even of cold praise, would have been more injurious to the critic than to the poet. The Paradise Lost was unquestionably a noble poem: but if it could have been shown to be the produce of theft, the fabricator's proud name would have been annihilated, and the purposes of his enemy accomplished. The hostile attempt was certainly made; and its failure could not have been witnessed without painful disappointment by the writer of that life of Milton, which was unhappily sent into the world under the sanction of the booksellers of London. Of the radical and pervading malignity of this work no doubt can for an instant be entertained by any dispassionate reader, and it may justly be questioned whether, as the writer of the Rambler or of the Life of Milton, Dr. Johnson has evinced more friendliness or more enmity to the cause of truth, has effected more good or offered more injury to the Here are panegyric and benevolence, of which Milton and his granddaughter are the objects, of as high and ardent a na. ture as any which have been expressed by Dr. Johoson. In diction and imagery the Scotch schoolmaster is evidently inferior to the English critic and moralist :- but in admiration of the deceased poet, and in charity towards the survivor of the poet's family, the notorious Lauder refuses to be outdone by the celebrated Johnson. great interests of his species. By a party among my contemporaries I am aware that this doubt will be strongly, and, perhaps, acrimoniously resented: but if a page, like mine, may hope to survive to a distant age, I feel assured that, by the judgment of a generation remote from the prejudices of the present, I shall be absolved from the charge of wounding truth to gratify passion, even though I should assert that the delinquency of the libellous biographer is ill compensated by the merit of the monotonous and heavygaited morality of the sombre and dogmatic essayist. THE END. T. Bensley, Printer, ABBOTT, abp. 174. schylus, 492. pote, Aphry, Mr. 162. a proof that neither tithes to chrittianity, 414. 547. conduct on the death of 506 note. Bacon, the sculptor, 501. resigns, 379. 371, 394, 528. 358. bis character, 263, 267. .epitaph on him, 548. louk lous conqueror of Britain, 137 | Commonwealth and monarchy con. trafted, 421. more humane than Comnenus, Andronicus, 283 note. Council of state, 261. Cowley, 43. Cradlock, Mr. 505. Criticifon cannot render dull poetry pleasing, 469. Cromwell, 242, 245, 264 note, 498, 521 bis character, 376, 385, the protestants of Pied- the Wbole Duty of Man, 19. 271 note. foments the agitation of army, 375. made protector by it, 379. Milton's panegyric of him, 385. his death, 409. reputed diGnter . ment, 433 note. Richard, 409. Henry, 109 note. remarks on his execu- D. Dante, 223,470 note. Davenunt, bifhop, 172, Davis, Miss, 205. saved by Milton, 428. Delille, abbé, 485 note. .. letter to, 71. account of him, poem death, 127. 2d elegy to, 163, 167 note. Giovanni, 125. Theodore, 126. Desborough, 409 note, 410. Divines, on his Divines, asembly of, 401. Garden, the author of Icon Baft- Geoffrey of Monmouth, 260. George, Dr. 502, 540. Gifford, Willian, vii, 114 note, 142 note, Gilby, 252 note. jun. ib. 17 note. Gray, 30. Grotius, 89. copacy, 186. Eccleßaßical establishments not ef- H. Hall, bp. 172, 187, 194. answers Milton on epis. defends his remonftrance, 191. Happiness, what essential to, 522. ..defended by bishop Hall, Hartlib, Samuel, 209. Harukins, fir John, 563 note. 509 note. Heinsius, Nicholas, 342, 356 note, 512 note. Henderfon, 296 note. Henrietta, queen of Charles the first, fan&ioned the Irish rebel- lion, 256. Hertford, marquis of, 287. Hehod, 158. Hewett, Dr. 436 note, Hills, 297. Hollis, Mr. 530, 531, 532. Holstenius, 95. Horace, 264 note. Howard, Henry, 224 note. Hume, inliance of his difiogenu. ousness, 292. Hurd, bishop, 227. Hyde, fir Edward, See Clarendon. Icon |