Most of the remarks whi hitherto made on the publi of Milton, apply to him onl

and most disgraceful in the English | pocketed, with complacent annals. Cromwell was evidently lay-degrading insults, and he ing, though in an irregular manner, the grading gold. The caresse foundations of an admirable system. and the jests of buffoons, re Never before had religious liberty and policy of the state. The the freedom of discussion been enjoyed had just ability enough to d in a greater degree. Never had the just religion enough to pers national honour been better upheld principles of liberty were abroad, or the seat of justice better every grinning courtier, an filled at home. And it was rarely that thema Maranatha of ever any opposition which stopped short of dean. In every high plac open rebellion provoked the resentment was paid to Charles and Ja of the liberal and magnanimous usurper. and Moloch; and England The institutions which he had estab- those obscene and cruel id lished, as set down in the Instrument of blood of her best and brave Government, and the Humble Petition Crime succeeded to crime, a and Advice, were excellent. His prac- to disgrace, till the race tice, it is true, too often departed from God and man was a second the theory of these institutions. But, forth, to wander on the f had he lived a few years longer, it is earth, and to be a by-word probable that his institutions would ing of the head to the nation have survived him, and that his arbitrary practice would have died with him. His power had not been consecrated by ancient prejudices. It was a large body. We shall upheld only by his great personal notice some of the peculiar qualities. Little, therefore, was to be distinguished him from h dreaded from a second protector, unless poraries. And, for that pu he were also a second Oliver Cromwell. necessary to take a short su The events which followed his decease parties into which the poli are the most complete vindication of was at that time divided. those who exerted themselves to uphold premise, that our observatio his authority. Fi's death dissolved the tended to apply only to tho whole frame of society. The army rose hered, from a sincere prefer against the parliament, the different or to the other side. In day corps of the army against each other. commotion, every faction, li Sect raved against sect. Party plotted ental army, is attended by against party. The Presbyterians, in camp-followers, an useless an their eagerness to be revenged on the rabble, who prowl round Independents, sacrificed their own march in the hope of picking liberty, and deserted all their old prin- thing under its protection, b ciples. Without casting one glance on in the day of battle, and off the past, or requiring one stipulation exterminate it after a defeat. for the future, they threw down their at the time of which we ar freedom at the feet of the most frivolous abounded with fickle and s and heartless of tyrants. ticians, who transferred the to every government as it kissed the hand of the Kin and spat in his face in shouted with equal glee wh well was inaugurated in W Hall, and when he was dug hanged at Tyburn, who dined heads, or stuck up oak-br circumstances altered, wi slightest shame or repugnan

Then came those days, never to be recalled without a blush, the days of servitude without loyalty and sensuality without love, of dwarfish talents and gigantic vices, the paradise of cold hearts and narrow minds, the golden age of the coward, the bigot, and the slave. The King cringed to his rival that he might trample on his people, sank into a viceroy of France, and

most disgraceful in the English | pocketed, with complacent infamy, her S. Cromwell was evidently lay-degrading insults, and her more dehough in an irregular manner, the grading gold. The caresses of harlots, lations of an admirable system. r before had religious liberty and @eedom of discussion been enjoyed greater degree. Never had the al honour been better upheld id, or the seat of justice better at home. And it was rarely that pposition which stopped short of rebellion provoked the resentment liberal and magnanimous usurper. institutions which he had estab1, as set down in the Instrument of rnment, and the Humble Petition Advice, were excellent. His pracit is true, too often departed from heory of these institutions. But, e lived a few years longer, it is ble that his institutions would survived him, and that his arbipractice would have died with His power had not been conted by ancient prejudices. It was d only by his great personal ties. Little, therefore, was to be led from a second protector, unless ere also a second Oliver Cromwell. events which followed his decease the most complete vindication of who exerted themselves to uphold thority. His death dissolved the frame of society. The army rose st the parliament, the different of the army against each other. raved against sect. Party plotted st party. The Presbyterians, in eagerness to be revenged on the pendents, sacrificed their own y, and deserted all their old prin. Without casting one glance on ast, or requiring one stipulation he future, they threw down their om at the feet of the most frivolous heartless of tyrants.

