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

rited expoftulations with foreign powers on any infraction of former treaties, in a ftyle of fteady determination, of which there have been few examples in subsequent 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 fervices be compared with those performed by Dr. Johnson for his prefent patrons;, and let the confti-: tutional fubject of the British empire judge which of them better deferves the appellation of a traitor to public liberty, or have more righteoufly earned the honey of a penfion.

}

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 fubject is or fhould be too much interested in the fact to confider any character of the rejected ruler but his vicious ambition, the violence and injuftice of his counfels, 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 conscioufnefs of the hiftorian's heart did not difable his hand for recording feveral things

to

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 lefs an ufurpation than that of Oliver Cromwell? Having tasted the honey of a penfion for writing minifterial 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 ftarving, even though his penfion fhould be fufpended to-morrow. Be it fo; and by what kind of proof will he fhew that Milton had no means of earning his bread but his political employment?

Milton

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..

Milton's reafon for rejecting this offer was, that "his wifh was to live and die "an honeft man." But, fays the Doc-"If he confidered the Eatin Secre

tor,

66.

tary as exercifing any of the powers of

government, he that had fhared au"thority, either with the parliament or "Cromwell, might have forborn to talk "very loudly of his honefty," p. 91.

The