under any circumstances, a formidable obstacle to the reception of the true faith."-Caring nothing for inftitutions that were venerable, or for opinions that were sacred, he not only difdains to wear the opprobrious shackles of authority, but even the decent vestments of cuftom.66 Safe in his own inflexible integrity, in the great purity of his heart, and singlenefs of purpose, what his confcience dictates, his courage proclaims. Impetuous, fearless, and uncompromising, he pushes on his inquiries, till they end in a defence of the death of the monarch, and the substitution of a vifionary republic, in politics; in a denial of the eternal existence of the Son, in theology; and in the defence of a plurality of wives, in morals. Yet it must be remembered, that he lived in an age when men were busy pulling down and building up; a fermentation was fpreading over the surface, and diffolving the materials of fociety. Old faith was gone; old inftitutions were 'crumbling away. Long, fplendid vistas of ideal perfection opened before men's eyes, dazzling their fenfes, and confounding their judgments. 6 66 See T. Warton's Summary of Milton's Political Opinions, in Todd's Milton, vol. vi. p. 391. "In point of doctrine they are calculated to annihilate the very foundations of our civil and religious establishment, as it now fubfifts. They are fubverfive of our legislature and our species of government. In condemning tyranny, he strikes at the bare exiftence of kings; in combating fuperftition, he ftrikes at all public religion. These difcourfes hold forth a fyftem of politics at present as unconftitutional, and almoft as obfolete, as the nonfenfe of paffive obedience; and in this view he might just as well think of republishing the pernicious theories of the kingly bigot James, as of the republican usurper Oliver Cromwell." This might have been spared. Milton's political fpeculations are not applicable to our times; and, as it has been justly faid, his theological opinions would have been different, had he furvived to read the works of Waterland and Bull; fo, we may say, his political theories would have been more wife and moderate, had he lived in the days of Somers and of Locke. 67 See the Areopagitica, p. 317, ed. Burnet. "Behold now this Grey-headed men, men grown old in the business of life, and in the pursuit of practical wisdom, yielded to the fyren influence. It pervaded the fenate, the city, and the camp. What wonder then, if the Poet, the visionary by his profeffion, the dreaming theorift, the man dwelling in ideal worlds and abstract notions, fhould be led aftray. 68 Such are fome of the fingular opinions advanced in this curious, and late difcovered document of Milton's faith, 6 they serve to show us that its author is everywhere the fame, the fame fevere and uncompromifing inveftigator of truth, the fame fearless and independent judge of its reality. In the honefty of his opinions uninfluenced, in the fanctity of his morals unblemished, in the fervour of his piety unquestioned. But there was both in his political and religious opinions, a visionary attempt at perfection, a grasping of the ideal and the abstract, a lofty afpiration after the most exalted means, that while they supplied his imagination as a poet, in its boldest and most extended flights, unqualified him for the more cautious and practical character of the theologian and the states vaft city, &c. There be pens and heads there fitting by their studious lamps; mufing, searching, revolving new notions and ideas wherewith to prefent, as with their homage and fealty, the approaching reformation; others as faft reading, trying all things, affenting to the force of reafon and convincement," &c. 68 It has been more than once remarked, that little mention is made of Milton by his contemporaries. His name does not occur in the pages of Clarendon. Thurloe fpeaks of him only as a blind old man, who wrote Latin letters. Sir W. Temple does not name him, and R. Baxter paffes over him in filence. Whitelocke mentions him only once, and that cafually. Mr. Todd has mentioned a poem to the honour of Milton, written foon after his death, though not published till 1689. A Propitiatory Sacrifice to the Ghoft of J. M. by way of Pastoral, in a Dialogue between Thyrfis and Corydon. v. Poems and Translations written upon feveral Occafions and to several Perfons, 1689, p. 110. man.69 There was much in his fituation, as well as perhaps in the warmth of his difpofition, unfavourable to the calm and difpaffionate investigation of truth. His conftant engagements in controversy, even from his youth, led him rather to enforce and exaggerate his opinions, than to confider the objections, or to avail himself of the advice of others. Nor did more than twenty years of blindness, which feparated him much from the fociety, and entirely from all active participation in the business of life, pass without producing their effect on his temper and on his intellect, on the direction of his researches, the tone of his opinions, and the conclufions of his judgment. An independence of opinion, approaching