1 k Milton's academy. I may defend the great critick from the cenfure, however, to which fome * writers have pronounced him fubject, of having affirmed the history to be written in Latin, which is, with a Latin title, written in English. For Wood informs us, that Phillips is the author of another work fimilar to the Theatrum Poetarum already mentioned, and written in the language which Dr. Johnson has related. As Johnfon gives no fpecifick reference to either work, it is more candid to believe him right, than to proclaim him wrong. In the title-page to "Poems on Affairs of State from the time of Oliver Cromwell, to the Abdication of K. James the fecond, written by the greatest wits of the Age," and published in 1697, the name of an eminent author and one of Milton's pupils. This pupil, however, appears to have caught none of the Miltonick tafte or fpirit; his verfes being miferably tame and profaick. * The annotator on the Lives of the Poets, edit. 1794, and Mr. Hayley. See alfo the Gentleman's Magazine, 1789, p. 416. Entitled "Tractatulus de carmine dramatico poetarum, præ fertim in choris tragicis, et veteris Comœdiæ. "Compendiofa enumeratio poetarum (faltem quorum fama maximè enituit) qui à tempore Dantis Aligerii ufque ad hanc ætatem claruerunt; nempe Italorum, Germanorum, Anglorum, &c." These two things, Wood informs us, were added to the feventeenth edition of Joh. Buchlerus his book, entit. Sacrarum profanarúmque phrafium poeticarum Thefaurus, &c. 1669." Ath. Ox. ut fupr. See a lift of the two Phillips's publications, ibid. and p. 1119. To which, perhaps, may be added a copy of verfes Upon the incomparable poems of Mr. William Drummond, after wards prefixed to the works of that elegant author printed at Edinburgh in 1711, and figned Edw. Phillips. Phillips, in his Theatrum Poetarum, feems much interested in behalf of Drummond, and expreffes his forrow that in his time this charming poet fhould be fo little noticed. Milton appears. But of Milton not a fingle line will be found in this collection. The Index indeed mentions "Directions to a Painter, (concerning the Dutch War,) faid to be written by Sir John Denham, but believed to be written by Mr. Milton, p. 24." But, when we turn to the page, we find the poem, worthy only the lowest poetafter, afcribed fimply, but doubtless as unjustly, to Denham. Fenton, the editor of Paradife Loft in 1725, has printed in a Miscellany which he published, called The Oxford Mifcellany and Cambridge Poems, a loose epigram under the name of Milton, which had long before appeared among the poems of Lord Rochefter. On flender grounds Peck has attributed to Milton the tranflation of Buchanan's Baptiftes, which appeared in 1641, with the following title: "Tyrannical Government anatomized, or, A Difcourfe concerning evil Counselors: being the Life and Death of John the Baptist, and prefented to the King's moft excellent Majefty, by the author." Aubrey and Wood, from different motives, would not have forborne to notice fo remarkable a production, if it had proceeded from the pen of Milton. This tranflation has been fuppofed, with great probability, to have been intended as a hint, to Charles the first, of the danger he then incurred from the counfels of fome about him and the history of the Baptift, who loft his head by the instigation of Herodias, seems figuratively to glance at the death of Lord Strafford, and at the influence of the Queen. Peck might have noticed a political pamphlet," published in the following year, by J. M:" of which the royal counsellors are the principal theme. From numerous examples I will cite one: "It is the King's crown that is aimed at, and not onely fo, but even the very dethroning of him, and his whole pofterity; and in truth so it is, but by his Majefties evill Councellors; who, to magnifie themselves, intend the ruin of the Commonwealth: And is not that in effect a dethroning of his Majefty? All that I fhall fay is but this: No Government more bleft or happie, if not abufed by the advice of vile and malignant Counsellours, p. 3." From the following paffage fome readers may fufpect J. M., the author of this pamphlet, to be Milton: "Freedome, as it is a great mercy, fo it ought of temporal bleffings, next to our lives, to receive the greatest