interefting life of Taffo; and which two engaging biographers of later date, the Abbé de Sade and Mr. Mason, have carried to greater perfection in their respective memoirs of Petrarch and of Gray. By weaving into their narrative felections of verfe and profe from the various writings of those they wished to commemorate, each of these affectionate memorialifts may be faid to have taught the poet he loved to become his own biographer;' an experiment that may, perhaps, be tried on Milton with the happiest effect; as in his works, and particularly in thofe that are at prefent the leaft known, he has fpoken frequently of himself-not from vanity, a failing too cold and low for his ardent and elevated mind, but, in advanced life, from motives of justice and honour, to defend himself against the poisoned arrows of flander; and, in his younger days, from that tenderness and fimplicity of heart, which lead a youthful poet to make his own affections and amufements the chief fubjects of his fong,"

The great aim of the subsequent account is to render full and perfect juftice to the general character of Milton. His manners and caft of mind, in various periods of life, may appear in a new and agreeable light, from the following collection and arrangement of the many little sketches, which his own hand has occafionally given. us, of his paffions and purfuits. Several of thefe, indeed, have been fondly affembled by Toland or Richardfon; men who, different as they were in their general fentiments and principles, yet fympathifed completely in their zeal for the renown of Milton; delighting to dwell on his character with that fhadow of friendship, that com placency and ardour of attachment, which, as Pope has obferved in fpeaking of Homer, we naturally feel for the great geniuses of ⚫ former time.'-But those who have endeavoured to illuftrate the perfonal hiftory of the great English Author, by exhibiting paffages from fome of his neglected works, have almost confined themselves to felections from his profe.

There is an ampler field for the ftudy of his early temper and turn of mind in his Latin and Italian poetry: here the heart and fpirit of Milton are displayed with all the frankness of youth. I felect what has a peculiar tendency to fhew, in the clearest light, his native difpofition, because his character as a man appears to have been greatly mistaken. I am under no fear that the frequency or length of fuch citations may be expofed to cenfure, having the pleafure and advantage of prefenting them to the English reader in the elegant and fpirited verfion of a poet and a friend-with pride and delight I add the name of Cowper. This gentleman, who is prepared to oblige the world with a complete translation of Milton's Latin and Italian poetry, has kindly favoured me with the liberty of tranfcribing, from his admirable work, whatever I wish to infert in this narrative. Since I am indebted to Milton for a friendship, which I regard as honourable in the highest degree, may I be indulged in the hope of leaving a lafting memorial of it in thefe pages,

A book, devoted to the honour of Milton, may admit, I hope, without impropriety, the praises due to a living author, who is become his poetical interpreter; an office which the spirit of the divine

Z 3

bard

bard may be gratified in his having affumed; for, affuredly, my friend bears no common resemblance to his moft illustrious predeceffor, not only in the energy and hallowed ufe of poetical talents, but in that beneficent fervour and purity of heart, which entitle the great poet to as large a portion of affectionate efteem, as he has long poffeffed of admiration.

⚫ JOHN MILTON was born in London, on the 9th of December, 1608, at the house of his father, in Bread Street, and baptifed on the 20th of the fame month, His chriftian name defcended to him from his grandfather. The family, once opulent proprietors of Milton, in Oxfordshire, loft that estate in the civil wars of York and Lancaster, and was indebted, perhaps, to adverfity for much higher diftinction than opulence can beftow. John, the grandfather of the poet, became deputy-ranger in the foreft of Shotover, not far from Oxford; and, intending to educate his fon as a gentleman, he placed him at Chrift Church, in that univerfity; but being himself a rigid papift, he difinherited the young and devout fcholar for an attachment to the doctrines of the reformation, and reduced him to the neceffity of quitting the path of literature for a lefs honourable, but more lucrative profeffion.

The difcarded ftudent applied himfelf to the employment of a fcrivener, which has varied with the variations of life and manners. A fcrivener, in remoter ages, is fuppofed to have been a mere tranfcriber; but, at the period we fpeak of, his occupation united the two profitable branches of drawing contracts and of lending money. The emoluments of this profeffion enabled the father of Milton to beftow molt abundantly on his fon thofe advantages of education which had been cruelly withdrawn from himself. The poet was happy in both his parents; and to the merits of both he has borne affectionate and honourable teftimony. The maiden name of his mother has been difputed; but it seems reasonable to credit the account of Philips, her grandfon, the earliest biographer of Milton, who had the advantage of living with him as a relation and a difciple.'

