He now gave himself up to his private studies, and to the dutics of his office. As Latin Secretary, he is justly supposed to have written the Protector's Declaration of the reasons for a war with Spain, in 1655. The peculiar elegance of the style befpeaks the author. He had before addreffed, in the name of Cromwell, the celebrated Latin verfes to Chriftina, queen of Sweden. For Milton, rather than Marvell, I think, has the faireft pretenfions to be their owner *. As Milton is believed to have continued his friendship for Henry Lawes, the mufician, throughout the Rebellion, I am led to think that he now often experienced a pleafing relaxation from business and study in listening to the "foft pipe, and smoothdittied fong," of his early acquaintance. Lawes, who was acquainted with the principal poets of his time, and was honoured with many of their productions for the ufe of his lyre, had now published two Books of Ayres; in the latter of which, dated 1655, is a ballad, which "The Table, with the names of those who were the Authors of the Verfes," afcribes to "Mr. I. M. p. 37." The ballad confifts of the first and laft fextains of a little poem, which had appeared not long before in an edition of Shakspeare's poems; at the end of which is "An Addition of fome excellent poems, to thofe precedent of renowned Shakfpeare, by other Gentlemen;" but these verses are without any fignature, while Milton's epitaph on Shakspeare, in the fame volume, is fubfcribed I. M. * See the Notes on Par. Reg. B. ii. 481, and on the Verses to Chriftina, Account of Henry Lawes, prefixed to Comus. It may not perhaps feem improbable, that Milton might formerly have acknowledged to Lawes this production of his earlier days, which yet he had not thought worthy of admiffion into his collection of poems. The little poem fhows at least a remarkable familiarity with Sylvefter's Du Bartas; a book, in which Milton was affuredly converfant. I fubmit the verses, with deference, to the determination of the reader. “Lavinia walking in a frofly morning. "I' the non-age of a winter's day, "To give the morne an "earlier birth, "。 When each place, by which she came, "The amorous plants began to strive, Whispers of decrepit wood, "Calling to their rootes for blood: "Things of yearly P certaintie See the Inquiry into the Origin of Par. Loft. "Thus to rebel against their feason : It has been already obferved, that Milton was fupplied with an affiftant in his office of Secretary. In 1657 Andrew Marvell was affociated with him in this duty; before which time, Marvell afferts that he "never had any, not the remoteft, relation to publick matters, nor correfpondence with the perfons then predominant;" but that he then "enter'd into an imployment, for which he was not altogether improper, and which he confider'd to be the most innocent and inoffenfive toward his Majefties affairs of any in that ufurped and irregular Government to which all men were then exposed. And this he accordingly discharg'd without difobliging any one perfon; there having been opportunity and endeavours, fince his Majefties happy return, to have difcover'd had it been otherwife." So manly an avowal cannot but command respect.—Of Marvell's regard for Milton, the verfes, ufually prefixed to Paradife Loft, are an elegant teftimony. In the volume, from which I have made the preceding citation, are several anecdotes of Milton and his friends, not generally known, as Mr. Warton long fince obferved. This fecond part of Marvell's Rehearsal Tranfpros'd, published in 1673, is an attack on Dr. Samuel Parker, well known for his tergiverfation with the times; and of whom it was In Lawes's copy, "Back returning quench'd the heat," Rehearfall Tranfpros'd, Sec. Part, p. 127. once faid that he "had wit enough to colour any thing though never fo foule, and impudence enough to affirm any thing though never fo falfe." When Marvell attacked him with farcaftick and fuccefsful raillery, Parker was an antipuritan in the extreme. Marvell thus expreffes his honeft indignation against Parker for traducing his friend Milton, p. 377. "You do three times at least in your Reproof, and in your Tranfprofer Rehears'd well nigh half the book thorow, run upon an author J. M., which does not a little offend me. For why should any other man's reputation fuffer in a contest betwixt you and me ? But it is because you refolved to suspect that he had an hand in my former book, [the first part of The Rehearfall, published in 1672,] wherein, whether you deceive yourself or no, you deceive others extreamly. For by chance I had not feen him of two years before; but, after I undertook writing, I did more carefully avoid either vifiting or fending to him, left I fhould any way involve him in my confequences. And you might have understood, or I am fure your friend, the author of the Common Places, could have told you, (he too had a flash at J. M. upon my account,) that had he took you in hand, you would have had cause to repent the occafion, and not escaped so easily as you did under my Tranfprofal.-But becaufe in your 115. p. you are fo particular you know a friend of ours, &c. intending THAT J. M. and his answer to Salmafius, I think it here feafonable to acquit my promise to you in giving the reader a short trouble concerning my first acquaintance with you. J. M. was, and is, a man of as great learning and sharpness of wit as any man. It was his misfortune, living in a tumultuous time, to be toffed on the wrong fide; and he writ, flagrante bello, certain dangerous treatises.—At his majesty's happy return, J. M. did partake, as you yourself did, for all your huffing, of his royal clemency, and has ever fince ex Preface to "A Caveat to the Cavaliers, 1661." you piated himself in a retired filence. It was after that, I well remember it, that, being one day at his house, I there firft met you, and accidentally.-Then it was, when you, as I told you, wandered up and down Morefields, aftrologizing upon the duration of his majesty's government, that you frequented J. M. inceffantly, and haunted his houfe day by day. What discourses you there used, he is too generous to remember. But he never having in the least provoked you, for to infult thus over his old age, to traduce him by your fcaramuccios, and in your own perfon, as a schoolmaster, who was born and hath lived more ingenuously and liberally than yourself; to have done all this, and lay at last my fimple book to his charge, without ever taking care to inform yourself better, which you had fo eafy an opportunity to do-it is inhumanly and inhospitably done; and will, I hope, be a warning to all others, as it is to me, to avoid (I will not fay) fuch a Judas, but a man that creeps into all companies to jeer, trepan, and betray them." Marvell, however, was mistaken in attributing the Tranfprofer Rehears'd to Parker; which, as Mr. Warton remarks, was written by R. Leigh, formerly of Queen's College, Oxford, but then a player. It was printed at Oxford in 1673, "for the Affignes of Hugo Grotius, and Jacob Van Harmine, on the North-fide of the Lake-Lemane!" A more fcurrilous or indecent publication has feldom difgraced the prefs. The contemptible writer ridicules the Paridife Loft, because it is written in blank verfe, p. 30; and for the fame reafon calls Milton a fchifmatick in poetry, p. 43. He describes the poet as groping for a beam of light in that fublime apoftrophe, "Hail, holy Light, &c." Light, &c." p. 43. And he reproaches him as a Latin Secretary and an English Schoolmaster, p. 128. With the obfcenities of this scribbler I will not foil these pages. I muft add that |