Gift Gedde JammerHE LIFE OF FROM a family and town of his name in Oxfordshire our Author derived his descent; but he was born at London in the year 1608. The publisher* of his works in profe (on whofe veracity some part of this Narra tive must entirely depend) dates his birth two years earlier than this; but, contradicting himself afterwards in his own computation, I reduce it to the time that Monfieur Bayle had affigned, and for the fame reason which prevailed with him to affign it. His father, John Milton, by profeffion a scrivener, lived in a reputable manner, on a competent estate entirely his own acquisition ; having been early disinherited by his parents for renouncing the communion of the Church of Rome, to which they were zealously devoted. By his wife, Sarah Cafton, he had likewise one daughter, named Anna, and another fon, Christopher, whom he trained to the practice of the Common law; who in the Great Rebellion adhered to the Royal cause; and in the reign of King James II. by too eafy a compliance with the doctrines of the Court, both religious and civil, he attained to the dignity of being made a judge of the Common Pleas ; of which he died divested not long after the Revolution. * Mr. Toland. But John, the fubject of the present Essay, was the favourite of his father's hopes, who, to cultivate the great genius which early displayed itself, was at the expense of a domestic tutor; whose care and capacity his pupil hath gratefully celebrated in an excellent An. Etat. 12. Latin elegy. At his initiation he is faid to have applied himself to letters with fuch indefatigable industry, that he rarely was prevailed with to quit his studies before midnight; which not only made him frequently fubject to severe pains in his head, but likewife occafioned that weakness in his eyes which terminated in a total privation of fight. From a domestic education he was removed to St. Paul's school, to complete his acquaintance with the Claffics, under the care of Dr. Gill: and after a short stay there was An. Etat, 15. transplanted to Christ's College in Cambridge, where he distinguished himself in all kinds of academical exercises. Of this fociety he continued a member till he commenced Master of Arts; and then leaving the University, he returned to his father, who had quitted the Town, and lived at Hor ton in Buckinghamshire, where he pursued his ftudies with unparalleled affiduity and fuccefs. An. Etat. 23. After fome years spent in this studious retirement his mother died; and then he prevailed with his father to gratify an inclination he had long entertained An. Etat. 30. of feeing foreign countries. Sir Henry Wotton, at that time Provost of Eton College, gave "SIR, him a letter of advice for the direction of his travels; but by not observing an excellent maxim in it, he incurred great danger, by disputing against the superstition of the Church of Rome within the verge Eton College, 10th April, 1638. "It was a special favour when you lately beftowed upon "me here the first taste of your acquaintance, though "no longer than to make me know that I wanted more "time to value it, and to enjoy it rightly. And in truth, "if I could then have imagined your farther ftay in thefe "parts, which I understood afterwards by Mr. H. I would "have been bold, in our vulgar phrafe, to mend my draught, "for you left me with an extreme thirst, and to have beg"ged your conversation again, jointly with your faid learn "ed friend, at a poor meal or two, that we might have "banded together fome good authors of the ancient time, "among which I obferved you to have been familiar. "Since your going, you have charged me with new obli"gations, both for a very kind letter from you, dated the "6th of this month, and for a dainty piece of entertainment "that came therewith; wherein I fhould much commend "the tragical part, if the lyrical did not ravish with a "certain Doric delicacy in your Songs and Odes, wherein "I muft plainly confefs to have feen yet nothing parallel "in our language, ipfa mollities. But I mult not omit to "tell you, that I now only owe you thanks for intimating "unto me, how modeftly foever, the true artificer: for the "work itself I had viewed fome good while before with fin "gular delight, having received it from our common friend "Mr. R. in the very clofe of the late R's poems, printed "at Oxford, whereunto it is added, as I now fuppofe, that "the acceffory might help out the principal, according to "the art of itationers, and leave the reader con la bocca " dulce. "Now, Sir,concerningyourtravels, wherein maychallenge "a little more privilege of difcourfe with you: I fuppofe "you will not blanch Paris in your way; therefore I have "been bold to trouble you with a few lines to Mr. M. B. "whom you fhall easily find attending the young Lord S. "as his governor; and you may furely receive from him "good directions for fhaping of your farther journey into Italy, where he did refide, by my choice, fome time for "the King, after mine own recefs from Venice. "Ifhould think that your best line will be through the "whole length of France to Marfeilles, and thence by fea |