and the jests of buffoons, regulated the policy of the state. The government had just ability enough to deceive, and just religion enough to persecute. The principles of liberty were the scoff of every grinning courtier, and the Anathema Maranatha of every fawning dean. In every high place, worship was paid to Charles and James, Belial and Moloch; and England propitiated those obscene and cruel idols with the blood of her best and bravest children. Crime succeeded to crime, and disgrace to disgrace, till the race accursed of God and man was a second time driven forth, to wander on the face of the earth, and to be a by-word and a shaking of the head to the nations.

en came those days, never to be ed without a blush, the days of ude without loyalty and seny without love, of dwarfish talents gigantic vices, the paradise of cold and narrow minds, the golden f the coward, the bigot, and the The King cringed to his rival he might trample on his people, into a viceroy of France, and

Most of the remarks which we have hitherto made on the public character of Milton, apply to him only as one of a large body. We shall proceed to notice some of the peculiarities which distinguished him from his contemporaries. And, for that purpose, it is necessary to take a short survey of the parties into which the political world was at that time divided. We must premise, that our observations are intended to apply only to those who adhered, from a sincere preference, to one or to the other side. In days of public commotion, every faction, like an Oriental army, is attended by a crowd of camp-followers, an useless and heartless rabble, who prowl round its line of march in the hope of picking up something under its protection, but desert it in the day of battle, and often join to exterminate it after a defeat. England, at the time of which we are treating, abounded with fickle and selfish politicians, who transferred their support to every government as it rose, who kissed the hand of the King in 1640, and spat in his face in 1649, who shouted with equal glee when Cromwell was inaugurated in Westminster Hall, and when he was dug up to be hanged at Tyburn, who dined on calves' heads, or stuck up oak-branches, as circumstances altered, without the slightest shame or repugnance. These

train of menials, legions of mi angels had charge over them palaces were houses not m hands; their diadems crowns which should never fade away rich and the eloquent, on no priests, they looked down w tempt: for they esteemed th rich in a more precious treas eloquent in a more sublime 1 nobles by the right of an ear tion, and priests by the imposi mightier hand. The very m them was a being to whose fat terious and terrible importa longed, on whose slightest ad spirits of light and darkness with anxious interest, who h destined, before heaven and ea created, to enjoy a felicity whic continue when heaven and eart have passed away. Events whi sighted politicians ascribed to causes, had been ordained on count. For his sake empires b and flourished, and decayed. sake the Almighty had procla will by the pen of the Evange the harp of the prophet. He wrested by no common delive the grasp of no common foe. been ransomed by the sweat of gar agony, by the blood of no sacrifice. It was for him that had been darkened, that the r been rent, that the dead had ri all nature had shuddered at th ings of her expiring God.

Thus the Puritan was mad two different men, the one abasement, penitence, gratitu sion; the other proud, calm, in sagacious. He prostrated hi the dust before his Maker: b his foot on the neck of his k his devotional retirement, he with convulsions, and groa tears. He was half-maddened rious or terrible illusions. H the lyres of angels or the t whispers of fiends. He caught of the Beatific Vision, or woke ing from dreams of everlasti Like Vane, he thought himself i with the sceptre of the millenn Like Fleetwood, he cried in th

menials, legions of ministering | ness of his soul that God had hid his

had charge over them. Their
were houses not made with
their diadems crowns of glory
should never fade away. On the
d the eloquent, on nobles and
they looked down with con-
for they esteemed themselves
a more precious treasure, and
at in a more sublime language,
by the right of an earlier crea-
■d priests by the imposition of a
er hand. The very meanest of
as a being to whose fate a mys-
and terrible importance be-
on whose slightest action the
of light and darkness looked
nxious interest, who had been
d, before heaven and earth were
, to enjoy a felicity which should
e when heaven and earth should
assed away. Events which short-
politicians ascribed to earthly
had been ordained on his ac-
For his sake empires had risen,
ourished, and decayed. For his
e Almighty had proclaimed his
the pen of the Evangelist, and
p of the prophet. He had been
d by no common deliverer from
isp of no common foe. He had
ansomed by the sweat of no vul-
gony, by the blood of no earthly
e. It was for him that the sun
en darkened, that the rocks had
ent, that the dead had risen, that
ure had shuddered at the suffer-
f her expiring God.

