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imputed to an infatiable curiofity, and fantastick luxury of various knowledge. To this he writes a cool and plaufible answer, in which he endeavours to perfuade him that the delay proceeds not from the delights of defultory ftudy, but from the defire of obtaining more fitnefs for his task; and that he goes on, not taking thought of being late, fo it give advantage to be more fit.

When he left the univerfity, he returned to his father, then refiding at Horton in Buckinghamfhire, with whom he lived five years; in which time he is faid to have read all the Greek and Latin writers. With what limitations this univerfality is to be understood, who fhall inform us ?

It might be fuppofed that he who read fo much should have done nothing elfe; but Milton found time to write the Mafque of Comus, which was prefented at Ludlow, then the refidence of the Lord Prefident of Wales, in 1634; and had the honour of being acted by the earl of Bridgewater's fons and daughter. The fiction is derived from Homer's Circe; but we never can refuse to any modern the liberty of borrowing from Homer:

-a quo ceu fonte perenni Vatum Pieriis ora rigantur aquis.

His next production was Lycidas, an elegy, written in 1637, on the death of Mr. King, the fon of Sir John King,

fecre

fecretary for Ireland in the time of Elizabeth, James, and Charles. King was much a favourite at Cambridge,. and many of the wits joined to do honour to his memory. Milton's acquaintance with the Italian writers may be discovered by a mixture of longer and shorter verses, according to the rules of Tuscan poetry, and his malignity to the Church by fome lines which are interpreted as threatening its extermination.

He is fuppofed about this time to have written his Arcades; for while he lived at Horton he used fometimes to steal from his ftudies a few days, which he spent at Harefield, the house of the countefs dowager of Derby,

where

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where the Arcades made part of a dra

matick entertainment.

He began now to grow weary of the country; and had fome purpose of taking chambers in the Inns of Court, when the death of his mother fet him at liberty to travel, for which he obtained his father's confent, and Sir Henry Wotton's directions, with the celebrated precept of prudence, i penfieri Stretti, ed il viso sciolto; thoughts "clofe, and looks loofe."

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In 1638 he left England, and went firft to Paris; where, by the favour of lord Scudamore, he had the opportunity of vifiting Grotius, then refiding at the French court as ambaffador from Chriftina of Sweden. From Paris he hafted

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into Italy, of which he had with particular diligence ftudied the language and literature; and, though he feems to have intended a very quick perambulation of the country, ftaid two months at Florence; where he found his way into the academies, and produced his compofitions with fuch applaufe as appears to have exalted him in his own opinion, and confirmed him in the hope, that, "by labour and intenfe ftudy, which," fays he, "I take to be my portion in this life, joined with a ftrong propenfity of nature, he might leave fome"thing fo written to after-times, as they 'not willingly let it die."

s, in all his writings, that ufual concomitant of great

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