Such Only. Above all, whatever Mistaken Notions may be Imputed to him, he Appears to have been Rich, and Splendid in a Confcioufnefs of his Own Integrity, and upon That Foundation with a Noble Contempt for the Tongue of Ignorance, Malice, and Detraction.

Pleasure, I mean not what is Senfual, and as it is Oppos'd to Vertue, but That which is Confiftent with, and Often the Effect of Religion and Philofophy, This Pleasure, as 'tis what makes Existence Valuable, is the Main Affair of Life. to form an Idea Therefore of the Life of any Particular Man, the Way must be to Balance his Enjoyments and Sufferings One against the Other, and then to Obferve How the Account Stands. I have long thought Men are Nearly Equal in This Great Circumftance, how Vaftly foever they may Differ in the Subordinate Ones. 'tis not my Intention to Purfue This Thread of Speculation at This time, as being Improper, but I fhould not Compleat what I Undertook, which was to show you the Author of Paradife Loft, as well as I was Able, if I Omitted to Confider him in This Light, to View him with regard to Pain and Pleasure.

it has been Seen that he was Tormented with Head-Achs, Gout, Blindness; and that though he was a Gentleman, and had Always Enough for a Philofopher, he made no Show,£ 4

nor

nor had the Affluences of Fortune, Perhaps was Somtimes a little Streightned, at least his Family was not Eafy, how much Soever Himfelf was, Only on Their Accounts. he had Other Domestick Vexations, particularly that Uncommon and Severe One of the Affront and Scorn of a Wife he Lov'd, and the Continuance of it for fome Years. and This without Allowing him time to know what Conjugal Happiness was. Many of his Choiceft Years of Life were Employ'd in Wrangling, and Receiving and Racquetting Back Reproach, Accufation, and Sarcaẩm. Which though he had an Arm and Dexterity fitted for, 'twas an Exercife of his Abilities very Difagreeable to Him: as it muft needs be to One Accuftom'd to Praife, as He was in his Younger Years, to One Ever Labouring to Deserve Efteem and Love, to find Himself Laden with Obloquy and Hatred by a Great Part of Mankind, and even by Many of Thofe from whom he had a Right to Expect and Demand the Contrary. And when he return'd to thofe Employments of his Faculties he Chiefly Delighted in, Efpecially Poetry, it muft Grieve him to find Them So little Regarded, as in the Cafe of Paradife Loft, of which More in its Place. Add to All This, that Latterly when Publick Affairs ran in a Channel he had All his Life before been Labouring to Dam up, it must give Him no Small Affliction; Confidering withal his Own

Par

Particular Sufferings, and Danger of Worse. All which muft have an Additional Weight as Age and Infirmities, and perhaps their Ufual Concomitant, Lownefs of Spirits, Gain'd Ground upon Him. What Now of Pleasure had He to Balance against This? if his Fortune and Appearance were not Confiderable, Neither did he Defire they Should; nor did he Wish the Applaufes of Other than Wife and Good Men, that is, Thofe he Judg'd to be So; the Praises of the Reft he Well knew were not to be had in behalf of the Moft Uncommon Merit. and that This Reft is Always the Majority: but he was Greatly Honour'd by Thofe whofe Approbation is True Glory. the Gratifications of Senfe, Otherwife than as Nature, and Temperance had given them a Pure, and Wholefom Relish, he knew little of. Only Mufick he Enjoy'd. Whilft he had Sight, the Source of Perpetual Pleafure to Refin'd Eyes, he feems to have Little by Their Means, at least Little from the Labours of Art. though that he faw Nature Beautifully, I am Sure by the Pictures of That Kind he has Enrich'd our Collections with. He, (in a Word) was All Mind, an Intellectual Man. and Such were his Pleafures. A Strong Tide of Knowledge which his Soul Thirfted after was Ever Flowing. With his Learning Came in the Nobleft Ideas, Philofophical, Divine and Poetical; nor were Such Wanting Perpetually Suggested from

Within,

X

Within, Equal, or Superiour to the Best of his Wellcom Acquifitions; These Sweetned and Improv'd All the Incidents of Life; All Such a Man Sees, Taftes, Touches, All that is Common, and Un-Notic'd to Vulgar, or not Exalted Minds, to Such as His becomes Joyous. Above All, He had Vertue and Piety; not only an Unmolefted Confcience, "Unpolluted, but a strong Senfe of having Done his Duty, What He Conceiv'd to be So; the very Utmoft the Beft of Us Can do, and which Whoever Has, will believe he finds the Spirit it Self bearing Witness with His Spirit that He is a Child of God. This was His Rejoycing. Whether he was in the Right or Not, Alters not the Cafe as to the Approbation and Exultation of his Own Mind, Mr. Locke wrote a Letter to a Friend, (Mr. Collins) not to be deliver'd to him till After Himself was Dead. I have feen the Original, it has Thefe Words, as near as I can remember, 'tis Many Years ago that I faw it. "May You Continue to Enjoy Plenty, and

Health, which Providence has Bestow'd on "You, and which your Vertue Intitles you "to. I know you Lov'd me while I was

Living, and will Honour my Memory now "that I am Dead; the beft Ufe to be made "of it, is to Believe there is no Happiness "Equal to a Confcioufnefs of having done "Well; This I have found, and This You "will find when you come to make up the "Account."

"Account." A Man always Bufied as Milton was, Poffefs'd of Such Sublime Ideas and Sentiments, and of Such a Confcioufnefs-I enquire not what were the Other Circumstances of his Life, and will admit (as it must happen to the Wifeft and Best of Men, and of the most Poetical Genius) Nature Somtimes broke in upon the Strongest Ramparts the Muse, Philofophy, and Religion could Provide; Yet Surely John Milton was in the Main, and upon the foot of the Account, a Happy Man. to What Degree Who can tell?

-though fall'n on Evil Dayes, on Evil Dayes though fall'n, and Evil Tongues; in Darkness, and with Dangers compafst round, and Solitude; Yet not Alone while Thou Vifit'ft my Slumbers Nightly, or when Morn Purples the Eaft: -Parad. Loft. VII. 2 5.

in the Muse was His Joy and Crown of Rejoycing, and in the Teftimony of a Good Conscience;

this Senfual World was not a Paradife to Him, but he Poffeft a Paradife Within Him, Happier far!

We have been Entertain'd (Greatly I may fay, Speaking of My Self) with the Picture of a Man, of a Mind, as well Worthy our Confideration and Efteem, as Moft of Thofe whofe Lives are Written by any Ancient or Modern; More than far the Greater Number;

and