Learned Abbè Salvini, the fame who Tranflated Addifon's Cato into Italian, shew'd my Son at Florence an Intire Tranflation of it, and faid he Intended to Print it. 'tis not yet done that we know of. And now I take the Liberty Once more to mention my Self on This Occafion, though I will not do it without fetting Milton's Example to Plead in my, behalf. He having spoken already in a Sort of Praise of Himfelf [Reafon of Church-Government, B. 2.] goes on Thus. and though I fhall be Foolish in faying More to this Purpofe, yet fince it will be Such a Folly as Wifeft Men going about to Commit, have only Confeft and fo Committed, I may Truft with more Reafon, becaufe with more Folly, to have Courteous Pardon. What I would fay is, that Our Books of Painting having been Translated into French and Difpers'd all over Europe by That Means, Efpecially where any Store of Good Pictures are, and These having Abundance of Quotations from Milton as from a Claffic, Those being the First Books that have So Confider'd him: This has given a Specimen of the Whole, which has at least done Some Service to the Name of Milton, how much More Soever the Translation of Mr. Addifon's Spectators on the Subject, and the Paffages He has given may have done.

Thus, what by One means, what by Another, and Thofe Complicated and Manag'd. as Providence well Can, This Poem, this

Wafte

Waste Paper, (like an Acorn Hid and Loft) has, by its Inherent Life, and a Little Cultivation, Sprung Out of the Earth, Lifted up its Head and Spread its Branches, a Noble Oak; has become a Richer Treasure to the World than it has receiv'd from Most of Thofe Names which Glitter in the Records of Time.

Who would have Imagin'd Now that Milton's Paradife Loft was not Yet Safe! 'tis in our Poffeffion indeed in Many Editions, but Milton's Blindness and Other Difadvantages has Occafion'd Suggeftions and Affertions that we have it not as the Author gave it, but as Corrupted by Prefumption, Folly, Careleffness, and I know not What. Prefumption, Folly, or Somthing Worfe, has been at Work, in Suggefting, or Believing Such things, which is the more Dangerous because founded on a Specious Probability, which Commonly Cheats Us, Few having the Opportunity, or the Skill to Diftinguish between Probability and Truth; and Fewer yet that are not too Lazy to Examine with that Degree of Care and Pains which Truth will Demand. Perfuafion is Cheaper come at by Probability.

Some may perhaps Imagine the Poem had been more Perfect if the Author had not been depriv'd of his Sight. I will Confider This in the First place.

and

and 'tis Such a Compliment to the Abilities of Milton, that I confefs I cannot come up to; how Poetical foever My Imagination may be thought to be in That Inftance; I rather think that we owe fome of the moft Sublime Beauties of the Poem to That Circumftance; his Mind being not Deprefs'd with it, but Richly Arm'd against the most Calamitous Difpenfations of the Divine Will by an Humble and Devout Refignation, and a Philofophical, a Chriftian Refolution, with a Competent Meafure of Supernatural Affiftance Enabling him to lay hold of the Advantages which are to be found Accompanying Every Accident, or Providential Event that Can poffibly happen in Human Life; as there is No Good, how Bright Soever in Appearance, but carries with it Some Alloy. Blindnefs (God knows) is Terrible; I, who take In More Pleasure at my Eyes than Most Men, for I Perpetually find my Self Surrounded with what I fee Abounds with Beauty; I conceive Strongly of That Calamitous Disease; but at the Same time know that in That Cafe the Thoughts may be More Collected, Intenfe and Fixt than when a Multiplicity and Variety of Objects call them off, or Divide their Powers. 'tis a Common Obfervation, that a Lofs or Defect in One Faculty is Compenfated with Advantages to the reft. Nor is it Unnatural to a Good Mind, call'd off from Worldly Enjoyments by Some Difaftrous

Circumftance, to Raife it Self, with More Vigour than Otherwife it would Ever have Exerted, Thither where are hid the Treafures of Wisdom, Unattainable in This Atmosphere, the Cares and Joys of Senfe in which the Generality of Us are Envelop'd. That Milton was Thus Rapt above the Pole when he Wrote Paradife Loft Seems to Me Apparent whenever I open the Book, or recur to that Treafury of Fine Paffages of it laid up in my Mind. the Poem it Self does More than Whisper it loft Nothing by its Author's Blindneís. but I love as often as I can, to bring Him to tell my Reader what I would say if I were able. be pleas'd then to turn back to pag. lxiii; to which add what he fays in a Letter (Ep. 21.) to Emeric Bigot Anno 1656.- I rejoyce then that you have a juft Senfe of the Tranquillity of my Mind in This fo Great a Lofs of my Sight

as for the being bereav'd of my Sight wherefore Should I not bear it with Patience fince I hope 'tis not fo much Loft, as call'd Inward, and Added to the Vigour of my Mental Sight. as

II. 51.

So much the rather thou Celeftial Light
Shine Inward, and the Mind through all her
Powers

Irradiate, There plant Eyes, all Mift from
Thence

Purge and Difperfe,

As

As little did his Book Suffer by This Misfortune in regard to the Correctness of the Impreffion, how much Soever the Contrary may at First Sight feem Probable. the Work is Compleat, and Pure.

Milton's Blindness, and Suppofe Poverty, hindred not his being Agreeable to Such Kind of Friends Who Alone are Worthy of the Name, and Who Alone were like to be Serviceable to him on This Occafion; Others indeed Fled him; So much the better for Us, and Him. and may Such Abject Minds keep far away from every Good Man! Providence has Kindly taken Care for That, and Did also take Care that Milton fhould not be Destitute of Abundant Affiftance to Supply his Want of Sight. I have Already given a Noble Paffage from his Defenfio 2de. at Length, and Recommended it just now, a Small Part of it is Full to my Prefent Purpose, This I will give my Self the Pleafure of Tranfcribing that the Reader fhould not be at the Trouble of Turning to it again.- My Friends are more Ready and Officious to Serve me than Before, and more Frequently Vifit me, Some of which are not Lefs True and Faithfull than those of Old, Pylades and Thefeus. For They did not think that by This Accident I am become Altogether Nothing, or that the Only Worth of an Honeft and Upright Man is plac'd in the Eyes. Far from it, the Greatest Men in the Commonwealth do not Defert me, fince if my Eyes have

Deferted