In this fecond Defence he fhews that his eloquence is not merely fatirical; the rudeness of his invective is equalled by the grofinefs of his flattery. "Deferimur, "Cromuelle, tu folis fuperes, ad te fumma noftrarum "rerum rediit, in te folo confiftit, infuperabili tuæ "virtuti cedimus cuncti, nemine vel obloquente, nifi "qui æquales inæqualis ipfe honores fibi quærit, aut 66 digniori conceffos invidet, aut non intelligit nihil "effe in focietate hominum magis vel Deo gratum, *vel rationi confentaneum, effe in civitate nihil æquius, utilius, quam potiri rerum digniffimum. Eum te agnofcunt omnes, Cromuelle, ea tu civis maximus "et gloriofiffimus, dux publici confilii, exercitum "fortiffimorum imperator, pater patriæ geffifti. Sic "tu fpontanea bonorum omnium et animitus miffa Voce falutaris."

*

Cæfar, when he affumed the perpetual dictatorship, had not more fervile or more elegant flattery. A tranflation may fhew its fervility; but its elegance is lefs attainable. Having expofed the unfkilfulness or selfifhnefs of the former government, "We were left," fays Milton, "to ourfelves: "the whole national in"tereft fell into your hands. and fubfifts only in your "abilities. To your virtue, overpowering and refift

66

lefs, every man gives way, except fome who, without "equal qualifications, afpire to equal honours, who envy the diftinctions of inerit greater than their own, 66 or who have yet to learn, that in the coalition of "human fociety nothing is more pleafing to God, or "more agreeable to reafon, than that the highest mind

* It may be doubted whether gloriofiffimus be here ufed with Milton's boafted purity. Res gloriofa is an illuftrious thing ; but vir glaRifus is commonly a braggart, as in miles gloriofus. Orig. Edit. 6

"should

66

"Thould have the fovereign power. Such, Sir, are you by general confeffion; fuch are the things at"chieved by you, the greatest and most glorious of our countrymen, the director of our publick councils, "the leader of unconquered armies, the father of your country; for by that title does every good man "hail you, with fincere and voluntary praise.”

Next year, having defended all that wanted defence, he found leisure to defend himself. He undertook his own vindication against More, whom he declares in his title to be justly called the author of the Regii Sanguinis clamor. In this there is no want of vehemence or eloquence, nor does he forget his wonted wit. "Morús es? an Momus? an uterque idem eft ?" He then remembers that Morus is Latin for a Mulberrytree, and hints at the known transformation:

-Poma alba ferebat

Quæ poft nigra tulit Morus,

With this piece ended his controverfies: and he from this time gave himself up to his private ftudies and his civil employment.

As fecretary to the Protector he is supposed to have written the Declaration of the reafons for a war with Spain. His agency was confidered as of great importance; for when a treaty with Sweden was artfully fufpended, the delay was publickly imputed to Mr. Milton's indifpofition; and the Swedish agent was provoked to exprefs his wonder, that only one man in England could write Latin, and that man blind.

Being now forty-feven years old, and fecing himfelf difencumbered from external interruptions, the feems to have recollected his former purposes, and to have refumed three great works which he had planned

for

for his future employment: an epick poem, the hif tory of his country, and a dictionary of the Latin C tongue.

To collect a dictionary, feems a work of all others leaft practicable in a state of blindness, because it depends upon perpetual and minute infpection and collation. Nor would Milton probably have begun it, after he had loft his eyes; but, having had it always before him, he continued it, fays Philips, almost to his dying-day; but the papers were fo difcompofed and deficient, that they could not be fitted for the prefs. The compilers of the Latin dictionary, printed at Cambridge, had the use of thofe collections in three folios; but what was their fate afterwards is not known *.

To compile a history from various authors, when they can only be confulted by other eyes, is not easy, nor poffible, but with more skilful and attentive help than can be commonly obtained; and it was probably the difficulty of confulting and comparing that stopped Milton's narrative at the Conqueft; a period at which

* The Cambridge Dictionary, published in 4to. 1693, is no other than a copy, with some small additions, of that of Dr. Adam Littleton in 1685, by fundry perfons, of whom, though their names are concealed, there is great reafon to conjecture that Milton's nephew, Edward Philips, is one; for it is exprefsly faid by Wood, Fafti, vol. I. p. 266, that Milton's "Thefaurus" came to his hands, and it is afferted in the preface thereto, that the editors thereof had the use of three large folios in manufcript, collected and digefted into alphabetical order by Mr. John Milton.

It has been remarked, that the additions, together with the preface abovementioned, and a large part of the title of the "Cambridge Dictionary," have been incorporated and printed with the fubfequent editions of "Littleton's Dictionary," till that of 1735. Vid. Biogt. Brit. 2985 in not. So that for aught that appears to the contrary, Philips was the laft poffeffor of Milton's MS.

Ι

affairs

affairs were not yet very intricate, nor authors very nu

'merous.

For the fubject of his epick poem, after much de- X liberation, long chufing, and beginning late, he fixed upon Paradife Loft; a design fo comprehenfive, that it could be justified only by fuccefs. He had once defigned to celebrate King Arthur, as he hints in his verfes to Manfus; but Arthur was referved, fays Fenton, to another deftiny *.

It appears, by fome sketches of poetical projects left in manufcript, and to be seen in a library at Cambridge, that he had digested his thoughts on this fubject into one of those wild dramas which were anciently called Myfteries; and Philips had feen what he terms part of a tragedy, beginning with the firft ten lines of Satan's addrefs to the Sun. Thefe myfteries confift of allegorical perfons; fuch as Juftice, Mercy, Faith. Of

the tragedy or myftery of Paradife Loft there are two plans:

* i. e. to be the subject of an heroic poem, written by Sir Richard Blackmore.

Mofes, pohoyil, recounting how he affumed his true body; that it corrupts not, because it is with God in the mount; declares the like with Enoch and Elijah; befides the purity of the place, that certain pure winds, dews, and clouds, preferve it from corruption; whence exhorts to the fight of God; tells, they cannot fee Adam in the state of innocence, by reafon of their fin.

Juftice,

Mercy,
Wisdom,

}

debating what fhould become of man, if he fall.

Chorus of Angels finging a hymn of the Creation.

Heavenly Love.

ACT II.

Evening Star.

Chorus fing the marriage-fong, and describe Paradise.

ACT III.

Lucifer contriving Adam's ruin.

Chorus fears for Adam, and relates Lucifer's rebellion

and-fall.

ACT