Main, There are Some Particulars of it, which will require a little more Finishing; This of his Blindness is One of Thefe; I will therefore produce the Letter Milton wrote to his Friend Leonardus Philara, an Athenian by Birth, but Envoy of the Duke of Parma to the French King. 'tis Dated 28 Sep. 1654.

ways

As I have been from my Childhood, if Any ever was, an Admirer of all the Greek Name, and particularly of your Athens, I have Albeliev'd that One time or other that Gratefull City would make me Some Returns of Benevolence. nor bath the Ancient Genius of your moft Noble Countrey Deceiv'd my Augury, having given me You, a Genuine Athenian and True Friend.

Since You advife Me not to fling away All Hopes of Recovering my Sight, for that You have a Friend at Paris, Thevenot the Phyfician, Particularly Famous for the Eyes, whom you offer to Confult in my behalf if you receive from Me an Account by which he may Judge of the Caufes and Symptoms of my Dif eafe, I will do what You Advife me to, that I may not feem to Refufe any Affiftance that is Offer'd, perhaps from God.

I think 'tis about Ten Yeares, more or lefs, fince I began to perceive that my Eye-fight grew Weak and Dimm, and at the fame time my Spleen and Bowels to be Oppreft and troubled with Flatus; and in the Morning when I began to Read, according to Custom, my Eyes grew

Painfull

Painfull immediatly, and to refufe Reading, but were Refresh'd after a Moderate Exercife of the Body. a Certain Iris began to Surround the Light of the Candle if I look'd at it; Soon after which, on the Left Part of the Left Eye (for That was Some Years Sooner Clouded) a Mift arofe which hid every thing on That fide; and looking Forward if I Shut my Right Eye, "I Objects appear'd Smaller. My Other Eye alfo, for thefe Laft Three Yeares Failing by degrees, Some Months before all Sight was Abolish'd Things which I look'd upon feem'd to Swim to the Right and Left; Certain Inveterate Vapours Jeem to Poffefs my Forehead and Temples, which After Meat efpecially, quite to Evening, Generally, Urge and Depress my Eyes with a Sleepy Heaviness. nor would I omit that whilft there was as yet Some Remainder of Sight, I no fooner lay down in my Bed, and turn'd on my Side, but a Copious Light Dazzled out of my Shut Eyes; and as my Sight Diminish'd every day Colours Gradually more Obfcure Flafb'd out with Vehemence; but now that the Lucid is in a manner Wholly Extinct, a direct Blackness, or elfe fpotted, and, as it were, woven with AlbColour, is us'd to pour it Self in. Nevertheles the Conftant and Settled Darkness that is before Me as well by Night as by Day, seems nearer to the Whitish than the Blackish; and the Eye, rolling itself a little, feems to admit I know not what little Smallness of Light as through a Chink.

Ano

Another Remarkable Circumstance of Milton's Life must not be Slightly pafs'd over. 'tis what He calls his Defence of the People of England against Salmafius, who had wrote a Defence of King Charles I. after his Death. This Work was not Milton's Choice, he was Appointed to it by the Unanimous Voice of the Council of State, the Then Publick Authority; not but that He most Willingly Undertook it as foon as he enjoy'd fuch a meafure of Health as would endure the Fatigue of Writing; and Such was his Ardour to Write on This Great Subject that he Enter'd upon it being yet Weak in Body, forced to write by Piece-Meal, and break off almost every bour, as he fays in his Introduction to that famous Work; though, as he fays Elsewhere, it was with the moft Apparent Hazard of his Sight, and which in Effect was Totally Extinguish'd on This Occafion; nor could he be Unaware of the Poffible, and not very Improbable Chance of being put to Death for what he did.

This Difpute continu'd four or five Years, not with Salmafius only, whofe Heart 'tis thought Milton broke; that he Dy'd whilst he was preparing a Laborious Reply to the Defence of the People of England, is Certain; Others Abroad took up the Quarrel. Thefe too felt the Severity of their Antagonist. the Chief of Thefe was Morus, the Next, if not Equal, to Salmafius in Fame; Both were

Efteem'd

Efteem'd as the Principal of the Learned Men of That Age till This War with Milton; and These Alone He condefcended to Combat with. This Controverfy and Victory Rais'd the Reputation of Milton both at Home and Abroad; He was Vifited and Invited by the Foreign Ambaffadors at London, not Excepting Thofe of Crown'd Heads, and Honour'd and Efteem'd by All of Whatever Party that had a True Tafte of Learning, Language, Stile, Spirit, Wit, &c. though (let it be Obferv'd) Paradife Loft was Yet Uncreated.

I will not wholly Juftify His Pleasantry and Perfonal Reflections, all Foreign to the Argument, and Unworthy the Importance of the Subject, and Love of Truth. Somthing must however be Allow'd to the Time and Cuftom. The Ancients in their Wars were Barbarous Compar'd to the Moderns'; at prefent War is a Polite Amusement to what it was an Age or two ago; 'tis much the Same in Controverfy. if Milton was in Fault Here his Adverfaries were no lefs So; I hope More, for they Loaded him with Lyes. After all, (as Bayle obferves on This Occafion)"'tis of "Ufe to get the Laughers on One's Side; tis not the Serious and the Reasonable who are to Determine, if the Majority are to be the Judges.

the Famous Serjeant Maynard heard One juft call'd to the Bar Plead Admirably. Young Gentleman, (fays he) You have "Talk'd

e

"Talk'd Well to the Wife; but learn to please "the Fools, Among Them you will find "Moft Clients." but not to Borrow anExcuse for This Practice in Controverfy from Bayle, or any one Elfe, Milton furnifhes One for Himself on a like Occafion, when he was Scurriloufly Attack'd by an Unknown Author upon his Doctrine of Divorce. 'tis in his Treatife, call'd Colafterion, juft at the End of it. I have Now done That Which for Many Caufes I might have thought could not Likely be My fortune, to be put to this Under-work of Scouring, and Unrubbishing the low and Jordid Ignorance of Such a Prefumptuous Lozel. Yet Hercules had the Labour once impos'd upon him to carry Dung out of the Augean Stable. At any Hand I would be Rid of him: for I had rather, fince the Life of Man is likened to. q Scene, that all my Entrances and Exits might mix with Such Perfons only whofe Worth Erects Them and their Actions to a Grave and Tragick Deportment, and not to have to do with Clowns and Vices. But if a Man cannot Peaceably Walk in the World, but must be Infested; Somtimes at his Face with Dorrs and Horfe-flies, Somtimes beneath with Bawling Whippets and Shin-Barkers, and Thofe to be fet on by Plot and Confultation with a Junto of Clergymen and Licencers, Commended alfo and Rejoyc'd in by Thofe whofe Partiality cannot Yet forgo Old Papif tical Principles; have I not caufe to be in Such a Manner Defenfive, as may procure me Free

dom