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an end at the Restoration. The prayer had been publifhed as King Charles's over and over during that interval; Milton's reproach was equally and repeatedly made public. Yet this worthy Bishop fuffers this prayer to be published in a collection of King Charles's works in the year 1662, without giving the leaft hint of the forgery, imputed afterwards to Milton and Bradshaw.

Let Dr. Johnfon then make what he can of the adaptation of this prayer to the cafe of King Charles; but let not his fplenetic prejudice against Milton affociate him with fuch a driveling crew, fuch a defpicable groupe of knights of the poft, as would perfuade the world. that Milton wanted the aid of fuch piti

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ful forgeries as they themselves occafionally practifed to fupport the nobleft of all employments, the defence of public liberty againft tyrants and oppref fors.

The Doctor's account of Milton's difpute with Salmafius we fhall pass by, and leave his criticifms on fome Latin expreffions on either fide to those who have not forgotten a trade, which, in fome degree or other, is, or fhould be, original to every good writer, namely, the trade of a Grammarian. No man has exercised this trade with more emolument than Dr. Johnfon, would he allow us to fay, that in his political pamphlets "the rights of nations and kings fink

into a laborious felicitude for the

" choice

"choice of words and modes of expref

"fion."

Milton's answer to Salmafius was much read, and it is no difparagement to his arguments that they appeared bad to a man of Hobbes's principles, or paradoxical in Dr. Johnson's ideas *.

But, however, the Doctor thought himself obliged to account for this depravity of taste in the numerous readers of Milton's defenfe, which he does in

this way:

"Paradox," fays our Biographer, "recommended by fpirit and elegance, "eafily gains attention; and he who told "every man that he was equal to his

.66

King, could hardly want an au<dience.

* Life, p. 56.
G 2

The

The paradox then is that every man is equal to his King. But where has Milton told this? or is it to Dr. Johnson's misapprehenfion of Milton's state of the cafe, or to his propenfity to calumniate, that we owe this falfe and rancorous infinuation?

That every man is not equal, but fuperior, to his Tyrant, is a propofition which has been demonftrated over and over, before Milton was born; and if Milton efpoused it, and made it better understood by a notorious example, he ferved his generation in a moft material article of their focial happiness. The ncxt generation had the spirit and good fenfe to profit by his doctrine; and by virtue of it drove their Tyrant into an ignominious exile.

Milton's

Milton's attachment to Cromwell has been imputed to him as a blot in his character long before it was taken up by Dr. Johnfon; who, to give him his due, has made the most of it in a small compass.

"Milton," fays he, "having tafted the honey of public employment, would "not return to hunger and philofophy;

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but, continuing to exercife his office "under a manifeft ufurpation, betrayed "to his power that liberty which he had "defended."

It is hardly neceffary to apprize a rcader of Milton's profe-works that his ideas of ufurpation and public liberty were very different from thofe of Dr. Johnfon. In the Doctor's fyftem of government publie liberty is the free grace of an heredi

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