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THE

LIF

I FE

OF

Mr. JOHN MILTON.

ROM a family, and town of his name in Oxfordshire, our Author deriv'd his defcent; but He was

born at London in the Year 1608.

The Publisher of his Works in Profe (on whofe veracity fome part of this narrative muft entirely depend) dates his birth two years earlier than this: but contradicting himself afterwards in his own computation, I reduce it to the time that Monfieur Bayle hath af fign'd; and for the fame Reafon which prevail'd with him to affign it. His father, John Milton, by profeffion a fcrivener, liv'd in a reputable manner on a competent estate,

entirely his own acquifition; having been early difinherited by his parents for renouncing the communion of the Church of Rome, to which they were zealously devoted. By his wife Sarah Cafton he had likewise one daughter, nam'd Anna; and another fon, Chriftopher, whom he train'd to the practice of the Common Law; who in the Great Rebellion adher'd to the royal cause: and in the reign of King James II. by too easy a compliance with the doctrines of the Court, both religious and civil, he attain'd to the dignity of being made a Judge of the Common Pleas; of which he dy'd devested not long after the Revolution.

But JOHN, the fubject of the prefent effay, was the favorite of his father's hopes; who, to cultivate the great genius which early difplay'd itself, was at the expenfe of a domeftic Tutor: whofe care and capacity his Pupil hath gratefully celebrated in an excellent Latin Elegy; the fourth in the prefent collection. At his initiation He is faid to have apply'd himself to Letters with fuch indefatigable induftry, that he rarely was prevail'd with to quit his ftudies before midnight which not only made him frequently fubject to fevere pains in his head; but like

An Etat. 12.

wife occafion'd that weakness in his eyes, which terminated in a total privation of fight. From a domestic education He was remov'd to St. Paul's School, to complete his acquaintance with the Claffics under the care of Dr. Gill: and after a fhort stay there, was tranfplanted to Chrift's College

in Cambridge, where He diftin- An. Ætat. 15. guifh'd himself in all kinds of

Academical Exercifes. Of this Society He continued a Member 'till He commenc'd Mafter of Arts: and then leaving the Univerfity, He return'd to his father; who had quitted the town, and liv'd

at Horton in Buckinghamshire; An. Ætat. 23. where He purfu'd his ftudies

with unparallel'd affiduity and fuccefs.

After fome years spent in this ftudious retirement, his mother dy'd: and then he prevail'd with his father to gratify an inclination He had long entertain'd of feeing foreign countries. Sir Henry Wotton, at that time Provoft of Eaton College, gave

him a letter of advice for the An. Etat. 30. direction of his travels: but by

not observing

*

an excellent Maxim in it,

He incur'd great danger by difputing against

I penfieri fretti, ed il vifo fcielto.

the superstition of the Church of Rome, with-
in the verge of the Vatican. Having em-
ploy'd his curiofity about + two years in
France and Italy, on the news of a civil war
breaking out in England, He return'd; with-
out taking a furvey of Greece and Sicily, as
at his fetting out the scheme was projected.
At Paris the Lord Viscount Scudamore, Am-
baffador from King Charles I. at the Court
of France, introduc'd him to the acquain-
tance of Grotius; who at that time was ho-
nor'd with the fame character there by
Chriftina Queen of Sweden. In Rome, Ge-
noa, Florence, and other cities of Italy, He
contracted a familiarity with those who were
of higheft reputation for wit and learning:
feveral of whom gave him very obliging
teftimonies of their friendship, and efteem,
which are printed before his Latin Poems.
The firft of them was written by Manfo
Marquis of Villa, a great patron of Tao,
by whom he is celebrated in his * Poem on
Et jam bis viridi furgebat culmus ariftâ,
Et totidem flavas numerabant horrea messes,
Nec dum aderat Thyrfis: paftorem fcilicet illum
Dulcis amor Mufe Thufcâ retinebat in urbe.
Epitaph. Dam

Defenfio Secunda. Pag. 96. Fol.
Fra Cavalier' magnanimi, e cortefi,
Refplende il Manfo. ---- Lib. 20.

111

the Conquest of Jerufalem. It is highly probable that to his converfation with this noble Neapolitan we owe the first design which MILTON conceiv'd of writing an Epic Poem and it appears by fome Latin verses addrefs'd to the Marquis with the title of Manfus, that He intended to fix on King Arthur for his heroe: but Arthur was referv'd to another destiny!

Returning from his travels An. Ætat. 32. He found England on the point

of being involv'd in blood and confufion. It feems wonderful that one of fo warm, and daring a spirit, as his certainly was, shou'd be reftrain'd from the camp in those unnatural commotions. I fuppofe we may impute it wholly to the great deference He paid to paternal authority, that He retired to lodg ings provided for him in the city: which being commodious for the reception of his fifter's fons, and fome other young Gentlemen, He undertook their education: and is faid to have form'd them on the fame plan which He afterwards publifh'd, in a fhort tractate inscrib'd to his friend Mr. Hartlib.

In this philofophical courfe He continued without a wife to the year 1643; when He marry'd Mary the Daughter of Richard Powell of Foreft-bill .Etat, 351

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