Beginning of the IXth Book gives Grounds. for This Conjecture. the Subject he was Long Choofing and Beginning Late: he Apprehends his Vigour is Decay'd by Years, or that the Cold Climate may Affect him too much, So Entring on his VIIth Book, he Complains he is fall'n on Evil Dayes and Evil Tongues, compaft round with Dangers, &c. an Exact Defcription of This time according to Him, though So Gay and Happy to the Nation in General. But Whenever it was Wrote 'twas Shewn, as Done, to Elwood in the Year 1665, at Chalfont St. Giles, Whither Milton was then retir'd upon Account of the Plague, as has been seen. Elwood fays he left it with him, defiring his Opinion of it. Which I have often Thought was a great Argument of his Modefty. See p. 246 of that Honest Quaker's Life.

How had that Man, Milton, the Courage to Undertake, and the Refolution to Perfit in Such a Work with the Load of Such Difficulties upon his Shoulders! Ill Health, Blindnefs; Uneafy in his Mind, no doubt, on Occafion of the publick Affairs, and of his Own; not in Circumftances to maintain an Amanuenfis, but Himfelf Oblig'd to teach a Couple of Girls (or as Some fay One) to Read Several Languages, and to Pronounce them, fo as not to be Grievous to an Ear as Delicate as His, or even to be Intelligible. to be perpetually Asking One Friend or Another

who Vifited him to Write a Quantity of Verfes he had ready in his Mind, or what fhould Then occur.This Reflection brings to my Remembrance what Himself fays on Another Occasion (Addrefs to the Parliament, Profe Works, p. 390.) God it feems Intended to Prove me whether I Durft Alone take up a Rightfull Caufe against a World of Difesteem, and found I Durft. He was Now to be Try'd if he Durft Under all his Difcouragements Affert Eternal Providence, and Justifye the Wayes of God to Men in an Epic Poem (faid to be the Utmoft Stretch the Human Mind is Capable of.) He Undertook the Work, and was Equal to it.

For the truth is, though he was in Some refpects in a Difadvantageous Situation for Such an Enterprize, in Others he had Peculiar Encouragements. That Inexhaustible Fund of Learning in all the Languages in which Science is depofited, particularly what relates to Poetry; a moft Intimate Knowledge of All the Poets worthy his Notice, Ancient or Modern; Chiefly the Beft, and above All Homer; nor will I forbear to fay the Scripture, Infinitely Superiour to Homer, as in Ôther refpects, fo in its being a Treasure of the Sublimeft Poetry. More even than All This, and without Which All his Other Great Talents had been of no Avail on This Occafion, he Poffefs'd the Soul of Poetry, the Soul of a Poet of the First and Pureft Ages, with the

Additional Advantages. of Later Times; Chiefly of Chriftianity. Add yet to All This the vaft Amusement and Pleafure it must be to Him Amidst his Difficulties and Diftreffes to have the Nobleft Ideas continually making his Imagination a Scene of Happiness; the Hope of Fame, in the Accomplishment of what had been from his Youth Refolv'd on as the Great Work of his Whole Life, the Great Fruit of all his Laborious Studies; which Work Compar'd with all that he did Elfe, all Thofe however Efteem'd by All Men of Tafte at Home and Abroad, were but as if done with his Left hand; 'tis his own Expreffion.

the Coldness of the Climate being mention'd as One of the Difadvantages he was Under in Writing this Poem, gives Countenance to what has been faid, that he Wrote it only in Spring and Summer. that Sweet part of the Year he certainly Lov'd, Every body does, Thofe of a Poetical Turn are Remarkable for it, and He in particular, See his Latin Poem on Spring; his Mufe was us'd to Revive as the Vegetable World does at That Seafon, it did So when he was Young, as well as in his Advanc'd Years. Toland fays he had been inform'd he wrote only in the Winter, but he does not believe it, to be Sure 'twas a Miftake. for My Own part I cannot Comprehend that Either is Exactly True; that a Man with Such a Work in his Head can Sufpend it for Six Months together, cr

but One; though it may go on more slowly, but it must go On. This laying it Afide is contrary to that Eagernefs to Finish what was Begun, which he fays was his Temper. You have had the Paffage, p. viii. Other Stories I have heard concerning the Posture he was Ufually in when he Dictated, that he Sat leaning Backward Obliquely in an Eafy Chair, with his Leg flung over the Elbow of it. that he frequently Compos'd lying in Bed in a Morning ('twas Winter Sure Then) I have been Well inform'd, that when he could not Sleep, but lay Awake whole Nights, he Try'd; not One Verfe could he make; at Other times flow'd Eafy his Unpremeditated Verfe, with a certain Impetus and Aftro, asHimself feem'd to Believe. Then, at what Hour foever, he rung for his Daughter to Secure what Came. I have been alfo told he would Dictate many, perhaps 40 Lines as it were in a Breath, and then reduce them to half the Number.- I would not Omit the leaft Circumftance; Thefe indeed are Trifles, but even Such contract a Sort of Greatnefs when related to What is Great..

After all Difficulties were Overcome, and Advantages Employ'd, the Book was in Danger of lying Buried in Manufcript, by the Impertinence, Folly, Malice, or whatever Elfe, of the Licencer, who befides Other Objections fancy'd there was Treafon in that

Noble

Noble Double Simile. As when the Sun new ris'n, &c. I. 594.

the Price for which Milton Sold his Copy is Astonishing. and Here we were in Another Danger of Lofing This Poem. Happy was it for the World that Milton was Poor and Deprefs'd, Certainly he must be so at This time. the Price this Great Man Condefcended to take for Such a Work; Such a Work! was Ten Pounds, and if a Certain Number went off, then it was to be made up Fifteen. the Contract was in being a few Years fince; I need not tell you I have Try'd to get a Sight of it; they fay 'tis Loft.

What is alfo Wonderful, there was great Appearance of Danger that Milton fhould have had but the Leffer Sum. the Man fo Qualify'd by Nature and Education, who had made So Eclatant a Figure in the Learned World, who had been So Employ'd and Honour'd by the most Potent Republick upon Earth, and by Her Rewarded with 1000/ for a Work however Great, Much Inferiour to This as to the Requifite Abilities for its Production, and its Ufe, and Duration; for This Man to be Recompenc'd fo Contemptibly for Such a Work! what could be the Meaning of it? Unless Party-Malice, and Folly; or that the Gay Beginning of the Reign of Charles II. diverted the Tafte of the Publick from what was of So Sublime a Nature. or was it not That Very Sublimity that Dazzled