the Church of Rome, within the verge of the Vatican. Having employ'd his curiosity about * two years in France and Italy, on the news of a civil war breaking out in England he return'd, without taking a survey of Greece and Sicily, as at his setting out the scheme was projected. † At Paris the Lord Viscount Scudamore, Ambaffador from King Charles I. at the Court of France, introduc'd him to the acquaintance of Grotius; who at that time was honor'd with the fame character there by Christina Queen of Sweden. In Rome, Genoa, Florence, and other cities of Italy, he contracted a familiarity with those who were of highest reputation for wit & learning: several of whom gave him very obliging teftimonies of their friendship, and esteem, which are printed before his Latin Poems The first of them was written by Manso Marquis of Villa, a great patron of Taffo, by whom he is celebrated in his Poem on the Conquest of Jerusalem. It is highly probable that to his conversation with this noble Neapolitan we owe the first design which MILTON conceiv'd of writing an Epic Poem: and it appears by fome Latin verses address'd to the Marquis with the title of Manfus, that he intended to fix on King Arthur for his Heroe: but Arthur was referv'd to another destiny! Returning from his travels he found England on the point of being involv'd An. Ætat. 32. in blood and confufion. It seems won derful that one of fo warm, and daring a spirit, as he certainly was, shou'd be restrain'd from the field in those unnatural commotions. I suppose we may impute *3 * Et jam bis viridi surgebat culmus arista, Et totidem flavas numerabant horrea messes, Defenfio Secunda. pag. 96. Fol. Epitaph. Dam. impute it wholly to the great deference he paid to paternal authority, that he retir'd to lodgings provided for him in the City: which being commodious for the reception of his Sifter's Sons, and fome other young Gentlemen, he undertook their education : and is faid to have form'd them on the fame plan which he afterwards publish'd, in a short tractate in fcrib'd to his friend Mr. Hartlib. In this philosophical course he continued without a wife to the year 1643; when he marAn. Etat. 35. ry'd Mary the Daughter of Richard Powell of Forest-hill in Oxfordshire : a Gentleman of estate and reputation in that County: and of principles so very oppofite to his Son-in-Law, that the marriage is more to be wonder'd at, than the feparation which enfu'd, in little more than a month after she had cohabited with him in London. Her defertion provok'd him both to write several treatifes concerning the doctrine, and difcipline of divorce; and also to make his addresses to a young Lady of great wit and beauty: but before he had ingag'd her affections to conclude the marriage-treaty, in a visit at one of his Relations he found his Wife prostrate before him, imploring forgiveness, & reconciliation, It is not to be doubted but an interview of that nature, fo little expected, must wonderfully affect him; and perhaps the impreffions it made on his imagination contributed much to the painting of that pathetic scene in * PARADISE Losr, in which Eve addresseth herself to Adam for pardon, and peace. At the interceffion of his friends who were present, after short reluctance he generously facrific'd all his re fentment to her tears. Soon his heart relented Tow'rds her, his life so late, and fole delight; Book X. ver. 909. And |