufted, the words would come at his command.

At what particular times of his life the parts of his work were written, cannot often be known. The beginning of the third book shews that he had lost his fight; and the Introduction to the feventh, that the return of the King had clouded him with discountenance; and that he was offended by the licentious feftivity of the Restoration. There are no other internal notes of time. Milton, being now cleared from all effects of his disloyalty, had nothing required from him but the common duty of living in quiet, to be rewarded with the common right of protection; but this, which, when he fculked from the approach of his King, was perhaps more than he hoped, feems not to have satisfied him; for no fooner is he fafe, than he finds himself in danger, fallen on evil days and evil tongues, and with darkness and with danger compass'd round. This darkness, had his eyes been better employed, had undoubtedly deferved compaffion: but to add the mention. of danger was ungrateful and unjust. He

was fallen indeed on evil days; the time was come in which regicides could no longer boaft their wickedness. But of evil tongues for Milton to complain, required impudence at least equal to his other powers; Milton, whose warmest advocates muft allow, that he never fpared any afperity of reproach or brutality of infolence.

But the charge itfelf feems to be falfe; for it would be hard to recollect any reproach caft upon him, either ferious or ludicrous, through the whole remaining part of his life. He purfued his ftudies or his amufements, without perfecution, moleftation, or infult. Such is the reverence paid to great abilities, however mifufed: they who contemplated in Milton the scholar and the wit, were contented to forget the reviler of his King.

When the plague (1665) raged in London, Milton took refuge at Chalfont in Bucks; where Elwood, who had taken the house for him, firft faw a complete copy of Paradife Loft, and, having perufed it, faid to him,

Thou haft faid a great deal upon Paradife

"Loft

Loft; what haft thou to fay upon Paradife

· Found?"

Next year, when the danger of infection had ceafed, he returned to Bunhill-fields, and defigned the publication of his poem. A li. cence was neceffary, and he could expect no great kindness from a chaplain of the archbishop of Canterbury. He feems, however, to have been treated with tenderness; for though objections were made to particular paffages, and among them to the fimile of the fun eclipfed in the first book, yet the licence was granted; and he fold his copy, April 27, 1667, to Samuel Simmons, for an immediate payment of five pounds, with a ftipulation to receive five pounds more when thirteen hundred fhould be fold of the first edition and again, five pounds after the fale of the fame number of the fecond edition

:

and another five pounds after the fame fale of the third. None of the three editions were to be extended beyond fifteen hundred copies.

The first edition was ten books, in a small quarto. The titles were varied from year to year; and an advertisement and the argu

ments of the books were omitted in fome copies, and inferted in others.

The fale gave him in two years a right to his fecond payment, for which the receipt was figned April 26, 1669. The fecond edition was not given till 1674; it was printed in fmall octavo; and the number of books was increased to twelve, by a divifion of the feventh and twelfth; and fome other small improvements were made. The third edition was published in 1678; and the widow, to whom the copy was then to devolve, fold all her claims to Simmons for eight pounds, according to her receipt given Dec. 21, 1680. Simmons had already agreed to transfer the whole right to Brabazon Aylmer for twentyfive pounds; and Aylmer fold to Jacob Tonfon half, Auguft 17, 1683, half, March 24, 1690, at a price confiderably enlarged. In the hiftory of Paradife Loft a deduction thus minute will rather gratify than fatigue.

The flow fale and tardy reputation of this poem have been always mentioned as evidences of neglected merit, and of the uncertainty of literary fame; and enquiries have been made,

and