[To be continued. ]

ART. V. The Lives of Dr. John Donne, Sir Henry Wotton, Mr. Richard Hooker, Mr. George Herbert, and Dr. Robert Sanderfon. By Ifaac Walton. With Notes, and the Life of the Author, by Thomas Zouch, A. M. pp. 516. 4to. l. 5. boards. B. and J. White. London, 1796.

THE period in which the characters here defcribed, flourifhed, was animated, influenced, and, in a great measure, governed, by a spirit of religion. In the prefent times it would not occur to many writers to court the public gratitude and approbation, by holding up to their contemplation a conftellation

of divines. Such a conftellation, or cluster, as is exhibited in the prefent publication, it would not indeed, at this day, be eafy to find. But if fix fuch divines as Donne, Wotton, Hooker, Herbert, Sanderson, and Walton, could be found, the fpirit of the times is not fuch as to invite and encourage fuch a biogra phical work as that before us. The lives recorded by Walton were, however, worthy of being transmitted to pofterity; nor is that of Walton himself unworthy of the attention and regard of all times. In the prefent age, the genius and the industry of the European nations is exhaufted in commerce, and various pursuits of experimental philofophy. The enthufiasm of religion was a more animating fpirit, and called forth a greater mafs of exertion, and roufed and formed greater accomplishments and virtues, than have appeared, in an equal space of time, in the prefent century; diftinguished by greater philofophical precifion, and the progreffive difcoveries of time, but clearly inferior to the laft in manlinefs and originality of character, in boldness of defign, perfeverance in ftudy, and extent of erudition. The republication of the lives of Walton was a commendable defign; and Mr. Zouch has accomplished, enriched, and adorned it. In contemplating and converfing with those great and good men, the imagination is pleafed, the understanding is informed, and the heart is made better. And, while we enjoy all the pleasure of biographical compofition, always agreeable, if even tolerably executed, we are led, in the easiest manner, into a familiar acquaintance, as it were, with the principal occurrences and events, characters, and genius and fpirit, of the age in which thofe men acted, in their particular fpheres, very diftinguished parts. Of the biographer of Walton, our readers, we doubt not, will form a very favourable idea from the following:

I prefent not to the reader the hiftory of a wife flatesman, an adventurous foldier, or a profound philofopher: yet I trust that he will experience no fmall degree of fatisfaction from contemplating the virtues of a private citizen; who, though he arrogates not to himself the splendour of high defcent, or the pride of fuperfluous wealth, deferves our approbation and regard. Ifaac, or, as he ufually wrote his name, Izaac Walton, adorned with a guileless fime plicity of manners, claims from every good man the tribute of ap plaufe. It was his ambition (and furely a more honourable ambi tion cannot be excited in the human breaft) to commend to the re verence of pofterity the merits of those excellent perfons, whofe comprehenfive learning, and exalted piety, will ever endear them to our

memories.

The important end of hiftorical knowledge is a prudent applie cation of it to ourselves, with a view to regulate and amend our

own conduct. As the examples of men ftrictly and faithfully dilcharging their profeffional duties must obviously tend to invigorate our efforts to excel in mo al worth, the virtuous characters, which are fo happily delineated in the following pages, cannot fail, if confidered with ferious attention, of producing the most beneficial and lafting impreffions on the mind.

The life of the author of this biographical collection was little diverfified with events. He was born of a refpectable family, on the 9th day of August, 1593, in the parish of St. Mary's, in the town of Stafford. Of his father no particular tradition is extant. From his mother he derived an hereditary attachment to the proteftant religion, as profeffed in the church of England. She was the daughter of Edmund Cranmer, Archdeacon of Canterbury, fifter to Mr. George Cranmer, the pupil and friend of Mr. Richard Hooker, and niece of that firft and brightest ornament of the reformation, Dr. Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. No veftiges of the place or manner of his education have been discovered; nor have we any authentic information concerning his firft engagements in a me cantile life. It has, indeed, been fuggefted, that he was one of those industrious young men, whom the munificence of Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder of the Royal Exchange, had placed in the fhops which were erected in the upper buildings of his celebrated burfe. However this may be, he foon improved his fortune by his honesty, his frugality, and his diligence. His occupation, according to the tradition till preferved in his family, was that of a wholesale linen-draper, or Hamburgh merchant.'

