rage to make his attack; flush'd though he was with his conquefts over Julius Caefar, and The Moor: which infolence his Mufe, like the other affaffines of Cafar*, feverely revenged on herself; and not long after her triomph became her own executioner. Nor is it unworthy our observation, that though, perhaps, no One of our English Poets hath excited fo many admirers to imitate his Manner, yet I think never any was known to afpire to emulation even the late ingenious Mr. Philips, who, in the colors of ftyle, came the nearest of all the Copiers to refemble the great Original, made his diftant advances with a filial reverence and reftrain'd his ambition within the fame bounds which Lucretius pref crib'd to his own imitation:

་ ་ ་ ་

Non ita certandi cupidus, quàm propter

And now perhaps it may pafs for fiction, what with great veracity I affirm to be fact, that MILTON, after having with much

* Vide EDGAR

difficulty prevail'd to have this Divine Poem licens'd for the Prefs, cou'd fell the Copy for no more than Fifteen Pounds: the payment of which valuable confideration depended on the fale of three numerous impreffions. So unreafonably may perfonal prejudice affect the moft excellent performances!

About two years after

An. Etat. 63. together with SAMSON AGO NISTES (a Tragedy not un worthy the Grecian Stage when Athens was in her glory) publish'd PARADISE REGAIN'D. But, Oh! what a falling-of was there!..... Of which I will fay no more, than that there is fcarcely a more remarkable instance of the frailty of human reason, than our Author gave in prefering this Poem to PA RADISE LOST; nor a more instructive caution to the best writers, to be very diffident in deciding the merit of their own productions.

And thus having attended him to the Sixty Sixth year of his age, as closely as fuch imperfect lights as men of Letters, and retirement, ufually leave to guide our inquiry wou'd allow; it now only remains

I

They were Licensed July z. 1670', but not prin ted before the year enfuing.

to be recorded, that in the

Year 1674 the Gout put a An. Etat.66-7. period to his life at Bunhill

near London; from whence his body was convey'd to St. Giles's Church by Cripplegate, where it lyes interr'd in the Chancel; but neither has, nor wants, a Monument to perpetuate his memory.

In his youth he is faid to have been extremely handsome: the color of his hair was a light-brown; the fymmetry of his features exact; enliven'd with an agreeable air, and a beautiful mixture of fair and ruddy: which occafion'd the Marquifs of Villa to give his (a) Epigram the fame Turn of Thought, which Gregory Arch-Deacon of Rome had employ'd above a thousand years before, in praifing the amiable complexions of fome English Youths, before their converfion to Chriftianity. His ftature (as we (b) find it measur'd by himself) did not exceed the middle-fize; neither too lean, nor corpulent: his limbs well proportion'd, nervous, and active : ferviceable in all refpects to his exercifing the fword, in which He much delighted; and wanted neither.

(a) Ut mens, forma, decor, facies, mos, fi pietas fic

Non Anglus, verum hercle Angelus ipfe fores (b) Defenfio fecunda. p. 87. Fol.

skill, nor courage, to resent an affront from men of the most athletic constitutions. In his diet He was abftemious; not delicate in the choice of his dishes; and ftrong liquors of all kinds were his averfion. Being too fadly convinc'd how much his health had fuffer'd by nitght-ftudies in his younger years, He used to go early (feldom later than Nine) to reft; and rofe commonly before Five in the morning. It is reported, (and there is a paffage in one of his Latin Elegies to countenance the tradition) that his fancy made the happiest flights in the Spring : but one of his Nephews ufed to deliver it as MILTON's own obfervation, that his Invention was in its highest perfection from September to the Vernal Equinox: however it was, the great inequalities to be found in his compofures are inconteftable proofs, that in fome feafons He was but one of the people. When blindnefs reftrain'd him from other exercifes, He had a machine to fwing in, for the prefervation of his health; and diverted himself in his chamber with playing on an Organ. His Deportment was erect, open, affable; his Converfation easy, chear ful, instructive; his Wit on all occafions at command, facetious, grave, or fatirical, as the subject requir'd. His Judgment, when dif-engag'd from religious and political speculations

culations, was juft and penetrating; his Apprehenfion, quick; his Memory, tenacious of what He read; his Reading, only not so extensive as his Genius, for That was univerfal. And having treasur'd up such immenfe ftores of science, perhaps the faculties of his foul grew more vigourous after He was depriv'd of his fight: and his Imagination (naturally fublime, and inlarg'd by reading Romances * of which He was much inamor'd in his youth,) when it was wholly abstracted from material obje&s, was more at liberty to make fuch amazing excurfions into the Ideal world, when in compofing his Divine Work He was tempted to range

Beyond the visible diurnal sphere.

With fo many accomplishments, not to have had fome faults, and misfortunes, to be laid in the balance with the fame, and felicity, of writing PARADISE LOST, wou'd have been too great a portion for humanity. *His Apology for Smedtymnus, p. 177. Fol.

Tome I.

ELIJAH FENTON.

C