Popery, and the King was a true martyr (that died for his Religion) in reuenge for the death of the Queene of Scotts, his grandmother."

This acute traveller relates alfo that he was at Rome, on his fourth visit to that city, when Charles the second was restored; which event, he fays, "to my knowledge, was to the great griefe of the Triple Crowne and College of Cardinals, who thought to have binn Masters of England." In another page he cites the Italian author, already mentioned, to show that "Charles the firft fufpected Mazzarino and the Imbaffador of France to have had a hand in his troubles."

From these communications, which the fubject of Milton's book induced me to make, I pafs on to notice his next publication in 1649; which was "Obfervations on the Articles of Peace between James Earl of Ormond, for King Charles I. on the one hand, and the Irish Papifts and Rebels on the other, &c. And Animadverfions on the Scotch Prefbytery at Belfaft." The new order of things feemed to be threatened by the desertion of the Scotch Prefbyterians to the standard of Ormond; and he made these remarks to obviate the danger.

He next entered upon his Hiftory of England; of which he had written four books, when, without expectancy or folicitation of preferment, he was invited by the Council of State to be Latin Secretary; as they had determined neither to write to others abroad, nor to receive any anfwers, except in that language, which was common to them all. Their choice could not have fallen upon a more perfect mafter of Latinity. Dr. Newton wishes that fucceeding princes

had followed this example of Latin correfpondence; because, " in the opinion of very wife men, the universality of the French language will make way for the univerfality of the French monarchy." It may be added, that Milton himself has countenanced the opinion: "Then began the English to lay afide their own ancient cuftoms, and in many things to imitate French manners; the great peers to speak French in their houses, in French to write their bills and letters, as a great piece of gentility; ashamed of their own: a prefage of their fubjection shortly to that people, whofe fathions and language they affected fo flavishly." Perhaps in the affectation of her fashions and manners, rather than in the ufage of her language, France may have found, and may yet hope to find, in other countries, no mean auxiliary to her deteftable aim of universal domination. But Britain has stood, and may it ftand to the last period of time, “unshaken, unseduced," by fuch degrading imitations in a few faithlefs children. That innocence, and modefty, and tenderness of heart, by which her daughters have ever been distinguished ; and that wellprincipled conduct, the true spirit of liberty and real love of religion, for which her fons have been renowned; will never, let us hope, fall victims to the defigns of a pretended philofophy, which confounds the diftinctions of right and wrong; to

❝thofe new-fangled toys, and trimming flight "Which takes our late fantasticks with delight."

Life of Milton.

Hift. of England, B. vi. edit. 1698, p. 111.

From Milton's mafterly Verfes At a Vacation Exercise in the

d

About this time the King's impreffive book, entitled "Eicon Bafiliké, or the Portraiture of his Sacred Majefty in his Solitudes and Sufferings," having been published; Milton was ordered to prepare an answer to it. He accordingly printed, by authority, in 1649, his "Eiconoclaftes," or the image-breaker; the purport of the King's book being, in his opinion, "to catch the worthlefs approbation of an inconftant, irrational, and image-doting rabble." Milton's work has been tranflated into French. It has been afferted, but not proved, that Milton together with Bradshaw prevailed upon the printer to interpolate a prayer, taken from Sidney's Arcadia, in fome editions of the King's book. Dr. Newton candidly obferves, "I cannot but hope and believe, that Milton had a foul above being guilty of fo mean an action to serve so mean a purpose; and there is as little reason for fixing it upon him, as he had to traduce the King for profaning the duty of prayer, 'with

College, addreffed to the corrupters of his Native Language. See the Notes on ver. 18 of that poem,

Eiconoclaftes, at the end.