In 1643 Mr. Walton, having declined bufinefs, retired to a fmall estate in Staffordshire. In this scene of rural privacy he was not unfrequently indulged with the company of learned and good men.

The Roman poet, of whom it has been remarked, that he made the happiest union of the courtier and the scholar, was of plebeian: origin. Yet fuch was the attraction of his manners and deportment, that he claffed among his friends the first and most illuftrious of his contemporaries, Plotius and Varus, Pollio and Fufcus, the Vixi and: the Mepala. Nor was Ifaac Walton lefs fortunate in his focial connexions. The times in which he lived were times of gloomy fufpicion, of danger and diftrefs, when a fevere fcrutiny into the public and private behaviour of men established a rigid difcrimination of character. He muft, therefore, be allowed to have poffeffed a peculiar excellency of difpofition, who conciliated to himself an habitual intimacy with Ufher, the apoftolical primate of Ireland, with Archbishop Sheldon, with Merton, Bishop of Durham, Pearson of Chefter, and Sanderson of Lincoln, with the ever-memorable Mr. John Hales of Eton, and the judicious Mr. Chillingworth; in fhort, with those who were most celebrated for their learning and piety.. Nor could he be deficient in urbanity of manners or elegance of taste, who was the companion of Sir Henry Wotton, the most accomplished gentleman

gentleman of his age. The fingular circumfpection which he obferved in the choice of his acquaintance, has not escaped the notice of Mr. Cotton. My father Walton,' fays he, will be feen twice in no man's company he does not like; and likes none but such as he believes to be very honeft men; which is one of the best arguments, or at least of the beft teftimonies, I have, that I either am, or that he thinks me one of those, feeing I have not yet found him weary of me.'

• When the first years of man have been devoted to the diligence of trades and of noifeful gain,' we have no reafon to hope that his mind will be replenished with ftudy, or enriched by literature. In the lucrative, as well as in the political lite, men are tempted to affume fome of thofe habits or difpofitions, which are not entirely confiftent with the principles of juftice or honour. An eagerness to amafs wealth, not feldom extinguishes every other affection. But it was not thus with Ifaac Walton. Firm and uncorrupted in his integrity, he no fooner bade farewell to his commercial concerns, than he gave the moft convincing proofs of his attention to the moft laudable purfuits. He had already written the life of one friend [Dr. Donnej. He now undertook to exhibit a testimony of refpect to the memory of another, Sir Henry Wotton, well known to have been one of the moft accomplished wits, scholars, and courtiers, of his age

His next work was, The Life of Mr. Richard Hooker,' which first appeared in 1662. It was compofed at the earnest request of Dr. Sheldon, then Bishop of London, and with the e prefs purpose of correcting fome errors committed by Dr. Gauden, from mere inadvertency and hafte, in his account of that immortal man,' as he has been emphatically ftyled, who spoke no language but that of truth dictated by confcience.' Gauden feems to have been extremely deficient in his information, and, dying foon afterward, had no opportunity of revifing and amending his very imperfect and inaccurate memoir. This was followed by The Life of Mr. George Herbert,' ufually called the divine Herbert,' in 1670. In 1578 he concluded his biographical labours with The Life of Dr. Robert Sanderson."

The biographer of Walton has, with great propriety, recorded various anecdotes relating to angling, long a favourite diverfion in England. Having mentioned feveral illuftrious names, in connexion with this fubject, he fays, let not thefe remarks provoke the chaltisement of cenfure; let them not be 'condemned as nugatory and infignificant. Amidst our dif quietudes and delufive cares, amidst the painful anxiety, the disgustful irksomeness, which are often the unwelcome attendants on business and on ftudy, an harmlefs gratification is not merely excufable, it is, in fome degree, neceffary.'This obfervation is juft. Innocent recreation and amusement may be confidered as the handmaid of virtue. Whatever un bends and relieves the mind, and preferves it from feeking reli

in