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Man as the subject for his long-contemplated epic poem. According to his friend Aubrey, he had Man as the subject for moves. Even now, however, his time was not to be given to it more commenced that great work in 1658. Even now, however, his time was not to be given to it more than partially. In 1658 he publishes, from manuscript, Sir Walter Raleigh's work, intitled The Cabinet Council. In 1659, he issues his valuable treatise on Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Cases, and a vigorous pamphlet on the Means of Removing Hirelings out of the Church. In this year also he wrote a letter to a friend concerning the ruptures of the Commonwealth, and another to General Monk in favour of a free Commonwealth, and describing the present means of securing it. But these were brief ordinary letters, extending to a page or two, and were not printed. The pamphlet published some months later, intitled The Ready and Easy way to Establish a Free Commonwealth, was something much more elaborate, and was addressed to the nation. In this performance Milton urges, with much earnestness, the excellency of a Commonwealth, "compared with the inconveniences and dangers of re-admitting kingship in this nation." Another fragment was published by him at this juncture in reply to a sermon of a high Royalist tone, preached by a Dr. Matthew Griffith, described as "Chaplain to the late King." In these two pieces Milton delivers his last protest against the return of Stuart rule. Almost to the moment when the guns of Dover Castle were to proclaim the landing of His Majesty Charles II., Milton's voice is raised in this cause. But the nation heard not, and Court and country hastened to fulfil the worst predictions uttered by Cromwell long since, and now reiterated by Milton. The most sober portion of the people had become weary of a war of factions, of disorder sinking deeper and deeper into confusion, and were willing to hope that the reports circulated everywhere, as to the wise and patriotic intentions of the exiled King, would prove to be well founded. That hope was to prove vain. But the unwelcome experience came too late. What had been done could not be undone.

During the eight years preceding the Restoration Milton had lived in his detached house in Petty France, near the center of all the actions of those years in relation to the great questions both of Church and State. Under that roof he had been wont to receive his friends, so that there we can imagine Syriac Skinner discoursing freely on the recent debates in Parliament, or in his club, and on the tendencies of public affairs. There Andrew Marvel's honest voice was often heard on such topics, and in sharp and witty criticism on poetry, and on literature generally. There Robert Boyle often spoke, as we may believe, to his blind friend on the most recent experiments in philosophy, and passed from the mysteries of nature to express his devout thoughts concerning its Author. Milton's writings show that many of the most distinguished men, both in the army and the state, were personally known to him, and such men were, no doubt, to be seen from time to time by his fireside. But with Milton, as with Bacon, the admiration of his genius by his countrymen was surpassed in that manifested by distinguished foreigners. During the years under review he was the great Englishman whom most stranger wished to see, next to Cromwell. And it is certain that many a flattering pilgrimage of that nature was made to his humble dwelling.

But with the Restoration all is changed. Milton must have felt that his life had ceased to be secure. His political career was at an end, and silence in the future could not be regarded as enough to protect him against the consequences of the past. He now left Petty France, and found an asylum with a friend in Bartholomew Close. Proclamation was issued for his apprehension, but he had friends able and willing to serve him. His brother-in-law, Sir Thomas Clarges;

Morrice, Secretary of State Morrice, Secretary of State, cousin to General Monk; Andrew Marvel, who had a seat in Parliament; two distinguished Royalist aldermen of York; and above all, Sir William Davenant, are mentioned as having used in the mentioned as having used influence in his favour. Even among his enemies there were men who could not think of his blindness without pity, nor of his genius without respect. It has been said that some of his friends reported him as dead, and got up a mock funeral to divert the Government from its threatened search after him. Such an expedient would have been innocent enough, though we cannot suppose that Milton would have been any party to it. Had anything of this nature been true, the wits of the court of Charles would not have left it to come down to us from a date long after the event.

In June, 1660, the Commons moved that Milton's Iconoclastes and his Defence of the People of England should be burnt by the hangman, and in August that was done. But an act of indemnity was then passed, which spared the life of the author, though some months later, and, from some unknown cause, we find him in the keeping of the Sergeant-at-Arms. He was soon released, however, simply on the payment of his fees. With his characteristic independence and fearlessness, he resisted that payment on the ground of its exorbitancy, and the demand was reduced.

On leaving his retreat in Bartholomew Close, Milton took a house in Holborn, near Red Lion Square, but removed after a short interval to Jewin Street. Here he published a work on the Accidence and Grammar of the Latin Language; also Aphorisms of State, from another manuscript left by Sir Walter Raleigh. We have now to add, that to his house in Jewin Street Milton brought his third wife; but this does not seem to have occurred earlier than some time in 1664. The poet's friend, Dr. Paget, recommended to him Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Robert Minshull, of Wistaston, near Nantwich, in Cheshire, as a lady who might contribute to his happiness; and a marriage was the result. Milton was now fifty-six years of age His wife was thirty years his junior. At this time his eldest daughter was nearly eighteen years of age, the second sixteen.

Milton had remained so long unmarried in the hope, apparently, that these daughters would become capable and trustworthy in the management of his affairs; but in these expectations he must have been disappointed. Milton is charged with having conducted himself toward his daughters with little of the feeling to have been expected from him. We submit the case on both sides to the judgment of the reader.

Mistress Foster, a grand-daughter of Milton's, in low circumstances, is described as stating that Milton, besides his alleged harshness toward his daughters, was so indifferent generally in his feeling towards them, that he would not allow them to learn to write. The eldest could not read to him, from some impediment in her speech, but the two younger-so Deborah, the youngest of the two, says-were made to read in eight languages. As Greek and Hebrew were among these languages, to have been compelled to read much in those tongues, or indeed in any tongue while ignorant of its meaning, must have been a little disagreeable and exhausting. The poet's nephew, Phillips, relates, that as the young persons complained heavily of this labour, they were at length, all three, sent from home, "to learn seme curious and ingenious sorts of manufacture that are proper for women to learn, particularly embroidery in gold and silver." And the fact that Milton at his death left all his property to his widow, with the exception of what his daughters might claim through their mother from the Powells, has been thought to warrant the unfavourable constructions which have been put on these statements.

In reply, it is to be remembered that Mrs. Foster, the poet's grand-daughter, is not an altogether trustworthy witness, for her assertion that Milton would not allow his daughters to learn to write is manifestly untrue, inasmuch as Aubrey says positively that Deborah, the youngest, was amanuensis to her father, and that he taught her Latin, and how to read Greek-that is, to understand the one language, and to read the other. Deborah further says, that though they were not sent to school, they were " taught at home by a mistress kept for that purpose." This must