Brief Lives, Vol. 2

John Milton (1608-1674).

<This life is found in MS. Aubr. 8, foll. 63-68^v. Aubrey's notes for it were at first very slight, but were increased by information afterwards obtained from Milton's widow, from his brother Christopher, and from his nephew Edward Phillips. In the life as now printed these later notes, brought in very disjointedly into the MS., have been set in their proper places.

When he first began writing his 'Lives,' Aubrey set aside fol. 103^v of MS. Aubr. 6 (opposite the life of Andrew Marvell) for Milton, writing the heading 'Mr. John Milton' and in the margin drawing a wreath of laurel, for a poet. Afterwards he scored the heading out, and added the reference, 'vide part iii^d.' i.e. MS. Aubr. 8. Again, in MS. Aubr. 8, he at first set aside fol. 93 for the life of 'Mr. John Milton,' but afterwards scored the heading out, and wrote there the life of Dr. John Overall.

In MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 63, Aubrey gives in trick the coat for Milton:—'argent, a double-headed eagle displayed gules legged and beaked sable: crest, an arme dexter holding an eagle's head and neck erased gules.' And, for Bradshaw, he gives the coat, 'argent, 2 bendlets sable,' noting 'his mother was a Bradshaw.'

On fol. 68^v, in the pedigree, he gives the coats:—'Jeff<rey>, azure, a fret or, on a chief or a lion passant gardant sable: impaling [Haughton], sable, 3 bars argent': Bradshaw, as above; Powell of Foresthill and Webber, left blank; and Minshull, '..., an estoyle over a crescent ... a canton....'>

<His parentage.>

[233]Quaere Christopher Milton, his brother, of the Inner Temple, bencher [234].

[XVI.] John, he [237] beleeves.

[XVII.] Mr. Milton lived next towne to Fosthill [238] within half a mile like [Holton], and they [239] were raungers of the forest [240].

[241]Mr. John Milton was of an Oxfordshire familie.

His grandfather, ..., (a Roman Catholic), of Holton, in Oxfordshire, neer Shotover [242].

His father was brought-up in the University of Oxon, at Christ Church, and his grandfather disinherited him because he kept not to the Catholique religion [XVIII.]. So therupon he came to London, and became a scrivener (brought up by a friend of his; was not an apprentice), and gott a plentifull estate by it, and left it off many yeares before he dyed.—He was an ingeniose man; delighted in musique; composed many songs now in print, especially that of Oriana[XIX.].

[XVIII.] Quaere—he found a bible in English, in his chamber.

[XIX.] Quaere Mr. J. Playford pro Wilby's sett of Oriana's.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 65.

[243]I have been told that the father composed a song of fourscore parts for the Lantgrave of Hess, for which <his> highnesse sent a meddall of gold, or a noble present. He dyed about 1647 [244]; buried in Cripplegate church, from his house in the Barbican.

<His birth.>

[245]His son John was borne in Bread Street, in London, at [246] the Spread Eagle, which was his house [he had also in that street another house, the Rose; and other houses in other places].

He was borne anno Domini ... the ... day of ..., about ... a clock, in the....

[247]☞ Quaere Mr. Christopher Milton to see the date of his brother's birth.

[248][John Milton [249] was born the 9th of December, 1608, die Veneris [250], half an hour after 6 in the morning.]

<His precocity.>

[251]Anno Domini 1619, he was ten yeares old, as by his picture; and was then a poet.

<School, college, and travel.>

His school-master then was a Puritan, in Essex, who cutt his haire short.

He went to schoole to old Mr.[252] Gill, at Paule's schoole. Went, at his owne chardge [253] only, to Christ's College in Cambridge at [254] fifteen, where he stayed eight yeares at least [255]. Then he travelled into France and Italie (<he> had Sir H. Wotton's commendatory letters). At Geneva he contracted a great friendship with [256] the learned Dr. Deodati of Geneva:—vide his poems. He was acquainted [257] with Sir Henry Wotton, ambassador at Venice, who delighted in his company. He was severall [XX.] yeares beyond sea, and returned [258] to England just upon the breaking-out of the civill warres.

[XX.] Quaere, how many? Resp., two yeares.

