naples

in their power. Taking ship at Nice, I arrived at Genoa,
and afterwards visited Leghorn, Pisa, and Florence. In
the latter city, which I have always more particularly
esteemed for the elegance of its dialect, its genius, and
its taste, I stopped about two months; when I contracted
an intimacy with many persons of rank and learning;
and was a constant attendant at their literary parties;
a practice which prevails there, and tends so much to the
diffusion of knowledge, and the preservation of friend-
ship. No time will ever abolish the agreeable recollections
which I cherish of Jacob Gaddi, Carolo Dati, Frescobaldo,
Cultellero, Bonomatthai, Clementillo, Francisco, and many
others. From Florence I went to Siena, thence to Rome,
where, after I had spent about two months in viewing the
antiquities of that renowned city, where I experienced the
most friendly attentions from Lucas Holstein, and other
learned and ingenious men, I continued my route to
Naples. There I was introduced by a certain recluse, with
whom I had travelled from Rome, to John Baptista Manso,
marquis of Villa, a nobleman of distinguished rank and
authority, to whom Torquato Tasso, the illustrious poet, in-
scribed his book on friendship. During my stay, he gave
me singular proofs of his regard: he himself conducted
me round the city, and to the palace of the viceroy; and
more than once paid me a visit at my lodgings.
On my
departure he gravely apologised for not having shown me
more civility, which he said he had been restrained from
doing, because I had spoken with so little reserve on mat-
ters of religion. When I was preparing to pass over
into Sicily and Greece, the melancholy intelligence which I
received of the civil commotions in England made me alter
my purpose; for I thought it base to be travelling for

amusement abroad, while my fellow-citizens were fighting for liberty at home. While I was on my way back to Rome, some merchants informed me that the English Jesuits had formed a plot against me if I returned to Rome, because I had spoken too freely on religion; for it was a rule which I laid down to myself in those places, never to be the first to begin any conversation on religion; but if any questions were put to me concerning my faith, to declare it without any reserve or fear. I, nevertheless, returned to Rome. I took no steps to conceal either my person or my character; and for about the space of two months I again openly defended, as I had done before, the reformed religion in the very metropolis of popery. By the favour of God, I got safe back to Florence, where I was received with as much affection as if I had returned to my native country. There I stopped as many months as I had done before, except that I made an excursion for a few days to Lucca; and, crossing the Apennines, passed through Bologna and Ferrara to Venice. After I had spent a month in surveying the curiosities of this city, and had put on board a ship the books which I had collected in Italy, I proceeded through Verona and Milan, and along the Leman lake to Geneva. The mention of this city brings to my recollection the slandering More, and makes me again call the Deity to witness, that in all those places in which vice meets with so little discouragement, and is practised with so little shame, I never once deviated from the paths of integrity and virtue, and perpetually reflected that, though my conduct might escape the notice of men, it could not elude the inspection of God. At Geneva I held daily conferences with John Deodati, the learned professor of Theology. Then

pursuing my former route through France, I returned to my native country, after an absence of one year and about three months; at the time when Charles, having broken the peace, was renewing what is called the episcopal war with the Scots, in which the royalists being routed in the first encounter, and the English being universally and justly disaffected, the necessity of his affairs at last obliged him to convene a Parliament.-Second Defence of the English People.

SCHOOL

ENGLAND (1640–1649)

TEACHING-EDWARD PHILLIPS' ACCOUNT. Soon after his return, and visits paid to his father and other friends, he took him a lodging in St. Bride's Churchyard, at the house of one Russel, a tailor, where he first undertook the education and instruction of his sister's two sons, the younger whereof had been wholly committed to his charge and care.

And here by the way, I judge it not impertinent to mention the many authors both of the Latin and Greek, which through his excellent judgment and way of teaching, far above the pedantry of common public schools (where such authors are scarce ever heard of), were run over within no greater compass of time, than from ten to fifteen or sixteen years of age. Of the Latin, the four grand authors De Re Rustica, Cato, Varro, Columella and Palladius; Cornelius Celsus, an ancient physician of the Romans; a great part of Pliny's Natural History; Vitruvius his Architecture; Frontinus his Stratagems; with the two egregious poets, Lucretius and Manilius. Of the Greek, Hesiod, a poet equal with Homer; Aratus his

Phaenomena, and Diosemeia; Dionysius Afer De Situ Orbis; Oppian's Cynegetics and Halieutics; Quintus Calaber his Poem of the Trojan War continued from Homer; Apollonius Rhodius his Argonautics: and in prose, Plutarch's Placita Philosophorum, and repì Taidŵv 'Aywyías; Geminus's Astronomy; Xenophon's Cyri Institutio, and Anabasis; Elian's Tactics; and Polyaenus his Warlike Stratagems. Thus by teaching, he in some measure increased his own knowledge, having the reading of all these authors as it were by proxy; and all this might possibly have conduced to the preserving of his eyesight, had he not moreover been perpetually busied in his own laborious undertakings of the book and pen.

Nor did the time thus studiously employed in conquering the Greek and Latin tongues hinder the attaining to the chief oriental languages, viz., the Hebrew, Chaldee, and Syriac, so far as to go through the Pentateuch, or Five Books of Moses in Hebrew, to make a good entrance into the Targum, or Chaldee Paraphrase, and to understand several chapters of St. Matthew in the Syriac Testament: besides an introduction into several arts and sciences, by reading Urstisius his Arithmetic, Riff's Geometry, Petiscus his Trigonometry, Joannes de Sacro Bosco De Sphæra; and into the Italian and French tongues, by reading in Italian Giovan Villani's History of the Transactions between several petty States of Italy; and in French a great part of Pierre Davity, the famous geographer of France in his time.

The Sunday's work was, for the most part, the reading each day a chapter of the Greek Testament, and hearing his learned exposition upon the same (and how this savored of atheism in him, I leave to the courteous backbiter

to judge). The next work after this, was the writing from his own dictation, some part, from time to time, of a tractate which he thought fit to collect from the ablest of divines who had written of that subject: Amesius, Wollebius, &c., viz., A Perfect System of Divinity, of which more hereafter.-Life of Milton.

MARRIAGE TWO VERSIONS. During the time also of his continuance in this house [in Aldersgate Street], there fell out several occasions of the increasing of his family. His father, who till the taking of Reading by the Earl of Essex his forces, had lived with his other son at his house there, was upon that son's dissettlement necessitated to betake himself to this his eldest son, with whom he lived for some years, even to his dying day. In the next place he had an addition of some scholars; to which may be added, his entering into matrimony; but he had his wife's company so small a time, that he may well be said to have become a single man again soon after.

About Whitsuntide it was, or a little after, that he took a journey into the country; nobody about him certainly knowing the reason, or that it was any more than a journey of recreation; after a month's stay, home he returns a married man, that went out a bachelor; his wife being Mary, the eldest daughter of Mr. Richard Powell, then a justice of peace, of Forest Hill, near Shotover in Oxfordshire; some few of her nearest relations accompanying the bride to her new habitation; which by reason the father nor any body else were yet come, was able to receive them; where the feasting held for some days in celebration of the nuptials, and for entertainment of the bride's friends. At length they took their leave, and returning to Forest Hill, left the sister behind; probably not much