Biographer of the impropriety of a new narrative would, we are perfuaded, have made the undertakers of the edition contented with the Doctor's plan."

He might not indeed have found the means to introduce certain particulars, which embellifh his new narrative, into his notes on Mr. Fenton's abridgement, in which there is a vein of candor that does the writer more honour than the ingenuity of his performance; not to mention the different judgment, from that of Dr. Johnson, formed by Mr. Fenton, on fome of Milton's poetical pieces.

We therefore believe this new narrative was calculated rather for Dr. Johnfon's private contentment than the neceffities of the edition.

A few

A few inftances will ferve to thew the probability of this furmife.

All the writers of Milton's Life before ›

Dr. Johnson fpeak of the esteem with

which Milton was honoured by his fellow-members of Chrift's College at Cambridge, Milton values himfelf upon. it at a time when the under-workers of the royalifts, who fent different accounts to the defenders of Salmafius abroad, might have effectually confuted him. Let us now observe the contraft.

"Of the exercifes which the rule s of "the univerfity required, fome were "published by him in his ma turer } 466 years. They had been undoulatedly "applauded, for they were fuch as few "can perform, yet there is reafon to

" fuf

fufpect, that he was regarded in his "college with no great fondnefs. That ❝he obtained no fellowship is certain; but the unkindnefs with which he was treated was not merely negative. I am afhamed to relate what I fear is true; that Milton was the laft ftudent in

either univerfity that fuffered the epub "lic indignity of corporal correction* This filly tale is taken from Warton's "Life and Remains of Dean Bathurst," and retailed by Warton from fome manufcripts of Aubrey the antiquarian in the Afhmolean Museum, whofe anile credulity has difabled him from being a writer of any authority. In what manner, and with what circumstances, this corporal

* Milton's Life, p. 7, 8.

cor

I

correction was inflicted in either univerfity, we are not informed. Warton's words are, that "Milton was actually "whipped by Dr. Thomas Bainbrigge, "Master of Chrift's College, while he was at Cambridge." Dr. Johnson calls it a public indignity, which is an improvement upon Aubrey, and renders the fact still more improbable. There is no fpecification of the offence, or of the time of the correction; and we may prefume, that when this wholesome feverity was most in vogue in either univerfity, the head of a college would hardly make himself fo ridiculous as to condefcend to execute the office of a parish-beadle *.

There

* We have been informed, that the manner

of

There is another prefumption against

this anecdote..

Warton obferves, that

Wood, who, according to him, com-piled his account of Milton from Au-brey's manufcript, has omitted fome cir-cumstances, particularly this of his flagellation. Aubrey pretends he had his information from Milton's own mouth;. or from his relations after his death; at least fo he told Wood, who could not be fuppofed to omit this circumftance from. any good-will he bore to Milton's memory. We may then reasonably suspect that Wood did not believe it, and that he was convinced Aubrey was misinformed; and fuppofe the ftory fhould be one

of whipping young unlucky academics was, to hoift them upon the college buttery hatch, where the difcipline was inflicted by the butler.

of