[259]From his brother, Christopher Milton:—when he went to schoole, when he was very young, he studied very hard, and sate-up very late, commonly till 12 or one a clock at night, and his father ordered the mayde to sitt-up for him, and in those yeares (10) composed many copies of verses which might well become a riper age. And was a very hard student in the University, and performed all his exercises there with very good applause. His first tutor there was Mr. Chapell; from whom receiving some unkindnesse [XXI.], he was afterwards (though it seemed contrary to the rules of the college) transferred to the tuition of one Mr. Tovell, who dyed parson of Lutterworth.

[XXI.] Whip't him.

[260]He went to travell about the year 1638 and was abroad about a year's space, cheifly in Italy.

<Return to England.>

Immediately after his return he tooke a lodging at Mr. Russell's, a taylour, in St. Bride's churchyard, and took into his tuition his sister's two sons, Edward and John Philips, the first 10, the other 9 years of age; and in a year's time made them capable of interpreting a Latin authour at sight, etc. And within three years they went through the best of Latin and Greec poetts [261]—Lucretius and Manilius [XXII.], of the Latins; Hesiod, Aratus, Dionysius Afer, Oppian, Apollonii Argonautica, and Quintus Calaber. Cato, Varro, and Columella De re rustica were the very first authors they learn't.—As he was severe on one hand, so he was most familiar and free in his conversation to those to whome most sowre in his way of education. N.B. he made his nephews songsters, and sing, from the time they were with him.

[XXII.] and with him the use of the globes, and some rudiments of arithmetic and geometry.

<First wife and children.>

[262]He maried his first wife [XXIII.] <Mary> Powell, of Fosthill, at Shotover, in Oxonshire, anno Domini ...; by whom he had 4 children. <He> hath two daughters living: Deborah was his amanuensis (he taught her Latin, and to read Greeke [263] to him when he had lost his eie-sight, which was anno Domini ...).

[XXIII.] She was a zealous royalist, and went without her husband's consent to her mother in the king's quarters. She dyed anno Domini....

<Separation from his first wife.>

[She [264] went from him to her mother's at ... in the king's quarters, neer Oxford], anno Domini ...; and wrote the Triplechord about divorce.

[265]Two opinions [266] doe not well on the same boulster. She was a ...[267] royalist, and went to her mother to the king's quarters, neer Oxford. I have perhaps so much charity to her that she might not wrong his bed: but what man, especially contemplative, would like to have a young wife environ'd and storm'd by the sons of Mars, and those of the enemi partie?

[268]His first wife (Mrs. Powell, a royalist) was brought up and lived where there was a great deale of company and merriment [269]. And when she came to live with her husband, at Mr. Russell's, in St. Bride's churchyard, she found it very solitary; no company came to her; oftentimes heard his nephews beaten and cry. This life was irkesome to her, and so she went to her parents at Fost-hill. He sent for her, after some time; and I thinke his servant was evilly entreated: but as for matter of wronging his bed, I never heard the least suspicions; nor had he, of that, any jealousie.

<Second wife.>

[270]He had a middle wife, whose name was (he [271] thinkes, Katharin) Woodcock. No child living by her.

<Third wife.>

[272]He maried his second [273] wife, Elizabeth Minshull, anno ... (the year before the sicknesse): a gent. person, a peacefull and agreable humour.

<His public employment.>

He was Latin secretary to the Parliament [274].

<His blindness.>

[275]His sight began to faile him at first upon his writing against Salmasius, and before 'twas fully compleated one eie absolutely faild. Upon the writing of other bookes, after that, his other eie decayed.

[276]His eie-sight was decaying about 20 yeares before his death: quaere, when starke [277] blind? His father read without spectacles at 84. His mother had very weake eies, and used spectacles presently after she was thirty yeares old.

<Writings after his blindness.>

[278]After he was blind he wrote these following bookes, viz. Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Grammar, Dictionarie (imperfect)—quaere +.

[279]I heard that after he was blind that he was writing a Latin Dictionary (in the hands of Moyses Pitt [280]). Vidua affirmat she gave all his papers (among which this dictionary, imperfect) to his nephew, a sister's son, that he brought up, ... Philips, who lives neer the Maypole in the Strand (quaere). She has a great many letters by her from learned men, his acquaintance, both of England and beyond sea.

<His later residences.>

He lived in several places, e.g. Holborne neer King's-gate. He died in Bunhill, opposite to the Artillery-garden wall.

<His death and burial.>

He died of the gowt [281] struck in, the 9th or 10th of November, 1674, as appeares by his apothecarye's booke.