The popularity of the book was unquestionably very great. And no wonder. Interefting as the fubject is, the ftyle is also extremely elegant as well as forcible. Dr. Symmons in difcuffing the controverted point whether the king or bishop Gauden was the author of it, relates, from the reft of the biographers, that it received two answers, viz. the Eixáv änλasos in 1651, and Vindicia Caroline in 1692. Several other tracts require to be examined, (and which might be named,) on this fubject. In particular, for the use of those who may hereafter investigate the point, it may be necessary to state that the Eináv a written against the king, and the Eix wish for him, (both published in 1649,) deferve more attention than hitherto has been bestowed on them,

the polluted trash of romances.' For there are not many finer prayers in the best books of devotion; and the King might as lawfully borrow and apply it to his own occafions, as the Apoftle might make

f

This reafoning (though not noticed by Dr. Newton) occurs in the Eixáv äxλasos, The Image Unbroken, an Auswer to Milton's book, printed in 1651. The paffage is worthy of citation. "He [Milton] fayes, herein the worst of kings profeffing Chriftianifme have by farr exceeded him, and he gives his reafon, for that the king hath, as it were, unhallowed and unchriftned by borrowing to a Chriftian ufe prayers offered to a heathen god.

"And doth faint Paul excede the worft of kings profeffing Christianisme by borrowing to a Christian use the words of an heathen philofopher, and poet? did he thereby unhallow and unchriftian Scripture?

"His [Milton's] meaning is, as followes afterward, that the king ufed a prayer taken out of Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia. After the first edition of his Majefty's booke, the printers, finding the greate vent of them, in the following editions printed prayers, and other things in the king's name, not belonging to the booke. Among these prayers, there is a prayer taken out of the Arcadia. That prayer is neither made by a heathen woman, nor to a heathen god, but is compofed by the author a Christian, without any reference to any heathen deitie; and the author is not thought to unchristian prayer by it, the libeller himselfe saying the booke in its kinde is full of worth and wit; but as his outcry hath noe cause from the matter, so heere is no evidence of the fact, that his Majefty made ufe of that prayer, or popt into the bishopp's hands a relique of his exercife, though he might warrantably have used it, and profeffed it." P. 82.

Peck affures us that he had feen an English edition of the Eicon, printed in 1648, in which this prayer was not to be found. Defid. Cur. ed. fol. vol. ii. lib. xiv. p. 48. I have before me a Latin translation of the Eicon by Dr. Earle, printed in 1649, in which alfo we feek in vain for this famous prayer. Whether Milton intended to ridicule the king's book by the following remark, I know not; "there wanted onely rime, and that, they fay, is bestowed upon it lately." Eiconoclaftes, ch. vi,

quotations from heathen poems and plays: And it became Milton the least of all men to bring fuch an accufation against the King, as he was himself particularly fond of reading romances, and has made ufe of them in fome of the best and lateft of his writings." Milton's fuppofed impofture has been alfo difcredited by Dr. Birch.

Having thus diftinguished himself as the advocate of republicanifm, the Members of the English council naturally appointed him to vindicate their cause against the attack of no mean opponent. King Charles the fecond, being now protected in Holland, had employed Salmafius, a learned Frenchman, profeffor of Polite Learning at Leyden, to write a defence of his late father, and of monarchy. "Salmafius," Dr. Johnson obferves, "was a man of fkill in languages, knowledge of antiquity, and fagacity of emendatory criticism, almost exceeding all hope of human attainment; and having, by exceffive praises, been confirmed in great confidence of himself, though he probably had not much considered the principles of fociety, or the rights of government, undertook the employment without diftruft of his own qualifications; and, as his expedition in writing was wonderful, in 1649 published Defenfio Regia." It is certainly remarkable that Salmafius, the penfioner to a republick, fhould write a vindication of monarchy. The States indeed ordered it to be fuppreffed. Before he had proceeded in his work, he was thus cautioned by his friend Sarravius: "Periculofæ plenum opus alea

* See the Inquiry into the Orig, of Par. Loft, p. 233.

b M. Gudii et C. Sarravii, Epiftolæ. Ultrajecti, 1697. Sarrav. Ep. cxcviii. p. 203.