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ments on the legal rights of the fubject;: many (perhaps the most) of which were to be justified by the neceffity of the times, and the malignant attempts of thofe who laboured to restore that wicked race of defpotic rulers, the individuals of which had uniformly professed an utter enmity to the claims of a free people, and had acted accordingly, in perfect conformity to Dr. Johnson's political creed.. On another hand, be it observed, that in those State-letters, latinized by Mil.. ton, which remain, and in those particularly written in the name of the Protector Oliver, the strictest attention is paid to the dignity and importance of the British nation, to the protection of trade, and the Proteftant religion, by fpi

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rited expoftulations with foreign powers on any infraction of former treaties, in a style of steady determination, of which there have been few examples in subse quent times. A certain fign in what efteem the British government was held" at that period by all the other powers of Europe. And as this was the only pro vince in which Milton acted under that government which Dr. Johnson calls an ufurpation, let his services be compared with those performed by Dr. Johnfon for his present patrons; and let the conftitutional subject of the British empire judge which of them better deferves the appellation of a traitor to public liberty, or have more righteously earned the honey of a penfion.

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The real ufurper is the wicked ruler over a poor people, by whatever means the power falls into his hands. And whenever it happens that the imperium ad optimum quemque a minus bono transfertur, the subject is or should be too much interested in the fact to confider any character of the rejected ruler but his vicious ambition, the violence and injustice of his counsels, and the flagitious acts by which they were executed.

These petulant reflections of the Doctor on Milton, might, many of them, eafily be answered by recrimination; we have often wondered, in running over this new narrative, that the confcioufness of the historian's heart did not dif

able his hand for recording several things

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to the reproach of Milton, which rebound with double force on his own notorious conduct. Has he always believed that the government of the House of Hanover was less an ufurpation than that of Oliver Cromwell? Having tafted the honey of a penfion for writing ministerial pamphlets, would he feel no regret in, returning once more to hunger and philofophy?

The Doctor perhaps will tell us, that he is in no danger of starving, even though his pension should be fufpended to-morrow. Be it fo; and by what kind of proof will he shew that Milton had no means of earning his bread but his poli tical employment ?

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Milton however made the experiment which happily Dr. Johnson has not; and that too after the Restoration; and re-fifted the temptations of court-favour, and the folicitations of his wife to accept of it, with a magnanimity which would do him honour with any man but the au-thor of the new narrative..

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Milton's reason for rejecting this offer was, that "his wish was to live and die an honeft man." But, says the Doctor, "If he confidered the Latin Secre"tary as exercisfing any of the powers of "government, he that had shared au"thority, either with the parliament or

" Cromwell, might have forborn to talk

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very loudly of his honesty," p. 91.

The

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