her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full mid-day beam; purging and unsealing her long-abused sight at the fountain itself of heavenly radiance; while the whole noise of timorous and flocking birds, with those also that love the twilight, flutter about amazed at what she means*, and in their envious gabble would prognosticate a year of sects and schisms.

This most energetic appeal, and most poignant satire, produced no effect upon a contracted, presbyterian government. That they remained inexorably determined to put chains and locks upon the printing presses, appeared from the following circumstance. The arguments used by MILTON, induced one MABAL, a licenser, to offer his reasons against licensing, and at his own request he was permitted to give up the office !†

* It is amusing to read the remarks of Symmons on this passage. He says, "the passage should have ended with 'means.' The imagery is spoilt and broken by the concluding words, sects and schisms.'" Yes, it might have been more elegant; but then his object in writing it would have been lost: he meant, that "the birds who loved the twilight" should take a hint, that they could not bear that light of truth which led men off from the established church.

+ The following history, from a note in the 4th vol. of Blackstone's Commentaries, p. 152, (eleventh edition,) shows that Corruption is a monster that will not die easily, when there are paid servants of the state to nourish it, and cherish it,

In his thirty-fifth year, he entered into the marriage state, at Whitsuntide, 1643, with MARY, the daughter of RICHARD POWELL, of ForestHill, near Shotover in Oxfordshire: he was a justice of the peace, and a person of great respectability in that part of the country. Toland

and keep it alive." The art of printing, soon after its introduction, was looked upon (as well in England as in other countries) as merely a matter of state, and subject to the coercion of the crown. It was therefore regulated with us by the king's proclamation, prohibitions, charters of privilege, and of license, and finally by the decrees of the court of starchamber, which limited the number of printers, and of presses which each should employ, and prohibited new publications, unless previously approved by proper licensers. On the demolition of this odious jurisdiction in 1641, the long parliament of Charles I. after their rupture with that prince, assumed the same powers as the star-chamber exercised with respect to the licensing of books; and in 1643, 1647, 1649, and 1652, (Scobell I. 44, 134; II. 88, 232;) issued their ordinances for that purpose, founded principally on the star-chamber decree of 1637. In 1662 was passed the statute 13 and 14 Car. II. c. 33, which (with some few alterations) was copied from the parliamentary ordinances. This act expired in 1679, but was revived by statute 1 Jac. II. c. 17, and continued till 1692. It was then continued for two years longer by statute 4th W. and M. c. 24. But though frequent attempts were made by the government to revive it, in the subsequent part of that reign, (Com. Journ. II. Feb. 1694, 26th Nov. 1695, 22nd Oct. 1696, 9th Feb. 1697, 31st Jan. 1698,) yet the parliament resisted it so strongly, that it finally expired, and the press became properly free in 1694, and has ever since so continued."

says: "But whether it was that this young woman, accustomed to a large jovial large jovial family, could not live in a philosophical retirement; or that she was not perfectly satisfied with the person of her husband; or lastly, that because all her relations were all addicted to the royal interest, his democratical principles were disagreeable to their humour, (nor is it improbable the father repented of his match, upon the prospect of some success on the king's side, who then had his headquarters at Oxford) or whatever was the reason, 'tis certain, that after he had enjoyed her company at London for about a month, she was invited by her friends to spend the rest of the summer in the country; to which he consented, on condition that she returned at Michaelmas. Yet he saw her not at the time appointed, and after receiving several of his letters without sending him any answer, she did at length positively refuse to come, dismissing his messenger with contempt."

That a man of his high and honourable spirit, should have been incensed at such contemptuous conduct, from so near and endeared a companion as his wife, may be easily conceived, and ought not to be condemned as improper resentment: whether all the steps which he took in consequence were alike justifiable, will admit of a serious question, and respecting which there will perhaps be different opinions.

As all his attempts to induce his wife to return to his house proved ineffectual, he thought his own reputation and repose demanded that he should declare her to be no longer his wife! It is said that he endeavoured to make his constrained widowhood, for nearly four years, as easy and cheerful as he could; to which the sprightly wit and good sense of Lady MARGARET LEE, daughter of the Earl of Marlborough, greatly contributed. He frequently visited her ladyship; and the high esteem he entertained for her, has been well expressed in a sonnet found among his occasional

poems.

Having taken his firm resolution to repudiate his wife, and never to receive her back again, he thought it proper publicly to attempt a justification of this step, and therefore published, in the year 1644, his work on the "Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce." This he dedicated to the Parliament, and the Assembly of Divines at Westminster; hoping, that as they were employed in promoting a general reformation of the kingdom, they might take this subject also of domestic liberty into consideration; being of opinion that all the boasted freedom of public judicatures signified little, if the mean while a husband must be obliged to submit to a kind of servitude in domestic life, below the dignity of a man, or, as he expressed it, “a disconsolate household captivity,

without refuge or redemption." His design was to show that there are other sufficient reasons for divorce besides adultery, and that to prohibit any sort of divorce, but such as are excepted by MOSES, is unjust, and against the reason of the law. The grand position he maintains is, "That indisposition, unfitness, and contrary humours, proceeding from any unchangeable cause in nature, hindering, and always likely to hinder, the main ends and benefits of conjugal society, that is to say, peace and delight, are greater reasons of divorce than ADULTERY, or natural FRIGIDITY, provided there be a mutual consent for separation."

On this book appearing, the clergy in general declaimed against it, charging its author with atheism, heresy, lewdness, &c. &c. They daily instigated the Parliament, but in vain, to pass their censure of condemnation upon it: and at length one of them, on a day of public humiliation, told them that "there was a wicked book abroad which deserved to be burnt, and that among their other sins they ought to repent: it had not yet been branded with a mark of their displeasure." This, and the opposition to it by some other ministers, led him to publish his Tetrachordon, which also was dedicated to the Parliament. This was an exposition of the four chief passages of Scripture that treat of marriage,