advance its honour, or beft diftinguish its beauties. Some have revifed editions, others have published commentaries, and all have endeavoured to make their particular studies, in fome degree, fubfervient to this general emulation.

Among the inquiries to which this ardour of criticism has naturally given occafion, none is more obfcure in itself, or more worthy of rational curiofity, than a retrospection of the progrefs of this mighty genius, in the conftruction of his work; a view of the fabrick gradually rifing, perhaps from fmall beginnings, till its foundation rests in the centre, and its turrets sparkle in the skies; to trace back the structure, through all its varieties, to the fimplicity of its first plan; to find what was firft projected, whence the scheme was taken, how it was improved, by what affiftance it was executed, and from what stores the materials were collected, whether its founder dug them from the quarries of nature, or demolished other buildings to embellish his own..

This inquiry has been, indeed, not wholly neglected, nor, perhaps, profecuted with the care and diligence that it deferves. Several criticks have offered their conjectures; but none have much endeavoured to enforce or afcertain them. *MR. VOLTAIRE tells us, without proof, that the firft hint of PARADISE LOST was taken from a farce called ADAMO, written by a player; DR. PEARCE, that it was derived from an Italian tragedy,

Effay upon the Civil Wars of France, and alfo upon the Epick Poetry of the European Nations, from Homer down to Milton, 8vo. 1727, p. 103. E.

+ Preface to a Review of the Text of the Twelve Books of Milton's Paradife Loft, in which the chief of Dr. Bentley's Emendations are confidered, 8vo. 1733. E.

8

called

called IL PARADISO PERSO; and * MR. PECK, that it was borrowed from a wild romance. Any of these conjectures may poffibly be true, but, as they ftand without fufficient proof, it must be granted, likewise, that they may all poffibly be false; at least they cannot preclude any other opinion, which without argument has the fame claim to credit, and may perhaps be fhewn, by refiftless evidence, to be better founded.

à

It is related, by fteady and uncontroverted tradition, that the PARADISE LOST was at firft a TRAGEDY, and therefore, amongst tragedies, the firft hint is properly to be fought. In a manufcript, published from MILTON's own hand, among a great number of subjects for tragedy, is ADAM UNPARADISED, or ADAM IN EXILE; and this, therefore, may be juftly fuppofed the embryo of this great poem. As it is obfervable, that all these fubjects had been treated by others, the manufcript can be fuppofed nothing more, than a memorial or catalogue of plays, which, for fome reafon, the writer thought worthy of his attention. When, therefore, I had obferved, that ADAM IN EXILE was named amongst them, I doubted not but, in finding the original of that tragedy, I should disclose the genuine fource of PARADISE LOST. Nor was my expectation disappointed; for, having procured the ADAMUS EXUL of GROTIUS, I found, or imagined myself to find, the first draught, the PRIMA STAMINA of this wonderful poem.

Having thus traced the ORIGINAL of this work, I was naturally induced to continue my fearch to the COLLATERAL RELATIONS, which it might be fuppofed

* New Memoirs of Mr. John Milton. By Francis Peck, 4to. 1740. p. 52. E.

to have contracted, in its progress to MATURITY: and having, at least, perfuaded my own judgment that the search has not been intirely ineffectual, I now lay the refult of my labours before the publick; with full conviction, that in questions of this kind, the world cannot be MISTAKEN, at leaft cannot long continue in

errour.

I cannot avoid acknowledging the CANDOUR of the author of that excellent monthly book, the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, in giving admiffion to the fpecimens in favour of this argument; and his IMPARTIALITY in as freely inferting the feveral answers. I fhall here fubjoin fome EXTRACTS from the xviith volume of this work, which I think fuitable to my purpofe. To which I have added, in order to obviate every pretence for cavil, a LIST of the authors quoted in the following ESSAY, with their respective DATES, in comparison with the DATE of PARADISE LOST.

POSTSCRIPT.

WHEN this Effay was almost finished, the fplendid Edition of PARADISE LOST, fo long promised by the reverend Dr. Newton, fell into my hands; of which I had, however, fo little ufe, that as it would be injuftice to cenfure, it would be flattery to commend it and I should have totally forborn the mention of a book that I have not read, had not one paffage, at the conclufion of the life of MILTON, excited in me too much pity and indignation to be fuppreffed in filence.

"Deborah, MILTON's youngest daughter," fays the Editor," was married to Mr. Abraham Clarke, 65 a weaver,

a weaver, in Spitalfields, and died in August 1727, "in the 76th year of her age. She had ten chil

dren. Elizabeth, the youngest, was married to Mr. "Thomas Fofter, a weaver, in Spitalfields, and had "feven children, who are all dead; and the herself " is aged about fixty, and weak and infirm. She "feemeth to be a good plain fenfible woman, and has "confirmed feveral particulars related above, and "informed me of fome others, which he had often "heard from her mother." These the doctor enumerates, and then adds, "In all probability MIL"TON's whole family will be extinct with her, and he <can live only in his writings. And such is the caprice "of fortune, this grand-daughter of a man, who will "be an everlasting glory to the nation, has now for "fome years, with her husband, kept a little chand"ler's or grocer's fhop, for their fubfiftence, lately " at the lower Holloway, in the road between Highgate and London, and at present in Cock-lane, "not far from Shoreditch church,"

That this relation is true cannot be queftioned: but, furely, the honour of letters, the dignity of facred poetry, the spirit of the English nation, and the glory of human nature, require-that it fhould be true no longer.-In an age, in which ftatues are erected to the honour of this great writer, in which his effigy has been diffused on medals, and his work propagated by tranflations, and illuftrated by commentaries; in an age, which amidst all its vices, and all its follies, has not become infamous for want of charity it may be, furely, allowed to hope, that the living remains of MILTON will be no longer fuffered to languish in diftrefs. It is yet in the power

B 3

of a

great

great people, to reward the poet whofe name they boaft, and from their alliance to whofe genius, they claim fome kind of fuperiority to every other nation of the earth; that poet, whofe works may poffibly be read when every other monument of British greatness fhall be obliterated; to reward him-not with pictures, or with medals, which, if he fees, he fees with contempt, but with tokens of gratitude, which he, perhaps, may even now confider as not unworthy the regard of an immortal fpirit, And furely, to thofe, who refuse their names to no other fcheme of expence, it will not be unwelcome, that a SUBSCRIPTION is propofed, for relieving, in the langour of age, the pains of difeafe, and the contempt of poverty, the grand-daughter of the author of PARADISE LOST. Nor can it be queftioned, that if I, who have been marked out as the ZoILus of MILTON, think this regard due to his pofterity, the defign will be warmly feconded by thofe, whofe lives have been employed, in difcovering his excellencies, and extending his repu

tation..

Subscriptions

For the Relief of

Mrs. ELIZABETH FOSTER, Grand-daughter to JOHN MILTON, are taken in by

Mr. Dodley, in Pall-Mall;

Meffis. Cox and Collings, under the Royal Exchange; Mr. Cave, at St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell; and Meffrs. Payne and Bouquet, in Pater-nofter-Row,