Hail, heav'nly Poet! taught in sorrow's school No earthly Paradise thyself e'er found, Save that within thy own pure breast serene; Scarce deigns to mention thy immortal name, And still thou findest 'few, though fit audience.' To thy own page I turn; and converse sweet There hold with thee, there read thy chequer'd life, All that thou wert; for books are living things, viii "The precious life-blood of a master-spirit,' 1 Treasur'd and stor❜d for life beyond this life. And thy own works alone thy true self show, Thy secret thoughts, intents, and ardent hopes To right a nation's wrongs, and teach the world A better lore than that thyself wert taught. There best thy image rises to my view In all its lineaments majestical; With faults indeed, for else thou wert not man, But these outweigh'd by virtues manifold, Heroic, high, which make thy life, thy books, Things which we contemplate with wond'ring love. Let others, reading here thy self-told tale, Love thy bright genius-I will love the MAN. Chronological Table of Milton's Life. A.D. 1608 ANNO Birth in London, Dec. 9. Baptism at Allhallows, Dec. 20. 1618-1623. 10-15. Pupil of Thomas Young. 1623-1625. 15-17. St. Paul's School, under Alexander Gill. 1625-1632. 17-24. Seven years at Christ's College, Cambridge. 1632-1638. 24-30. Five years at Horton, Buckinghamshire, his father's residence. 1638-1639. 30-31. Tour in Italy. |