The firft Reply to Milton's Defenfio Populi was published in 1651, called Apologia pro Rege & Populo Anglicano, contra Johannis Polypragmatici (alias Miltoni) defenfionem deftructivam Regis, & Populi. Of this the author was not known; but Milton and his nephew Philips, under whofe name he published an answer fo much corrected by him that it might be called his own, imputed it to Bramhal; and, knowing him no friend to regicides, thought themfelves at liberty to treat him as if they had known what they only fufpected.

Next year appeared Regii Sanguinis clamor ad Cælum. Of this the author was Peter du Moulin, who was afterwards prebendary of Canterbury; but Morus,

or

or More, a French minister, having the care of its publication, was treated, as the writer by Milton, in his Defenfio Secunda, and overwhelmed by fuch violence of invective, that he began to fhrink under the tempeft, and gave his perfecutors the means of knowing the true author. Du Moulin was now in great danger; but Milton's pride operated against his malignity, and both he and his friends were more willing that Du Moulin fhould efcape than that he fhould be convicted of mistake.

In this fecond Defence he fhews that his eloquence is not merely fatirical; the rudeness of his invective is equalled by the groffnefs of his flattery. "De"ferimur, Cromuelle, tu folus fuperes, "ad

"ad te fumma noftrarum rerum rediit,

..

in te folo confiftit, infuperabili tuæ “virtuti cedimus cuncti, nemine vel "obloquente, nifi qui æquales inæqualis ipfe honores fibi quærit, aut digniori conceffos invidet, aut non intelligit nihil effe in focietate hominum "magis vel Deo gratum, vel rationi confentaneum, effe in civitate nihil æquius, nihil utilius, quam potiri rerum digniffimum. Eum te agnofcunt omnes, Cromuelle, ea tu civis maximus et gloriofiffimus, dux publici confilii, exercituum fortiffimorum

* It may be doubted whether gloriofiffimus be here ufed with Milton's boafted purity, Res gloriofa is an illuftrious thing; but vir gloriofus is commonly a braggart, as in miles gloriofus.

"imperator, pater patriæ geffifti., Sic "tu fpontanea bonorum omnium et ani"mitus miffa voce falutaris."

Cæfar, when he affumed the perpe

I

tual dictatorship, had not more fervite or more elegant flattery. A tranflation may fhew its fervility; but its elegance is lefs attainable. Having expofed the unkilfulness or felfifhnefs of the former governmeut, "We were left," fays Milton, 6.6 to ourselves: the whole na * tional intereft fell into your hands,

and fubfifts in your abilities. To your "virtue, overpowering and refiftless,

every man gives way, except fome who, without equal qualifications, afpire to equal honours, or who envy "the diftinctions of merit greater than "their

f

"their own; or who have yet to learn, "that in the coalition of human fociety

nothing is more pleafing to God, or "more agreeable to reafon, than that "the higheft mind fhould have the fovereign power. Such, Sir, are

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you by general confeffion; fuch are "the things atchieved by you, the

greatest and most glorious of our "countrymen, the director of our pub"lick counfels, the leader of uncon

quered armies, the father of your country; for by that title does every good man hail you, with fincere and "voluntary praife.".

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Next year, having defended all that' wanted defence, he found leifure to defend himself. He undertook his own

4

4

vindi