or his amufements, without perfecution, moleftation, or infult. Such is the reverence paid to great abilities, however mifufed: they who contemplated in Milton the fcholar and the wit, were contented to forget the reviler of his king.

When the plague (1665) raged in London, Milton took refuge at Chalfont in Effex; where Elwood, who had taken the house for him, firft faw a complete copy of Paradife Loft, and, having perufed it, faid to him, "Thou haft "faid a great deal upon Paradife Loft; what haft thou to fay upon Paradife "bound?"

Next year, when the danger of infection had ceafed, he returned to Bunhill

Bunhill-fields, and defigned the publi cation of his poem. A licenfe was neceffary, and he could expect no great kindness from a chaplain of the archbifhop of Canterbury. He feems, however, to have been treated with tendernefs; for though objections were made to particular paffages, and among them to the fimile of the fun eclipfed in the firft book, yet the licenfe was granted; and he fold his copy, April 27, 1667, to Samuel Simmons for an immediate payment of five pounds, with a ftipulation to receive five pounds more when thirteen hundred fhould be fold of the firft edition; and again, five pounds after the fale of the fame number of the fe

cond edition, and another five pounds

after the fame fale of the third.

None of the three editions were to be extended beyond fifteen hundred copies.

The first edition was of ten books, infa fmall quarto. The titles were. varied from year to year; and an advertisement and the arguments of the books were omitted in fome copies, and inferted in others.

The fale gave him in two years a right to his fecond payment, for which the receipt was figned April 26, 1669. The fecond edition was not given till 1674 it was printed in fmall octavo; and the number of books was encreased to twelve, by a divifion of the feventh and twelfth; and fome other fmall improvements were made. The

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third edition was published in 1678; and the widow, to whom the copy was then to devolve, fold all her claims to Simmons for eight pounds, according to her receipt given Dec. 21, 1680. Simmons had already agreed to transfer theo whole right to Brabazon Aylmer for twenty-five pounds; and Aylmer fold to Jacob Tonfon half, August 17) 1683, and half, March 24, 1690, at a price confiderably enlarged.

The flow fale and tardy reputation of this poem, have been always mentioned as evidences of neglected merit, and of the uncertainty of literary fame; and enquiries have been made, and conjec tures offered, about the caufes of its long obfcurity and late reception. But

has the cafe been truly ftated? Have not lamentation and wonder been la vished on an evil that was never felt?

That in the reigns of Charles and James the Paradife Loft received no publick acclamations is readily confeffed. Wit and literature were on the fide of the Court: and who that folicited favour or the fashion would venture to praise the defender of the regicides.? All that he himfelf could think his due, from evil tongues in evil days, was that reverential filence which was generously preferved. But it cannot be inferred that his poem was not read, or not, however unwillingly, admired.

The fale, if it be confidered, will juftify the publick. Thofe who have no

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