THE

LIFE

OF

JOHN MILTON.

BY

CHARLES SYMMONS, D.D.

OF JESUS COLLEGE, oxford.

SECOND EDITION.

Si tyrannos insector, quid hoc ad reges? quos ego à tyrannis

longissimè sejungo.

Defen. secund.

Nunc sub fæderibus coeant felicibus unà

Libertas, et jus sacri inviolabile sceptri:

Rege sub AUGUSTO fas sit laudare CATONEM.

DR. GEORGE.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY T. BENSLEY, BOLT COURT, FLEET STREET,

FOR NICHOLS AND SON; F. AND C. RIVINGTON; OTRIDGE AND SON; T. PAYNE; J. CUTHELL; VERNOR, HOOD, AND SHARPE; R. LEA; J. WALKER; CLARKE AND SONS; LACKINGTON, Allen, and Co.; J. NUNN; LONGMAN, HURST, rees, and ORME; CADELL AND DAVIES; J. HARDING; R. H. EVANS; J. MAWMAN; J. HATCHARD; MATTHEWS AND LEIGH; AND J. JOHNSON AND CO.

PREFACE.

THOUGH a part of my former preface has now lost its reference, I am induced to retain the entire composition, as it was written under the impression of principles, not liable to decay, and of wounded affections which can cease to pain, alas! only in the grave. What I have now to say will relate altogether to the present edition of my work-to those inaccuracies in it which I have corrected, those deficiencies which I have supplied, or those opinions which have been pronounced on it since its property was transferred from me to the public.

In quoting by memory from Dr. Johnson, I had been guilty of a verbal error; and the slip was not suffered to be made with impunity. On the passage in question, which referred to that writer's censure of the "Damon," one of the public critics remarked, “Here, however, we must impeach the bio