"their country, fhall receive (above the inferior "orders of the bleffed) the regal addition of prin cipalities, legions, and thrones into their glori"ous titles; and in fupereminence of beatific vi"fion, progreffing the datelefs and irrevoluble "circle of eternity, fhall clap infeparable hands "with joy and blifs in overmeasure for ever. But "they on the contrary, that by the impairing and "diminution of the true faith, by the diftreffes "and fervitude of their country, afpire to high "dignity, rule, and promotion here, after a fhame"ful end in this life (which God grant them) fhall "be thrown down eternally into the darkeft and "deepest gulf of hell where, under the defpite"ful control, the trample, and fpurn of all the "other damn'd, that in the anguish of their torture "fhall have no other eafe than to exercise a raving "and beftial tyranny over them as their flaves and negros, they fhall remain in that plight for ever, "the bafeft, the lowermoft, the most dejected, "most underfoot, and downtrodden vaffals of "perdition." I fhall end my account of this divine poem * with a copy of Latin verses made upon it by SAMUEL BARROW, a doctor of phyfic. Qui Bishop Atterbury's high efteem of our author is evident from his letter to Mr. Pope, dated at Bromley, Nov. 8th, 1717. "I return you (fays he) your Milton, which, upon collation, I "find to be revifed and augmented in feveral places, as the title" page of my third edition pretends it to be. When I fee you "next I will fhew you the feveral paffages altered and added by "the author, befide what you mentioned to me. I protest to you, "this laft perufal of him has given me fuch new degrees, I will not fay of pleasure, but of admiration and astonishment, that "I look upon the fublimity of Homer, and the majesty of Virgil, Qui legis amiffam Paradifum, grandia magni with fomewhat lefs reverence, than I used to do. I challenge you, with all your partiality, to fhew me, in the first of thele, any thing equal to the allegory of Sin and Death, either "as to the greatnefs and juftnefs of the invention, or the height and beauty of the colouring. What I looked upon as a rant "of Barrow's, I now begin to think a serious truth, and could "almost venture to fet my hand to it; " Hæc quicunque legit, tantum cecinisse putabit "But more of this when we meet." Birch's Life of Milton, p. lxii. But the concurrent applaufes of all perfons of true tafte did not fecure this admirable poem from an unexampled attempt to blast the reputation of it upon the pretence of its being formed from the plagiarism of various modern authors, most of them unknown to the prefent age. This affertion was first started in London, in the beginning of May 1746, by Mr. William Lauder, a Scotfman, known fome years before by an edition of Dr. Arthur Johnston's Latin verfion of the Pfalms. It was afterwards made more public in the "Gentleman's Magazine," and at last maintained with great zeal and proteftations of fincerity, in an "Effay on Milton's ufe and imitation of the moderns," printed at London in 1750. in 8vo. But the world was foon fatisfied by a learned countryman of his, the reverend Mr. Douglas, rector of EtonConftantine in Shropshire, in his pamphlet, intitled, "Milton "vindicated;" that this high charge of plagiarism, brought against our poet, was grounded only upon the forgeries and falfifications of the accufer, who had interpolated those authors, from whom he pretended that Milton had borrowed, and inserted in them paffages which he had himself taken from Hog's tranflation of " Paradife Loft," and the detection of the Imposture was fo far from being attended with a proper fenfe of guilt to the author, that he fet his invention again to work for various and inconfiftent reafons to juftify it. Dr. Birch's Life of Milton, p. lxvii, lxviii. Intima panduntur magni penetralia mundi, At fimul in cælis Meffiæ infignia fulgent, Et currus animes, armaque digna Deo, Et flamme vibrant, & vera tonitrua rauco Excidit attonitis mens omnis, & impetus omnis, Ad Ad pœnas fugiunt, &, ceu foret Orcus afylum, Et quot recens fama, vel celebravit anus. In the year 1670 he publish'd his Paradise Regain'd, confifting of four books; but generally esteem'd much inferior to Paradife Loft, which he could not endure to hear, being quite of another mind yet this occafion'd fome body to say wittily enough that MILTON might be seen in Paradife Loft, but not in Paradife Regain'd*. With this laft book he publisht his Samson Agonistes, an admirable tragedy, not a ridiculous mixture of gravity and farce according to most of the modern, but after the example of the yet unequal'd antients, as they are justly cald, ESCHYLUS, SOPHOCLES, and EURIPIDES. It is commonly reported, that Milton himself preferred this poem to Paradife loft: But all that we can affert upon good authority is, that he could not indure to hear this poem cried down fo much as it was, in comparison with the other. For certainly it is very worthy of the author, and contrary to what Mr. Toland relates, Milton may be seen in Paradife regained as well as in Paradife loft. If it is inferior in poetry, I know not whether it is not fuperior in fentiment; if it is lefs defcriptive, it is more argumentative; if it doth not fometimes rife fo high, neither doth it ever fink fo low, and it has not met with the ap. probation it deferves, only because it has not been more read and confidered. His fubject indeed is confined, and he has a narrow foundation to build upon; but he has raised as noble a fuperftructure, as fuch little room and scanty materials would allow. The great beauty of it is the contraft between the two characters of the Tempter and our Saviour. Newton's Life of Milton. IN In the year 70 alfo came abroad his Hiftory of Britain, wherof we had occafion to speak before. He deduc'd it only to the Norman conqueft, and yet we have it not as it came out of his hands; for the licensers, thofe fworn officers to deftroy learning, liberty, and good fenfe, expung'd feveral paffages of it wherin he expos'd the fuperftition, pride, and cunning of the popish monks in the Saxon times, but apply'd by the fagacious licensers to CHARLES the second's bishops. This puts me in mind of a reply to a certain perfon by Sir ROBERT HOWARD lately deceast, a gentleman of great generosity, a patron of letters, and a hearty friend to the liberty of his country. Being told that he was charg'd in a book with whipping the protestant clergy on the back of the heathen and popifh priests, be presently afk'd what they had to do there? He was a great admirer of MILTON to his dying day; and, being his particular acquaintance, would tell many pleafant stories of him, as that he himself having demanded of him once what made him fide with the republicans? MILTON answer'd, among other reafons, because theirs was the most frugal government; for that the trappings of a monarchy might fet up an ordinary commonwealth. But not to digrefs too far, our author beftow'd a copy of the unlicens❜d papers of his hiftory on the earl of ANGLESEY, who, as well as feveral of the nobility and gentry, was his conftant vifitor. Nor was he lefs frequented by foreners to the laft, than in the time of his flourishing condition before the restoration. It is an irreparable lofs to this most potent nation, that MILTON did not find leifure to bring down his hiftory to his own |