this, he passed seven years at the university, and after taking his master's degree, retired to his father's house, at Horton in Buckinghamshire.

During these seven years of college residence, his genius appeared in various attempts not unworthy of the future author of "Comus" and "Paradise Lost." He was a poet when he was only ten years old, and his translation of the 136th psalm evinces his progress in poetic expression at the early age of fifteen. He renounced his original purpose of entering the church, for which he assigns as a reason, "that coming to some maturity of years, he had perceived what, tyranny had pervaded it, and that he who would take orders, must subscribe slave, and take an oath withal, which, unless he took with a conscience that could retch, he must either strain, perforce, or split his faith; I thought it better to prefer a blameless silence before the office of speaking, bought and begun with servitude and forswearing." These expressions have been supposed to allude to the articles of the church; but, as far as we know of Milton's theology, there was none of those articles to which he had any objection. It seems more reasonable therefore to conclude, that he considered subscription as involving an approbation of the form of church government, which, we know, was his abhorrence.

He spent five years at his father's house at Horton, and during this time exhibited some of the finest specimens of his genius. The "Comus," in 1634, and the "Lycidas," in 1637, were written at Horton; and there is strong internal proof that the "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso" were also composed here. The Mask of Comus was acted before the earl of Bridgwater, the president of Wales, in 1634, at Ludlow-castle: and the characters of the lady and her two brothers were represented by the lady Alice Egerton, then about thirteen years of age, and her two brothers, lord Brackley and Thomas Egerton, who were still younger. The story of this piece is said to have been suggested by the circumstance of the lady Alice having been separated from her company in the night, and having wandered for some time by herself in the forest of Haywood, as she was returning from a distant visit to meet her father. This admirable drama was set to music by Lawes, and first published by him in 1637, and, in the dedication to lord Brackley, he speaks of the work as not openly acknowledged by the author. The author surely had little

to fear; it would be difficult to discover an age barbarous enough to refuse the highest honours to the author of a work so truly poetical. The "Lycidas" was written, as there is reason to believe, at the solicitation of the author's old college, to commemorate the death of Mr. Edward King, one of its fellows, a man of great learning, piety, and talents, who was shipwrecked in his passage from Chester to Ireland. It formed part of a collection of poems, published on this melancholy occasion, in 1638, at the university press; and its being thus printed in a collection, may perhaps diminish the wonder expressed by one of Milton's biographers, that a poem, breathing such hostility to the clergy of the Church of England, and menacing their leader with the axe, should be permitted to issue from the university press. There is no other way of accounting for this than by supposing that it had not been read before it went to press. 66 Lycidas" has been severely criticised by Dr. Johnson, and but feebly supported by Milton's other biographers.

Of the "L'Allegro," and "Il Penseroso," the precise time of writing cannot be positively ascertained. They made their first appearance in a collection of our author's poems, published by himself in 1645; but there is reason from internal evidence to infer, that they were written in the interval between the composition of "Comus" and that of "Lycidas," consequently while he lived at Horton. Of these two noble efforts of the imagination, the opinion of the public is uniform; every man that reads them, reads them with pleasure.

In 1638, on the death of his mother, he obtained his T father's leave to travel, and about the same time a letter of instructions from sir Henry Wotton, then provost of Eton, but who had resided at Venice as ambassador from James I. He went first to Paris, where, by the favour of lord Scudamore, he had an opportunity of visiting Grotius, at that time residing at the French court as ambassador from Christina of Sweden. From Paris he passed into Italy, of which he had with particular diligence studied the language and literature; and, though he seems to have intended a very quick perambulation of the country, he staid two months at Florence, where he was introduced to the academies, and received with every mark of esteem, Among other testimonies may be mentioned the verses addressed to him by Carlo Dati, Francini, and others, which

prove that they considered a visit from Milton as no common honour. From Florence he went to Sienna, and from Sienna to Rome, where he was again received with kindness by the learned and the great. Holstenius, the keeper of the Vatican library, who had resided three years at Oxford, introduced him to cardinal Barberini; and he, on one occasion, at a musical entertainment, waited for him at the door, and led him by the hand into the assembly. Here it is conjectured that Milton heard the accomplished and enchanting Leonora Baroni sing, a lady whom he has honoured with three excellent Latin epigrams. She is also supposed to have been celebrated by Milton in her own language, and to have been the object of his love in his Italian sonnets. While at Rome, Selvaggi praised Milton in a distich, and Salsilli in a tetrastic, on which he put some value by printing them before his poems. The Italians, says Dr. Johnson, were gainers by this literary commerce; for the encomiums with which Milton repaid Salsilli, though not secure against a stern grammarian, turn the balance indisputably in Milton's favour.