estimate; the flavery of the body is the ufher to the thraldome of confcience; and if we foolishly furrender up this, the other will not be long after! p. 12." But, in p. 20, there is fufficient proof, that Milton could not have written it: "What have we to do with Ariftocracy, or Democracy? God be bleffed, we nor know, nor defire, any other government than that of Monarchy!" Peck, therefore, if he had seen this pamphlet, found that, notwithstanding it harmonized in a confiderable degree with the fubject of the poetical tranflation, it could not be rendered fubfervient to his hypothefis. Milton, in the account he gives of himself, appears indeed to have been no » Entitled, "A Reply to the Anfwer (printed by his Majefties command at Oxford) to a printed Booke intituled Obfervations upon fome of his Majefties late Anfwers and Expreffes," By J. M. London, printed for M. Walbancke, 1642." 4°, friend to translations: "I never could delight in long citations, much lefs in whole traductions; whether it be natural disposition or education in me, or that my mother bore me a fpeaker of what God made mine own, and not a tranflator "." He is faid to have declined tranflating Homer. Of literary affiftance, afforded by Milton to literary friends, we have no anecdotes. I conjecture, however, that the younger Lawrence, to whom he has addreffed an excellent Sonnet, had at least profited by his difcourfe; for Lawrence has given to the world a treatise on a fubject, of which Milton was particularly fond: "Of our Communion and Warre with Angels. Printed in 1646." The Sonnet records their friendly vifits. Lawrence lived in the neighbourhood of Horton. To Lawrence, as to Milton, the "Tufcan fong" feems to have been a principal delight. We may reasonably then fuppofe, that they fometimes converfed upon the remarkable effufions of the Tuscan mufe, (among other authorities,) on the guardianship of Angels; that Milton perhaps acknowledged the hints he had derived from his beloved poetry; and that the converfation encouraged Lawrence in his defign. Profe-Works, vol. i. p. 407, ed. 1698. See the Sonnet, ver. 12, and the note on the Sonnet. The Addreffes of the Italian Mufe All' Angelo Cuftode are frequent. See "Rime del M. A. M. Negrifoli, Vineg. 1552," p. 129, and "Sonetti di Diversi Accademici Sanefi, Sien. 1608," pp. 136, 200, 239, &c. I might alfo add the frequent introduction of a Spirit or Angel as the annunziatore to the early Italian dramas. See Milton's Verfes addreffed to Leonora Baroni, his prologue to Comus, and the fame poem throughout. } n Mansu Inspiozem The remains of Milton were attended to the grave by "all his learned and great friends in London, not without a friendly concourfe of the vulgar." He was buried next his father in the chancel of St. Giles, near Th Cripplegate. In Auguft, 1790, the spot, where hispit. body had been depofited, was opened; and a corpse, haftily supposed to be his, was exposed to publick view. A Narrative of the difinterment of the coffin, and of the treatment of the corpfe, was published by Philip Neve, Efq. The Narrative was immediately and ably answered in the St. James's Chronicle, in Nine Reasons why it is improbable that the coffin, lately dug up in the Parish Church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, fhould contain the reliques of Milton. Mr. Neve added a Poftfcript to his Narrative. But all his labour appears to have been employed in an imaginary cause. The late Mr. Steevens, who particularly lamented the indignity which the nominal ashes of the poet sustained, has intimated in his manuscript remarks on this Narrative and Postscript, that the difinterred corpfe was fuppofed to be that of a female, and that the minuteft examination of the fragments could not difprove, if it did not confirm, the fuppofition. Mr. Lofft, noticing the burial of the poet in St. Giles's church, has eloquently cenfured "the fordid mischief committed in it, and Toland's Life of Milton, prefixed to the edition of Milton's Profe-works, printed (not at Amfterdam as afferted in the titlepage,) but at London, in 1698, fol. p. 46. Now in the poffeffion of James Bindley, Efq; by whom I have been favoured with the perufal of them. t Preface to his edition of the first book of Paradife Loft, 1792, p. xxx, |