"1653. April 1. Ordered, that the Commissioners of the Customs doe permitt certain bookes written by Mr. Milton, in answer to the booke called the late king's, being translated into French to bee transported into France custom-free."

The considerations arising from the production of Milton's Iconoclastes, have led us to overpass the regular chronology of the Orders of Council. We now return to the period, immediately subsequent to the publication of that book.

S

"1649-50. Feb. 2. Ordered, that orders be sent to Mr. Baker, Mr. Challenor, Mr. Weckherlyn, Mr. Willingham, or any others who have in their hands any Publique Papers belonging to the Commonwealth, to deliver them to Mr. Milton, to be layd up in the Paper Office for Publique Service; and that Mr. Baker be appoynted to order those Papers, that they may be ready for use.

The following letter was accordingly sent: "Sir, Wee are informed that there are several Letters and other Papers of Publique Concernement, that are in your hands, which wee have thought fitt should be brought into the Paper Office at Whitehall, both for the safe keeping of them, and that they might be ready for publique use upon all occasions. Wee therefore desire you to deliver all the said Papers to Mr. Milton, whom wee have appointed to receive the same and see them safely and orderly disposed in the said Office. Signed in the name and by order of the Councell of State, &c. Jo: Bradshawe, President, Whitehall, 4 Feb. 1649-50." This is a copy, among the above-written orders, of that which was directed to Mr. Willingham.

t

"1649-50. Feb. 18. Ordered, that Mr. Milton, Secretary for Foreign Languages; Serjeant Dendy, Serjeant at Armes; Mr. Frost the younger, Assistant to Mr. Frost the Secretary; and all the Clerks formerly employed under Mr. Frost, as also the messengers, and all other officers employed by the Councell last yeare, and not dismissed; shall be againe entertained into the same employments, and shall receive the same salary which was appointed them the yeare past.

4

"1649-50. Feb. 23. Memorandum, that Mr. John Milton, Secretarie for the Forreigne Languages; Mr. Edward Dendie, Serjeant at Armes; and Mr. Gwalter Frost the younger, Assistant to the Secretary; did this day take the engagement followlowing: I, being nominated by this Councell to bee

for the year to come, doe promise in the sight of God, that through his grace I will bee faithfull in the performance of the trust committed unto mee, and not reveale or disclose any thing, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, that shall be debated or resolved upon in the Councell, without the command, direction, or allowance of the Parliament or Councell.

I

Bradshawe, in a letter to Cromwell, dated as above, says, "We are now beginning with a new councell another yeare. might have hoped, either for love or something els, to have been spared from the chayre; but I could not obtaine that favour; and I dare not but submyt, where it is cleere to me God gives the call," &c. Original Letters, found among the Political Collections of Milton, published by J. Nickolls, 1743, p. 65.

"1650. March 30. Ordered, that it be recommended to the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seale to give order for the prepareing of a commission to Mr. Richard Bradshaw, who is to be employed Resident from this Commonwealth to the Senate of Hamburgh according to the Order of Parliament.

"That a credential Letter be likewise " prepared for him by Mr. Milton.

"1650. May 6. Ordered, that Mr. Milton doe attend the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seale with the Papers given in by Dr. Walsall concerning the goods of Felo's de se; to whom it is referred to take such course therein, for the advantage of the Commonwealth, as they shall thinke fitt.

X

"1650. June 14. Ordered, that Mr. Milton shall have a warrant to the Trustees and Contractors for the sale of the king's goods for the furnishing of his lodgeing at Whitehall with some hangings.

"This letter, it appears, was "read and approved, April 1, 1650." It is among the printed Litera Senatús, &c. of Milton, and there dated April 2.

* The copy of the warrant is inserted, after this order, bearing date, June 18, 1650. "These are to will and require you forthwith, upon sight hereof, to deliver unto Mr. John Milton, or to whom hee shall appoint, such hangings as shall be sufficient for the furnishing of his lodgings at Whitehall. To the Trustees and Contractors for the sale of the late King's goods."

"1650. June 22. Ordered, that Mr. Milton doe goe to the Committee of the Armie, and desire them to send to this Councell the booke of Examinations taken about the riseings in Kent and Essex.

"1650. June 25. Ordered, that Mr. Milton doe peruse the Examinations taken by the Army concerning the insurrections in Essex; and that he doe take heads of the same, to the end the Councell may judge what is to be taken into consideration.

"1650. June 26. Ordered, that the Declaration of the Parliament against the Dutch be translated into Latine by Mr. Milton, into Dutch by Mr. Haak, and into French by Monsieur Augier.

y

"1650. Aug. 14. Ordered, that Mr. Thomas Goodwyn, Mr. Bifield, Mr. Bond, Mr. Nye, Mr. Durye, Mr. Frost, and Mr. Milton, or any three of them, of which Mr. Frost or Mr. Milton to bee one, bee appointed to view and to inventorie all the re

y Mr. Theodore Haak translated the first six books of the Paradise Lost into High Dutch; which, Aubrey says, Fabricius had seen, and highly approved. The translation is in blank verse; and is believed to have been published in 1728. Haak was a man of great learning, acquainted with Usher, Selden, Walton, and all the admirable scholars of Milton's time. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society. Wood also mentions the translation of Par. Lost, which this distinguished foreigner had made. "This virtuous and learned person," Wood tells us, died in London in 1690 at the advanced age of 85. Ath. Ox. vol. ii. col. 643. ed. 1692.

cords, writings, and papers whatsoever, belonging to the Assembly of the Synod, to the end they may not be embezzelled, and may be forth coming for the use of the Commonwealth.

"1650. Dec. 23. Ordered, that Mr. Milton doe print the treatise which he hath written, in answer to a late booke written by Salmasius against the proceedings of this Commonwealth."

Then here is the point, to which whatever relates to the memorable controversy between Milton and Salmasius should be drawn; and therefore, leaving awhile (as before in the detail of the Icón history) the chronological order of entries in the CouncilBook, I will deliver an uninterrupted narrative of this literary combat, and of circumstances connected with it.

66

King Charles the second, being now protected in Holland, had employed this learned Frenchman, Salmasius, who was professor of Polite Learning at Leyden, to write a defence of his late father, and of monarchy. Salmasius," Dr. Johnson observes, "was a man of skill in languages, knowledge of antiquity, and sagacity of emendatory criticism, almost exceeding all hope of human attainment; and having, by excessive praises, been confirmed in great confidence of himself, though he probably had not much considered the principles of society, or the rights of government, undertook the employment