imputing it to the King; whom he charges, in his Iconoclastes1, with the use of this prayer as with a heavy crime, in the indecent language with which prosperity had emboldened the advocates for rebellion to insult all that is venerable or great: 'Who would have imagined so little fear in him of the true all-seeing Deity immediately before his death, to pop into the hands of the [that] grave bishop that [who] attended him, as [for] a special relique of his saintly exercises, a prayer stolen word for word from the mouth of a heathen woman praying to a heathen god *?'

...

as,

The papers which the King gave to Dr. Juxon on the scaffold 65 the regicides took away, so that they were at least the publishers of this prayer; and Dr. Birch, who had examined the question with great care3, was inclined to think them the forgers. The use of it by adaptation was innocent; and they who could so noisily censure it, with a little extension of their malice could contrive what they wanted to accuse 4.

King Charles the Second, being now sheltered in Holland, 66 employed Salmasius, professor of Polite Learning at Leyden, to write a defence of his father and of monarchy; and, to excite his industry, gave him, as was reported, a hundred Jacobuses 5. Salmasius was a man of skill in languages, knowledge of antiquity, and sagacity of emendatory criticism, almost exceeding all hope of human attainment; and having by excessive praises

* 'Huic respondere iussus, Iconi Iconoclasten opposui, non "regiis manibus insultans," ut insimulor, sed reginam veritatem regi Carolo anteponendam arbitratus.' Works, v. 235. He entitled his book Iconoclastes, the surname of the Greek emperors who broke the images in the churches, as it was an answer to Εἰκὼν βασιλική, that is to say The King's Image. Ib. ii. 395.

The emperors were Leo the Isaurian (A.D. 726) and his successors to A.D. 840. Gibbon's Decline and Fall, v. 251.

Iconoclastes was published in Oct. 1649; a second edition in 1650, and a French translation in 1652. Masson's Milton, iv. 95, 246, 448.

2

Works, ii. 408.

3 In the Appendix to the Life of Milton in Milton's Works, 1738. In the edition of 1753, Preface, p. 33,

Birch disbelieves in the forgery.

* The original prayer is in Book iii of the Arcadia. The two prayers are printed in parallel columns in Masson's Milton, iv. 139. 'The prayer is not in the Eikon Basilike proper, but is one of a few that were appended to some of the earlier and more expensive editions.' Ib. The slander that it was interpolated by Milton was started early, and soon formed part of 'that strange stream of Restoration tradition, which seems to have choked all high honour out of the English literary conscience for some generations.' Ib. iv. 249. See also Newton's Milton, Preface, p. 30.

5 Milton describes the Defensio as 'centenis Iacobis empta, ingenti pretio ab egentissimo rege.' Works, v. 40. A Jacobus was a twentyshilling piece. See also post, ADDISON, 83.

been confirmed in great confidence of himself, though he probably had not much considered the principles of society or the rights of government, undertook the employment without distrust of his own qualifications; and, as his expedition in writing was wonderful, in 1649 published Defensio Regis2.

67 To this Milton was required to write a sufficient answer 3, which he performed (1651) in such a manner that Hobbes declared himself unable to decide whose language was best, or whose arguments were worst. In my opinion, Milton's periods are smoother, neater, and more pointed; but he delights himself with teasing his adversary as much as with confuting him. He makes a foolish allusion of Salmasius, whose doctrine he considers as servile and unmanly, to the stream of Salmacis, which whoever entered left half his virility behind him. Salmasius was a Frenchman, and was unhappily married to a scold 2. 'Tu es Gallus,' says Milton, 'et, ut aiunt, nimium gallinaceus 3. But his supreme pleasure is to tax his adversary, so renowned for criticism, with vitious Latin. He opens his book with telling that he has used Persona, which, according to Milton, signifies only a Mask, in a sense not known to the Romans, by applying it as we apply Person. But as Nemesis is always on the watch, it is memorable that he has enforced the charge of a solecism by an expression in itself grossly solecistical 5, when, for one of those supposed blunders, he says, as Ker, and I think some one before him, has remarked, 'propino te grammatistis tuis vapulandum! From vapulo, which has a passive sense, vapulandus can never be derived. No man forgets his original trade: the rights of nations and of kings sink into questions of grammar, if grammarians discuss them".

nation, speaking for itself.' Letters, i. 191.

See Masson's Milton, iv. 263, for Milton's 'Latin Billingsgate.'

Atterbury (Corres. iii. 452) said of Sir Thomas More's answer to Luther that 'the author had the best knack of any man in Europe at calling bad names in good Latin.'

I

285.

Works, v. 42; Ovid's Metam.iv.

The fashion of aspersing the birth and condition of an adversary seems to have lasted from the time of the Greek orators to the learned grammarians of the last age.' GIBBON, Decline and Fall, i. 139 n.

* 'Parmi tout le bruit que lui faisaient sa femme, ses enfans et ses domestiques, il ne laissait pas de composer dans un coin de sa chambre, aussi tranquillement que s'il eût été seul dans son cabinet.' Ménagiana, v. 386. See also ib. p. 408.

3 Works, v. 118.

* Ib. v. 41.

stis poenas dabis; quibus ego te deridendum et vapulandum propino.' Works, v. 41.

'Pinguis soloecismus Miltono excidit, ubi Salmasium ob soloecismum exagitavit. Eum notavit Vavassor, De Epig. 22, 302 [De Epigrammate Liber, by Francis Vavasseur, 1678, p. 301].' Selectarum de Lingua Latina Observationum Libri Duo. John Ker. 1708-9, vol. ii, under Vapulandum.