From Rome, after a residence of two months, he went to Naples, in company with a hermit, who introduced him. to Menso, marquis of Villa, who had been before the patron of Tasso, and who showed every mark of attention to Milton, until the latter displeased him by certain sentiments on the subject of religion. In return, however, for a few verses addressed to him by the marquis, in which he commends him for every thing but his religion, Milton sent him a Latin poem, which must have raised a high opinion of English elegance and literature. It ought indeed never to be forgot, that in the whole course of this tour, Milton procured respect for the English wherever he went; nor does it appear to be less memorable that he rarely found his superior among the learned men of the continent, who considered his country as only just emerging from barbarism.

He was now to have visited Sicily and Greece, but intelligence from England changed his purpose. "As I was desirous," he says, "to pass into Sicily and Greece, the melancholy intelligence of the civil war recalled me; for I esteemed it dishonourable for me to be lingering abroad, even for the improvement of my mind, when my fellowcitizens were contending for their liberty at home." He therefore came back to Rome, though the merchants in

formed him of plots laid against him by the English Jesuits, for bis free sentiments on religion; but he had sense enough to judge that there was no danger, and therefore kept on his way, and acted as before, neither obtruding nor shunning conversation. He now staid two months more at Rome, and went on to Florence without molestation. From Florence he visited Lucca, aud afterwards went to Venice, whence he travelled to Geneva, and there became acquainted with John Diodati and Frederic Spanheim, two learned professors of divinity. From Geneva he passed through France, and came home after an absence of a year and three months.

For some time after his arrival, he employed himself in the business of education, a circumstance on which some have dilated with unnecessary prolixity, as if there had been any thing degrading in the character or employment of a schoolmaster. Dr. Johnson has observed that this is the period of his life from which all his biographers seem inclined to shrink. Milton himself says, that he hastened home (and bis haste, after all, was not great) because he esteemed it dishonourable to be lingering abroad while his fellow-citizens were contending for their liberty. This seems to imply a promise of joining them in their endeavours; but as, instead of this, he sets up a school immediately on his arrival, his biographers are puzzled to account for his conduct, and yet desirous of defending it. What can be said in his favour has been better said by Johnson than by any of his apologists, and in fewer words; "His father was alive; his allowance was not ample; and he supplied its deficiencies by an honest and useful employment." And we shall find that he very soon joined his fellow-citizens, and contributed his share to the controversies of the times.

As the mode of education which he introduced in his school has been given up by all his biographers, it may be sufficient here only to notice briefly that his purpose was to teach things more than words. Not content with the common school authors, he placed in the hands of boys from ten to fifteen years of age, such writers as were capable of giving information in some of the departments of science. Even in the selection of these he was unfortunate, as his most zealous advocates are willing to allow: the only part of his method which deserves general imitation, was the care with which he instructed his scholars in

religion. Every Sunday was spent upon theology, of which he dictated a system to them founded on the principles of the Genevan divines. He also read and probably commented on a chapter in the Greek Testament. His first school was at his lodgings in St. Bride's church-yard, but as the number of his scholars increased, he removed to a house in Aldersgate-street.

The time, however, was now come when, as Johnson says, he was to lend "his breath to blow the flames of contention." In 1641 he published a treatise of "Reformation," in two books, against the established church; and soon after one, "Of Prelatical Episcopacy," against the learned Usher, who had written a confutation of "Smectymnuus," which was intended as an answer to bishop Hall's "Humble Remonstrance," in defence of Episcopacy. His next work was "The Reason of Church Government urged against Prelacy," 1642. In this book, says Johnson, he discovers, not with ostentatious exultation, but with calm confidence, his high opinion of his own powers; and promises to undertake something, he yet knows not what, that may be of use and honour to his country. "This," says Milton, "is not to be obtained but by devout prayer to the eternal Spirit that can enrich with all utterance and knowledge, and sends out his Seraphim with the hallowed fire of his altar, to touch and purify the lips of whom he pleases. To this must be added, industrious and select reading, steady observation, and insight into all seemly and generous arts and affairs; till which in some measure be compast, I refuse not to sustain this expectation." From a promise like this, adds Johnson, at once fervid, pious, and rational, might be expected the "Paradise Lost." He published the same year two more pamphlets on the same question, with which the controversy appears to have ended, and episcopacy was soon afterwards overwhelmed by the violent means for which the press had long prepared.

About the time that the town of Reading was taken by the earl of Essex, Milton's father came to reside in his house, and his school increased. In 1643, his domestic comfort was disturbed by an incident which he had hoped would have rather promoted it. This was his marriage to Mary, the daughter of Richard Powell, esq. a magistrate in Oxfordshire, and a loyalist. The lady was brought to London, but did not remain above a month with her hus