"one word, muft needs be a trial of "patience almoft beyond endurance. "Yet it was endured by both for a long "time, though the irkfomeness of this " employment could not be always con"cealed, but broke out more and more "into expreffions of uneafinefs; fo that σε at length they were all, even the el"deft alfo, fent out to learn fome cu"rious and ingenious forts of manu"facture, that are proper for women to "learn; particularly embroideries in "gold or filver."

In the fcene of mifery which this mode of intellectual labour fets before our eyes, it is hard to determine whether the daughters or the father are moft to be lamented. A language not

under

understood can never be fo read as to give pleasure, and very feldom fo as to convey meaning. If few men would have had refolution to write books with fuch embarraffments, few likewife would have wanted ability to find fome better expedient.

Three years after his Paradife Loft (1670), he published his Hiftory of Eng land, comprifing the whole fable of Geof fry of Monmouth, and continued to the Norman invafion. Why he should have given the first part, which he feems not to believe, and which is univerfally rejected, it is difficult to conjecture. The ftile is harsh; but it has fomething of, rough vigour, which perhaps may often ftrike, though it cannot pleafe.f Pag

On

On this hiftory the licenfer again fixed his claws, and before he would tranfmit it to the prefs tore out feveral parts. Some cenfures of the Saxon monks were taken away, left they fhould be applied to the modern clergy; and a character of the Long Parliament, and Affembly of Divines, was excluded; of which the author gave a copy to the carl of Anglesea, and which, being afterwards published, has been fince inferted in its proper place.

The fame year were printed Paradife Regained, and Sampfon Agonistes, a tragedy written in imitation of the ancients, and never defigned by the author for the flage. Thefe poems were publifhed by another bookfeller. It has

been

been afked, whether Simmons was dif couraged from receiving them by the flow fale of the former? Why a writer changed his bookfeller a hundred years ago, I am far from hoping to difcover. It is certain, that he who in two years fells thirteen hundred copies of a volume in quarto, bought for two payments of five pounds each, has no reason to repent his purchase.

When Milton fhewed Paradife Regained to Elwood, "This," faid he," is "owing to you; for you put it in my

head by the queftion you put to me "at Chalfont, which otherwife I had "not thought of."

His laft poetical offspring was his favourite. He could not, as Elwood relates,

lates, endure to hear Paradife Loft preferred to Paradife Regained. Many causes may vitiate a writer's judgement of his own works. On that which has coft him much labour he fets a high value, because he is unwilling to think that he has been diligent in vain; what has been produced without toilfome efforts is confidered with delight, as a proof of vigorous faculties and fertile invention; and the last work, whatever it be, has neceffarily most of the grace of novelty. Milton, however it happened, had this prejudice, and had it to himself.

To that multiplicity of attainments, and extent of comprehenfion, that entitle this great author to our veneration, may be added a kind of humble dige.