more speaking, before I had done her any fervice, of her own bountifull goodness made my patent twenty pounds by year during my life, for her and her fucceffors." That this account is but partially correct, and that he was making a telling story to amufe the Queen, appears from his letter to Gardiner, at the time of the renewal of his pention. (170.) TO BISHOP GARDINER. [About April 1554.] In writing out my patent I have left a vacant place for your wisdom to value the ium: wherein I trust to find further favour; for I have both good caule to afk it, and better hope to obtain it, partly in confideration of my unrewarded pains and undischarged coits, in teaching King EDWARD'S perton, partly for my three years fervice in the Emperor's court, but chiefly of all when King HENRY first gave it me at Greenwich, your lordship in the gallery there aiking me what the king had given me, and knowing the truth, your lordship faid it was too little, and moit gently offered me to speak to the king for me. But then I moit happily defired your iordship to referve that goodneis to another time, which time God hath granted even to these days, when your lordship may now perform by favour as much as then you wished by good will, being as easy to obtain the one as to aik the other. And I befeech your lordship fee what good is offered me in writing the patent: the space which is left by chance doth seem to crave by good luck fome words of length, as viginti or triginta, yea, with the help of a little dafh quadraginta would serve beft of all. But fure as for decem it is fomewhat with the shortest nevertheless I for my part fhall be no less contented with the one than glad with the other, and for either of both more than bound to your lordship. And thus God prosper your lordship. Your lordship's most bounden to serve you. To the Rt Reverend Father in God, R. ASKAM. 2. The Byzantine Emperor LEO VI [b 865-afcended the throne 1. Mar. 886-d 911], furnamed in flattery the Philofopher, is reputed to have written, befides other works, one entitled Τῶν ἐν πολέμοις τακτικῶν συντομός παράδοσις, (Α fummary exposition of the art of war). Sir John Cheke's tranflation into Latin, of this book. in 1543 or 1544, was published at Bafle in 1554, under the title of Leonis Imperatoris. De bellico apparatv Liber, e græco in latinum conuerfus, IOAN CHECO Cantrabrigensi Interp. 3.~ The_Dutchman PETER NANNING, latinized NANNIUS, [b 1500-d 21 July 1557] was Profeffor of Latin, in college of the three languages' in the University of Louvain. He wrote a fhort tract of 34 PP, De milite peregrino: in which, in a dialogue between Olympius and Xenophon, he discusses Archery-v-Guns. This tract is attached to another entitled Oratio de obfidione Louanienfi. Both were published at Louvain in September 1543. 4. The Frenchman JOHN RAVISIUS TEXTOR [b about 1450 - 3 Dec: 1524]: became Rector of the University of Paris. His Officina was first published in 1522. The paffage that provoked Afcham's ire is, Crinitus ait Scotos (qui vicini sunt Britannis) in dirigendis fagittis acres effe et egregios. Fol 158. Ed. 1532. 5. The Florentine PETER RICCIO or latinized CRINITUS [b 1465-d about 1504.], an Italian biographer and poet. In December, 1504 was published his Commentarii de Honefla Disciplina. 6. The French Chronicier, ROBERT GAGUIN [b about 1425 - 22. July. 1502.] General of the Order of the Trinitarians, and reputed the best narrator of his age. The first edition of his Compendium juper Francorum gejtis was published in Paris, in 1495. 7. The Scot IOHN MAJOR, latinized IOANNES MAJOR, D.D. [b 1478-d 1540] was for many years Profeffor of Theology and one of the Doctors of the Sorbonne, at Paris. He published his Hiftoria Maioris Britanniæ, tam Angliæ quam Scotia, per Ioannem Maiorem, nomine quidem Scotum, professione autem Theologum, e veterum monumentis concinnata. 4to Paris. 1521. "This history is divided into fix books wherein he gives a fummary account of the affairs of Scotland from Fergus I. till the marriage of King James III., in the year 1469, with which he concludes his work." Mackenzie. Writers of the Scottish Nation, ii. 315. 8. HECTOR BOETHIUS, or BOECE, or BOEIS [b about 1470d about 1550] a native of Dundee, became Principal of King's College, Aberdeen. wrote Scotorum hiftoria a prima gentis origine. &c. in 17 books, first published in Paris in 1526, and subfequently enlarged in later editions. 9. Sir Thomas Elyot [d 1546.] The work referred to by Afcham, does not appear ever to have been published. Kinis Affociate, King's College, London, F.R.G.S., &c. LONDON: ALEX. MURRAY & SON, 30, QUEEN SQUARE, W.C. Ent. Stat. Hall.] 1 August, 1868. [All Rights referved JOHN MILTON'S public self-dedication to the compofition of a great English Epic, INTRODUCTION, BIBLIOGRAPHY, CRITICISM ON MILTON'S PARADISE LOST [Note on the early iffues of The Spectator] No. 262. Announcement of the Milton papers 3 58 9 10 I. A GENERAL IDEA OF THE GRACES AND IMPERFECTIONS OF PARADISE LOST.' No. 267. THE FABLE, perfect or imperfect according to the Action, which must be One, Entire, and Great 273. THE CHARACTERS of Homer, Virgil, and Milton compared. Allegorical characters not proper to an Epic 279. THE SENTIMENTS must be both natural and fub- 291. Qualities of true and false Critics II. BEAUTIES IN THE SEVERAL BOOKS. 