He lies buried in St. Giles's Cripplegate, upper end of chancell at the right hand, vide his gravestone [282].—Memorandum his stone is now removed; for, about two yeares since (now, 1681), the two steppes to the communion table were raysed. I ghesse John Speed and he lie together.

<Personal characteristics.>

His harmonicall and ingeniose soul did lodge [283] in a beautifull and well-proportioned body:—

In toto nusquam corpore menda fuit.

Ovid. <1 Amor. 5, 18.>

[284]He was a spare man. He was scarce so tall as I am—quaere, quot feet I am high: resp., of middle stature.

He had abroun [285] hayre. His complexion exceeding [286] faire—he was so faire that they called him the lady of Christ's College. Ovall face. His eie a darke gray.

[287]He had a delicate tuneable voice, and had good [288] skill. His father instructed him. He had an organ in his howse: he played on that most.

[289]Of a very cheerfull humour.—He would be chear-full even in his gowte-fitts, and sing.

He was very healthy and free from all diseases: seldome tooke any physique (only sometimes he tooke manna): only towards his latter end he was visited with the gowte, spring and fall.

He had a very good [290] memorie; but I beleeve that his excellent method of thinking and disposing did much to helpe his memorie.

[291]He pronounced the letter R (littera canina) very hard—[292]a certaine signe of a satyricall witt—from John Dreyden.

<Portraits of him.>

[293]Write his name in red letters on his pictures, with his widowe, to preserve.

[294]His widowe haz his picture, drawne very well and like, when a Cambridge schollar.

She has his picture when a Cambridge schollar, which ought to be engraven; for the pictures before his bookes are not at all like him.

<His habits.>

[295]His exercise was chiefly walking.

He was an early riser (scil. at 4 a clock manè); yea, after he lost his sight. He had a man read to him. The first thing he read was the Hebrew Bible, and that was [296] at 4 h. manè 1/2 h. +. Then he contemplated [297].

At 7 his man came to him again, and then read to him again, and wrote till dinner: the writing was as much as the reading. His (2) daughter, Deborah, could read to him Latin, Italian and French, and Greeke. <She> maried in Dublin to one Mr. Clarke (sells [298] silke, etc.); very like her father. The other sister is (1) Mary, more like her mother.

After dinner he used to walke 3 or four houres at a time (he alwayes had a garden where he lived); went to bed about 9.

Temperate man, rarely dranke between meales.

Extreme pleasant in his conversation, and [299] at dinner, supper, etc.; but satyricall.

<Notes about some of his works.>

[300]From [301] Mr. E. Philips:—All the time of writing his Paradise Lost, his veine began at the autumnall aequinoctiall, and ceased at the vernall (or thereabouts: I believe about May): and this was 4 or 5 yeares of his doeing it. He began about 2 yeares before the king came-in, and finished about three yeares after the king's restauracion.

In the 4th [302] booke of Paradise Lost there are about six verses of Satan's exclamation to the sun, which Mr. E. Philips remembers about 15 or 16 yeares before ever his poem was thought of. Which verses were intended for the beginning of a tragoedie which he had designed, but was diverted from it by other businesse.

[303][Whatever [304] he wrote against monarchie was out of no animosity to the king's person, or owt of any faction or interest, but out of a pure zeale to the liberty of mankind, which he thought would be greater under a fre state than under a monarchiall goverment. His being so conversant in Livy and the Roman authors, and the greatness he saw donne by the Roman common-wealth, and the vertue of their great commanders [305] induc't him to.]

[306]From Mr. Abraham Hill:—Memorandum: his sharp writing against Alexander More, of Holland, upon a mistake, notwithstanding he had given him by the ambassador [XXIV.] all satisfaction to the contrary: viz. that the booke called 'Clamor [307]' was writt by Peter du Moulin. Well, that was all one; he having writt it, it should goe into the world; one of them was as bad as the other.

[XXIV.] Quaere the ambassador's name of Mr. Hill? Resp., Newport, the Dutch ambassador.

[308]Memorandum:—Mr. Theodore Haak, Regiae Societatis Socius, hath translated halfe his Paradise Lost into High Dutch in such blank verse, which is very well liked of by Germanus Fabricius, Professor at Heidelberg, who sent to Mr. Haak a letter upon this translation:—'incredibile est quantum nos omnes affecerit gravitas styli, et copia lectissimorum verborum,' etc.—vide the letter.

