purely minifterial, he certainly might have honestly retained it under the king. But this tale has too little evidence to deserve a difquifition; large offers and sturdy rejections are among the most common topicks of falfehood. t

He had fo much either of prudence or gratitude, that he forbore to disturb the new settlement with any of his political or ecclefiaftical opinions, and from this time devoted himfelf to poetry and literature. Of his zeal for learning, in all its parts, he gave a proof by publifhing, the next year (1661) Accidence commenced Grammar; a little book which has nothing remarkable, but that its author, who had been lately defending the fupreme powers of his country, and

was

was then writing Paradife Loft, could defcend from his elevation to rescuel children from the perplexity of grams matical confufion, and the trouble of leffons unneceffarily repeated.

About this, time, Elwood the quaker being recommended to him, as one who would read Latin to him, for the

ad

vantage of his converfation; attended him every afternoon, except on Sundays. Milton, who, in his letter to Hartlib, had declared, that to read La tin with an English mouth is as ill a bearing as Law French, required that El wood fhould learn and practise the Ita lian pronunciation, which, he faid, was neceffary, if he would talk with fa reigners. This feems to have been a

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task troublesome without use. There is

little reason for preferring the Italian pronunciation to our own, except that it is more general; and to teach it to an Englishman is only to make him a foreigner at home. He who travels, if he fpeaks Latin, may fo foon learn the founds which every native gives it, that he need make no provifion before his journey; and if ftrangers vifit us, it is their bufinefs to practife fuch conformity to our modes as they expect from us in their own countries. Elwood complied with the directions, and improved himfelf by his attendance; for he relates, that Milton, having a curious ear, knew by his voice when he read what he did not understand, and would stop

him, and open the most difficult paf

fages.

In a fhort time he took a house in the

Artillery Walk, leading to Bunhill Fields; the mention of which concludes the regifter of Milton's removals and habitations. He lived longer in this place than in any other.

He was now bufied by Paradife Loft. Whence he drew the original defign has been variously conjectured, by men who cannot bear to think themselves ignorant of that which, at laft, neither diligence nor fagacity can difcover. Some find the hint in an Italian tragedy; Voltaire tells a wild and unauthorised story of a farce feen by Milton in Italy, which opened thus: Let the Rainbow be

the

the Fiddlestick of the Fiddle of Heaven. It has been already fhewn, that the first conception was of a tragedy or mystery, not of a narrative, but a dramatick work, which he is fuppofed to have begun to reduce to its prefent form about the time (1655) when he finished his dispute with the defenders of the king.

He long before had promised to adorn his native country by fome great performance, while he had yet perhaps no fettled defign, and was ftimulated only by fuch expectations as naturally arofe from the furvey of his attainments, and the confcioufness of his powers. What he should undertake, it was difficult to determine. He was long chufing, and began late.

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