303. Book I. 50 59 67 75 84 92 ΙΟΙ 109 117 126 136 145 JOHN MILTON'S PUBLIC SELF-DEDICATION_TO THE COMPOSI⚫ TION OF A GREAT ENGLISH EPIC. About Feb. 1642, Milton, æt 32, in his third contribution to the Smectymnuus controversy, The Reason of Church government urg'd against Prelatry, to show how little delight he had in that which he believed God by his Secretary conscience inicyned' upon him therein: he thus magnificently announces his self-dedication to the magnificent purpose of writing a great Epic in his mother tongue. "I should not cause this manner of writing wherein knowing my seif inferiorto my seif, led by the genial power of nature to another task, I have the use, as I may account it, but of my left hand. And though I shall be foolish in saving more to this purpose, yet since it will be such a folly as wisest men going about to commit, have oniv contest and so committed. I may trust with more reason, because with more folly to have courteous pardon. For although a Poet soaring in the high region of his fancies with his garland and singing robes about him might without apology speak more of himself then i mean to do, yet for me sitting here below in the cooi element of prose, a mortail thing among many readers of no Empyreall conceit, to venture and divulge unusual things of my seite, I shail petition to the gentier sort, it may not be envy to me. I must say therefore that after i had from my first yeeres by the ceaselesse diligence and care of my father, whom God recompence, bin exercis'd to the tongues, and some sciences, as my age would suffer, by sundry masters and teachers both at home and at the schools, it was found that whether ought was impos'd me by them that had the overlooking, or betak'n to of mine own choise in English, or other tongue, prosing and versing, but chiefly this latter, the stile by certain vital signes it had, was likely to live. But much latelier in the privat Academies of Italy, whither I was favor'd to resort, perceiving that some tries which I had in memory, compos'd at under twenty or thereabout (for the manner is that every one must give some proof of his wit and reading there) met with acceptance above what was lookt for, and other things which I had shifted in scarsity of books and conveniences to patch up amongst them, were receiv'd with written Encomiums, which the Italian is not forward to bestow on men of this side the Alps. I began thus farre to assent both to them and divers of my friends here at home, and not lesse to an inward prompting which now grew daily upon me, that by labour and intent study (which I take to be my portion in this life) joyn'd with the strong propensity of nature, I might perhaps leave something so written to aftertimes, as they should not willingly let it die. These thoughts at once possest me, and these other. That if I were certain to write as men buy Leases, for three lives and downward, there ought no regard be sooner had, then to Gods glory by the honour and instruction of my country. For which cause, and not only for that I knew it would be hard to arrive at the second rank among the Latines, I apply'd my selfe to that resolution which Ariosto follow'd against the perswasions of Bembo, to fix all the industry and art I could unite to the adorning of my native tongue; not to make verbal curiosities the end, that were a toylsom vanity, but to be an interpreter and relater of the best and sagest things among mine own Citizens throughout this Iland in the mother dialect. That what the greatest and choycest wits of Athens, Rome, or modern Italy, and those Hebrews of old did for their country, I in my proportion with this over and above of being a Christian, might doe for mine: not caring to be once nam'd abroad, though perhaps I could attaine to that, but content with these British Ilands as my world, whose fortune hath hitherto bin, that if the Athenians, as some say, made their small deeds great and renowned by their eloquent writers, England hath had her noble atchievments made small by the unskilfull handling of monks and mechanicks. Time servs not now, and perhaps I might seem too profuse to give any certain account of what the mind at home in the spacious circuits of her musing hath liberty to propose to her self, though of highest hope, and hardest attempting, whether that Epick form whereof the two poems of Homer, and those other two of Virgil and Tasso are a diffuse, and the book of Iob a brief model: or whether the rules of Aristotle herein are strictly to be kept, or nature to be follow'd, which in them that know art, and use judgement is no transgression, but an inriching of art. And lastly what King or Knight before the conquest might be chosen in whom to lay the pattern of a Chris |