poverty and hopeless indignation," upon his foliciting the repayment of his loan to the parliament in vain, only ferves to fhew how dextrously the Doctor can fill up the chafms of authentic hiftory by the fertility of his imagination. And that his wants being few, were com"petently fupplied," is an argument that he could as eafily return to his philofophy as part with his affluence.

From this character of Milton the Doctor would fhrink if he could, and put down the merit of it among the topics of falsehood; but his draw-backs upon it only end in furmifes palpably inconfiftent with that unabated conftancy of mind in Milton, which even the new narrative could not disguise; an obfer

obfervation which belongs to more articles of this remarkable compofition than this before us.

The Doctor's next debate with himfelf is concerning Milton's religion. The appearances in this part of Milton's hiftory puzzled Mr. Peck before him, who, after decently drawing the faw to and again, fixes Milton in Quakerism.

Dr. Johnson seems to think he was of no church, merely, as it fhould feem, because he was neither of the Church of Rome, nor of the Church of England.

If not, to what purpofe is the following reflection?

"To be of no church is dangerous. "Religion, of which the rewards are

"diftant,

"diftant, and which is animated only "by faith and hope, will glide by de"C grees out of the mind, unless it be in-. "vigorated and reimpreffed by external "ordinances, by ftated calls to worship, "and the falutary influence of exam"ple *.".

The mere cant of every popish formalift, who fets himself to fhew that images are the books of the ignorant; and that without them the common people can have no religion.

We cannot admit even Dr. Johnson's experience to decide this matter for us; who indeed hath immediately destroyed his own hypothefis, by acknowledging that Milton, who affociated with no par* Life, p. 140.

ticular

“

ticular church, appears to have had "full conviction of the truth of Chrifti

"anity; to have regarded the holy fcrip

66

tures with the profoundest veneration;

"to have been untainted with any here"tical peculiarity of opinion; and to "have lived in a confirmed belief of the "immediate and occafional agency of "Providence."

"And yet, he grew old without any "vifible worship." Does it follow from hence, that Milton

worship at all?

grew old without any

Yes, truly, fuch is the conclufion. "In the diftribution of his hours there "was no hour of prayer, either folitary "or with his household; omitting pub

"lic

lic prayer, he omitted all." And then he procedes to account for it.

But thefe particulars, wherever the Doctor got them, muft have come from perfons who had no more honeft bufinefs in John Milton's closet than Dr. Johnfon himself, who never came there, nor can poffibly know what was done, or what was omitted in it. If his studies and "meditations were an habitual prayer," what occafion had he for a stated hour, which, being a circumftance in the visible worship of a private man, may as foon be a token of pharifaical oftentation or popish fuperftition as of cordial piety!.

Nor perhaps would Milton have accepted of Dr. Johnfon's apology for his omiffion of family worship, or have acknowledged