should be degraded to a school-master; but, fince it cannot be denied that he taught boys, one finds out that he taught for nothing, and another that his motive was only zeal for the propagation of learning and virtue; and all tell what they do not know to be true, only to excuse an act which no wife man will confider as in itself difgraceful. His father was alive; his allowance was not ample; and he fupplied its deficiences by an honeft and useful employment.

It is told, that in the art of education he performed wonders; and a formidable lift is given of the authors, Greek and Latin, that were read in Alderfgate-street, by youth between ten and fifteen or fixteen years of age. Those who tell or receive these ftories fhould confider that nobody can be taught fafter than he can learn. The speed of the horseman must be limited by the power of his horfe. Every man, that has ever undertaken to instruct others, can tell what flow advances he has been able to make, and how much patience it requires to recall vagrant inattention, to ftimulate fluggifh indifference, and to rectify absurd misapprehension.

The purpose of Milton, as it feems, was to teach fomething more folid than the common literature of Schools, by reading those authors that treat of physical fubjects; fuch as the Georgick, and aftronomical treatifes of the ancients. This was a fcheme of improvement which feems to have bufied many literary proCowley, who had more means than Milton of knowing what was wanting to the embellishments of life, formed the fame plan of education in his imaginary College.

jectors of that age.

But the truth is, that the knowledge of external na- ture, and the sciences which that knowledge requires or includes,

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includes, are not the great of the frequent business of the human mind. Whether we provide for action or converfation, whether we wish to be ufeful or pleasing, the first requifite is the religious and moral knowledge of right and wrong; the next is an acquaintance with the history of mankind, and with thofe examples which may be faid to embody truth, and prove by events the reasonableness of opinions. Prudence and Justice are virtues, and excellences, of all times and of all places; we are perpetually moralifts, but we are geometricians only by chance. Our intercourfe with intellectual nature is neceffary; our fpeculations upon matter are voluntary, and at leifure. Phyfiological learning is of fuch rare emergence, that one man may know another half his life without being able to estimate his skill in hydroftaticks or aftronomy; but his moral and prudential character immediately appears.

Those authors, therefore, are to be read at fchools that fupply most axioms of prudence, moft principles of moral truth, and most materials for converfation; and thefe purposes are beft ferved by poets, orators, and hiftorians.

Let me not be cenfured for this digreffion as pedantick or paradoxical; for if I have Milton against me, I have Socrates on my fide. It was his labour to turn philofophy from the study of nature to fpeculations upon life; but the innovators whom I oppose are turning off attention from life to nature. They feem to think, that we are placed here to watch the growth of plants, or the motions of the stars. Socrates was rather of opinion, that what we had to learn was, how to do good, and avoid evil.

Ὅτι τοι ἐν μεγάροισι κακόντ' ἀγαθόλε τέτυκται.

Of inftitutions we may judge by their effects. From this wonder-working academy, I do not know that there ever proceeded any man very eminent for knowledge: its only genuine product, I believe, is a small History of Poetry, written in Latin by his nephew Philips, of which perhaps none of my readers has ever heard.

That in his fchool, as in every thing else which he undertook, he laboured with great diligence, there is no reason for doubting. One part of his method deferves general imitation. He was careful to inftruct his scholars in religion. Every Sunday was spent upon theology, of which he dictated a short system, gathered from the writers that were then fashionable in the Dutch univerfities.

He fet his pupils an example of hard ftudy and fpare diet; only now and then he allowed himself to pass a day of feftivity and indulgence with fome gay gentlemen of Gray's Inn.

He now began to engage in the controverfies of the times, and lent his breath to blow the flames of contention. In 1641 he published a treatise of Reformation, in two books, against the established Church; being willing to help the Puritans, who were, he fays inferior to the Prelates in learning.

Hall, bishop of Norwich, had published an Humble Remonftrance, in defence of Epifcopacy; to which, in 1641, fix minifters, of whose names the first letters made the celebrated word Smeymnuus, gave their Anfwer. Of this Answer a Confutation was attempted by the learned Uber; and to the Confutation Milton publifhed a Reply, intituled, Of Prelatical Epifcopacy, and whether it may be deduced from the Apoftolical Times, by virtue of thofe teftimonies which are alledged to that purVOL, II.

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pofe

pofe in fome late treatifes, one whereof goes under the name of James Lord Bishop of Armagh.

I have tranfcribed this title, to fhew, by his contemptuous mention of Ufher, that he had now adopted the puritanical favagenefs of manners. His next work was, The Reafon of Church Government urged against Prelacy, by Mr. John Milten, 1642. In this book he difcovers, not with oftentatious exultation, but with calm confidence, his high opinion of his own powers; and promifes to undertake fomething, he yet knows not what, that may be of ufe and honour to his country. "This," fays he, " is not to be obtained but "by devout prayer to that Eternal Spirit that can en"rich with all utterance and knowledge, and fends out "his Seraphim with the hallowed fire of his altar, to "touch and purify the lips of whom he pleafes. To "this must be added, induftrious and felect reading, "steady obfervation, and infight into all feemly and 66 generous arts and affairs; till which in fome measure "be compaft, I refufe not to fuftain this expectation." From a promife like this, at once fervid, pious, and rational, might be expected the Paradife Loft.

He published the fame year two more pamphlets, upon the fame queftion. To one of his antagonists, who affirms that he was vomited out of the university, he anfwers, in general terms; "The Fellows of the "College wherein I spent fome years, at my parting, "after I had taken two degrees, as the manner is,

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fignified many times how much better it would con"tent them that I fhould ftay.-As for the common "approbation or diflike of that place, as now it is, "that I fhould esteem or disesteem myfelf the more for "that, too fimple is the anfwerer, if he think to ob

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"tain with me. Of small practice were the phyfician "who could not judge, by what the and her fifter have "of long time vomited, that the worfer stuff she strongly keeps in her ftomach, but the better fhe is ever kecking at, and is queafy; fhe "fickness; but before it will be "muft vomit with ftrong phyfick.

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vomits now out of well with her, fhe

The university, in

"the time of her better health, and my younger judge"ment, I never greatly adinired, but now much lefs." This is furely the language of a man who thinks that he has been injured. He proceeds to defcribe the courfe of his conduct, and the train of his thoughts;, and, because he has been fufpected of incontinence,, gives an account of his own purity: "That if I be juftly charged," fays he, "with this crime, it may come upon me with tenfold fhame."

The ftyle of his piece is rough, and fuch perhaps was that of his antagonist. This roughnefs he juftifies,. by great examples, in a long digreffion. Sometimes he tries to be humourous: "Left I fhould take him "for fome chaplain in hand, fome fquire of the body "to his prelate, one who ferves not at the altar only "but at the Court-cupboard, he will beftow on us a pretty model of himfelf; and fets me out half a "dozen ptifical mottos, wherever he had them, hopping fhort in the measure of convulfion fits; in "which labour the agony of his wit having fcaped narrowly, inftead of well fized periods, he greets us "with a quantity of thumb-ring poñes. And thus "ends this fection, or rather diffection of himself." Such is the controverfial merriment of Milton; his gloomy ferioufnefs is yet more offenfive. Such is his malignity, that bell grows darker at his frown.

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