'Milton, in his fifth Elegy, wrote in the first edition, 1645, "quotannis," with the last syllable short. For this Salmasius did not spare him. In the second edition of 1673 the line (30) was altered by the substitution of "perennis," as it now stands.' BISHOP WORDSWORTH, Classical Review, i. 47. ''So some polemics use to draw

their swords

Against the language only and the
words:

As he who fought at barriers with
Salmasius

Engaged with nothing but the style
and phrases;

68 Milton when he undertook this answer was weak of body and dim of sight; but his will was forward, and what was wanting of health was supplied by zeal2. He was rewarded with a thousand pounds3, and his book was much read; for paradox, recommended by spirit and elegance, easily gains attention: and he who told every man that he was equal to his King could hardly want an audience.

69 That the performance of Salmasius was not dispersed with equal rapidity or read with equal eagerness, is very credible. He taught only the stale doctrine of authority and the unpleasing duty of submission; and he had been so long not only the monarch but the tyrant of literature that almost all mankind were delighted to find him defied and insulted by a new name, not yet considered as any one's rival. If Christina 5, as is said, commended the Defence of the people, her purpose must be to torment Salmasius, who was then at her Court6; for neither her civil station nor her natural character could dispose her to favour the doctrine, who was by birth a queen and by temper despotick".

And counted breaking Priscian's
head a thing

More capital than to behead a King.'
BUTLER, Genuine Remains, 1759, i.

220.

I

In 1654 Milton wrote that his sight began to fail about ten years earlier, and that the left eye became useless some years before the right. Works, vi. 128. By the spring of 1652 he was blind. Masson's Milton, iv. 427.

2 See Works, v. 215, for the fine passage in which he says that, though he was warned that to persist in his 'noble task' would make him blind, he went on; and Sonnets, No. xxii; also Morley's Crit. Misc. iii. 160; post, MILTON, 159 n.; GRAY, 39.

3 Toland (p. 102) is the authority for this. Milton describes himself as 'nulla ambitione, lucro, aut gloria ductus.' Works, v. 215. See also ib. vii. 336.

In the Council Order Book a scored-out entry of June 18, 1651, shows that the Council voted its thanks and a reward to Milton. In the substituted entry the reward is omitted, but the thanks are enlarged.

Milton, no doubt, refused to accept the money. Masson's Milton, iv. 321. See post, MILTON, 162.

4

Of which all Europe rings from side to side.' Sonnets, No. xxii. On May 18 Heinsius wrote from Leyden :-'We have seen already four editions of the book, besides the English one; moreover a fifth edition, as Elzevir tells me, is being hurried through the press at the Hague. I see also a Dutch translation hawked about.' Masson's Milton, iv. 318. For its widespread reputation, see ib. iv. 637 and Works, v. 200.

5 Queen of Sweden, daughter of Gustavus Adolphus. She gathered scholars from all parts to her Court. Masson's Milton, iv. 268.

6 Isaac Vossius wrote from Stockholm that 'in the presence of many she spoke highly of the genius of the man [Milton], and his manner of writing.' 1b. iv. 317.

' Milton, addressing her, wrote:'Quod enim erat in tyrannos dictum, negabas id ad te ullo modo pertinere.' Works, v. 225; vi. 395; Masson's Milton, iv. 345.

The lines Ad Christinam, &c., inThat Salmasius was, from the appearance of Milton's book, 70

treated with neglect, there is not much proof; but to a man so long accustomed to admiration, a little praise of his antagonist would be sufficiently offensive, and might incline him to leave Sweden; from which, however, he was dismissed, not with any mark of contempt, but with a train of attendance scarce less than regal 2.

He prepared a reply, which, left as it was imperfect, was 71 published by his son in the year of the Restauration 3. In the beginning, being probably most in pain for his Latinity, he endeavours to defend his use of the word persona; but, if I remember right, he misses a better authority than any that he has found, that of Juvenal in his fourth satire ;

'-Quid agis [agas] cum dira & fœdior omni
Crimine Persona est'?'

As Salmasius reproached Milton with losing his eyes in the 72 quarrel, Milton delighted himself with the belief that he had shortened Salmasius's life; and both perhaps with more malignity than reason. Salmasius died at the Spa, Sept. 3, 16535; and, as controvertists are commonly said to be killed by their last dispute, Milton was flattered with the credit of destroying him 6.

Cromwell had now dismissed the parliament by the authority 73 of which he had destroyed monarchy, and commenced monarch himself under the title of protector, but with kingly and more

See also Toland's Life of Milton, p. 104. For his treatment in Sweden see Masson's Milton, iv. 344.

3 Ib. vi. 203.

* JUVENAL, Sat. iv. 14. Salmasius does not quote Juvenal. See his Ad loannem Miltonum Responsio, 1660, p. 31.

5 Masson's Milton, iv. 539. ''Non enim, ut ille mihi caecitatem, sic ego illi mortem vitio vertam. Quanquam sunt qui nos etiam necis eius reos faciunt, illosque nostros nimis acriter strictos aculeos.' Works, v. 202; vi. 367; Masson's Milton, iv. 585.

'If any one thinks that classical studies of themselves cultivate the taste and the sentiments, let him look into Salmasius's Responsio.' Pattison's Milton, p. 108.