[309]Mr. John Milton made two admirable panegyricks, as to sublimitie of witt, one on Oliver Cromwel, and the other on Thomas, lord Fairfax, both which his nephew Mr. Philip hath. But he hath hung back these two yeares, as to imparting copies to me for the collection of mine with you [310]. Wherfore I desire you in your next to intimate your desire of having these two copies of verses aforesayd. Were they made in commendation of the devill, 'twere all one to me: 'tis the ὕψος that I looke after. I have been told 'tis beyond Waller's or anything in that kind.

<Catalogue of his writings.>

[311]Quaere his nephew, Mr. Edward Philips, for a perfect catalogue of his writings. Memorandum, he wrote a little tract of education.

[312]1.	Of Reformation.	Qu. whether two books?
[312]1.	Against prelatical Episcopacy.	Qu. whether two books?
2.	The reason of Church Goverment.
3.	A defence of Smectymnuus.
4.	The Doctrin and Disciplin of Divorce.	All these in prosecution of the same subject.
5.	Colasterion.
6.	The Judgement of Martin Bucer.
7.	Tetrachordon (of divorce).
Areopagitica, viz. for the libertie of the presse.
Of Education.
Iconoclastes.
Tenure of Kings and Magistrates.
Defensio populi Anglicani.
Defensio 2^da contra Morum.
Defensio 3^tia.
His Logick.
Of the powr of the civil magistrate in ecclesiastical affairs.
Against Hirelings (against Tythes).
Of a Commonwealth.
Against Dr. Griffith.
Of Toleration, Heresie, and Schisme.

[313]Catalogus Librorum [XXV.].

[XXV.] Set them downe according to order of time.

1.	Poëms, 8vo, printed.... Twice printed. Some writt but at 18. Of Reformation.
2.	Εἰκονοκλάστης, printed at....
3.	pro populo Anglicano defensio, contra Salmasium.
4.	Tetrachordon, 4to: of divorce.
5.	Paradise	Lost, 4to.	Edward Philips his cheif amanuensis.
6.	Paradise	Regained, 4to.	Edward Philips his cheif amanuensis.
7.	Latine epistles, 8vo.	Familiar. Politique.
8.	Latin grammar in English, 8vo.
9.	The history of Britain from the first tradicionall beginning continued to the Norman Conquest, 4to, London, MDCLXX, for James Alesly, Rose and Crowne, Paul's Churchyard. Scripsit prout per effigiem [sed falsam] 1670, aetat. 62.
10.	A letter of education to Mr. S. Hartlib (with his poëms).
11.	A brief history of Muscovia and other less knowne countries lyeing eastward. Advertisement:—'writt by the author's owne hand before he lost his sight and intended to have printed it before his death.'
12.	His logick.
13.	Idea Theologiae in MS. in the handes of Mr. Skinner, a merchant's sonne, in Marke-lane. Memorandum there was one Mr. Skinner of the Jerkers office up 2 paire of stayres at the Custome-house.
14.	He wrote a dictionary called Idioma linguae Latinae (from Mr. Packer who was his scholar).

<An almost contemporary life of Milton.>

[314]Quaere Mr. <Andrew> Allam, of Edmund-hall, Oxon, of John Milton's life writt by himselfe [315]: vide pagg....

<His acquaintance.>

[316]He was visited much by learned <men>; more then he did desire.

He was mightily importuned to goe into France and Italie. Foraigners came much to see him, and much admired him, and offer'd to him great preferments to come over to them: and the only inducement of severall foreigners that came over into England, was chiefly to see Oliver Protector, and Mr. John Milton; and would see the house and chamber wher he was borne. He was much more admired abrode then at home.

His familiar learned acquaintance were Mr. Andrew Marvell, Mr. Skinner, Dr. Pagett, M.D.

Mr. <Cyriack> Skinner, who was his disciple.

John Dreyden, esq., Poet Laureate, who very much admires him, and went to him to have leave to putt his Paradise Lost into a drama in rhymne. Mr. Milton recieved him civilly, and told him he would give him leave to tagge his verses.

His widowe assures me that Mr. T. Hobbs was not one of his acquaintance, that her husband did not like him at all, but he would acknowledge [317] him to be a man of great parts, and a learned man. Their interests and tenets did [318] run counter to each other; vide in Hobbes' Behemoth.