to fingularity, and a confidence in himself, particularly of fpiritual pride, characterized him even from his youth. In other times and under other circumstances they might gradually have given way to an enlarged acquaintance with the fentiments of others, and have been foftened down by a friendly comparison with the feelings and opinions of fociety. Had he lived amid the bleffing of peaceful times, under a fettled constitution, and a gentle sway, the violence of his feelings would have been subdued, and the ftartling boldness of his paradoxical theories modified or fuppreffed. His temper would not have experienced its ftormy trials, and his lofty and heroic virtues would have affumed the more engaging garb of Chriftian mildness and charity. But his prejudices and partialities were increased and not removed by the circumstances of his life. The men with whom he lived were of like fentiments with himself, as inflexible, as impracticable, as violent,70 6 On the fubject of Milton's religious opinions and character, a late Editor has expreffed himself with judgment and ability. See Hawkins in Newton's ed. vol. 1. p. xcix. to p. ci. See Bowles's Life of Ken, for the three stages of Milton's life. Vol. i. p. 789. 70 I cannot chufe but wonder what it is that inclines fome men, and as vifionary. "The difturbed politics of Milton," fays an enlightened memorialist, "are fraught with all the popular rumours and paffions of the day." His republican theories were ftrengthened by the vifions of the ancient philofophers, the declamations of their orators, and the maxims of the poets; and his diflike of our established Church deprived him of the profound and admirable treatises, treasures of found and real learning, which would have conducted him fafely through the fubtleties of a disputed theology; or at least made him pause before he gave way to an alarming and afflicting heresy. We cannot fearch the hearts of men; but we are bound to interpret their actions with candour and charity. The fcruples of an enlightened confcience, and the decifions of a fevere and impartial judgment, must be looked on with reverence by all. "You and I (fuch were the dying words of a virtuous and venerable prelate," who had from confcientious motives defcended from the highest honours to a private station), you and I have gone different ways in the late affairs; but I truft heaven's gates are wide enough to admit us both. What I have done I have done in the integrity of my heart, indeed, in the great integrity of my heart." who are otherwife fober enough, to let fly fo lavishly and indifcriminately against reason and philofophy, especially in an age fo exceedingly prone to phantafy and madness, and that hath been ruined in all its concerns by enthusiasm and vain pretences to the Spirit."-Glanville's Philofophia Pia, p. 85, 1671. See alfo p. 230. Here the enemies of our Church and Government began. Upon this (fanaticifm) they infifted ftill, and filled their books and pulpits and private corners with thefe cantings. This was the engine to overthrow all fober principles and establishments; with this the people were infatuated and credit was reconciled to gibberish and folly, enthusiasm and vain impulfes. This is the food of conventicles to this day; the root of their matter, and the burden of their preachments," &c. 71 See the Life of Bishop Sancroft. "The fame calmnefs," fays Mr. Coleridge, in another place," and even greater self poffeffion may be affirmed of Milton, as far as his poems and poetic character are concerned. He referved his anger for the enemies of religious freedom and his country. My mind is not capable of forming a more auguft conception than arifes from the contemplation of this great man, in his latter days-poor, fick, old, blind, flandered, perfecuted— Darkness before and danger's voice behind,' in an age in which he was as little understood by the party for whom, as by that against whom he had contended; and among men before whom he ftrode fo far as to dwarf himself by the distance: yet ftill liftening to the mufic of his own flights, or if additionally cheered, yet cheered only by the prophetic faith of two or three folitary individuals, he did nevertheless argue not Against Heaven's hand or will, nor bate a jot Of heart or hope, but ftill bore up and steer'd From others only do we derive our knowledge that Milton, in his latter days, had his fcorners and detractors, and even in his day of youth and hope that he had enemies, would have been unknown to us, had they not been likewise the enemies of his country."72 And now let the Life of this our immortal Poet close with the difcriminate and affecting eulogy of one, who, himself a Philosopher and Poet, could juftly estimate the exalted greatness of the character he is describing:the close of the former period, (reign of James the Firft,) "In 72 The Editor (S. C.) appropriately quotes the conclufion of Milton's two beautiful and affecting Letters to Leonard Philaras, the Athenian, as a teftimony of the truth of the character given in the text.-See vol. i. part i. p. 35. |