Page images
PDF
EPUB

ADVERTISEMENT.

I'

Tis neceffary to inform the reader,

that the following Remarks are a small part of a work lately given to the public, wherein occafion is incidentally taken to exhibit fome inftances of the manner in which Milton's character has been treated by fome of his former biographers and others. About the time that specimen was clofed Dr. Johnson's New Narrative was thrown in the way of the editors, and could not be overlooked without leaving fome of the more candid and capable judges of Milton's profe-writings to fuffer by the illiberal reflections of certain (perhaps well

[blocks in formation]

meaning) men, who may

be led to think

that truth, judgment, and impartiality are small matters, when contrasted with what Dr. Johnson's admirers have thought fit to call, an inimitable elegance of stile and compofition. Our countrymen are certainly interested, that wrong reprefentations of the character of fo capital a writer as John Milton fhould be corrected, and properly cenfured; and therefore as the work from which the following Remarks are extracted may fall into the hands of very few of the numerous readers of Dr. Johnson's Prefaces, we hope the public will approve! of our republishing thefe ftrictures on the Doctor's account of Milton, in a form to which may be had an easier and more general access.

We

We have only to add, that it has been thought convenient to fubjoin to thefe Remarks, new and accurate editions of two of Milton's profe tracts; viz. his Letter to Mr. Samuel Hartlib on Education, and his Areopagitica. The firft was grown fcarce, being omitted in fome editions, both of the author's prose and poetical works; but highly worthy to be preferved as prefcribing a course of difcipline, which, though out of fashion in these times, affords many useful leffons to those who may have abilities and courage enough to adopt fome of those improvements, of which the modes of learned education in prefent practice are confeffedly fufceptible.

2

The

The other will of courfe recommend itself to all advocates for the liberty of the prefs, and moreover may, in half an hour's reading, entertain fome part of the public with a contraft between the magnanimity of Milton, in facing a formidable enemy, and Dr. Johnson's feefaw meditations, the fhifty wiles of a man between two fires, who neither dares fight nor run away. These two tracts are published from the first editions.

REMARKS

« PreviousContinue »