face from him. But when he took his seat in the council, or girt on his sword for war, these tempestuous workings of the soul had left no perceptible trace behind them. People who saw nothing of the godly but their uncouth visages, and heard nothing from them but their groans and their whining hymns, might laugh at them. But those had little reason to laugh who encountered them in the hall of debate or in the field of battle. These fanatics brought to civil and military affairs a coolness of judgment and an immutability of purpose which some writers have thought inconsistent with their religious zeal, but which were in fact the necessary effects of it. The intensity of their feelings on one subject made them tranquil on every other. One overpowering sentiment had subjected to itself pity and hatred, ambition and fear. Death had lost its terrors and pleasure its charms. They had their smiles and their tears, their raptures and their sorrows, but not for the things of this world. Enthusiasm had made them Stoics, had cleared their minds from every vulgar passion and prejudice, and raised them above the influence of danger and of corruption. It sometimes might lead them to pursue unwise ends, but never to choose unwise means. They went through the world, like Sir Artegal's iron man Talus with his flail, crushing and trampling dowa oppressors, mingling with human beings, but having neither part nor lot in human infirmities, insensible to fatigue, to pleasure, and to pain, not to be pierced by any weapon, not to be withstood by any barrier.

is the Puritan was made up of ifferent men, the one all selfment, penitence, gratitude, pashe other proud, calm, inflexible, ous. He prostrated himself in Such we believe to have been the ist before his Maker: but he set character of the Puritans. We perceive ot on the neck of his king. In the absurdity of their manners. We evotional retirement, he prayed dislike the sullen gloom of their doconvulsions, and groans, and mestic habits. We acknowledge that He was half-maddened by glo- the tone of their minds was often inor terrible illusions. He heard jured by straining after things too high yres of angels or the tempting for mortal reach: and we know that, ers of fiends. He caught a gleam in spite of their hatred of Popery, they Beatific Vision, or woke scream- too often fell into the worst vices of that rom dreams of everlasting fire. bad system, intolerance and extravaVane, he thought himself intrusted gant austerity, that they had their he sceptre of the millennial year. anchorites and their crusades, their Fleetwood, he cried in the bitter-Dunstans and their De Montforts, their

rejected all the base and pernici gredients by which those finer were defiled. Like the Puritans,

"As ever in his great task-master Like them, he kept his mind c ally fixed on an Almighty Jud an eternal reward. And he acquired their contempt of e circumstances, their fortitude, tranquillity, their inflexible res But not the coolest sceptic or th profane scoffer was more perfec from the contagion of their fra lusions, their savage manners ludicrous jargon, their scorn of and their aversion to pleasure. tyranny with a perfect hatred, nevertheless all the estimable an mental qualities which were entirely monopolised by the p the tyrant. There was none w a stronger sense of the value of ture, a finer relish for every amusement, or a more chivalro licacy of honour and love. 1 his opinions were democratic, his and his associations were such monise best with monarchy and cracy. He was under the influ all the feelings by which the Cavaliers were misled. But of feelings he was the master and slave. Like the hero of Homer, joyed all the pleasures of fasci but he was not fascinated. Hel to the song of the Syrens; glided by without being sedu their fatal shore. He tasted the Circe; but he bore about him antidote against the effects of witching sweetness. The il which captivated his imagination impaired his reasoning powers statesman was proof against the dour, the solemnity, and the ro which enchanted the poet. Any who will contrast the sentimen pressed in his treatises on Prela the exquisite lines on eccles architecture and music in the seroso, which was published ab same time, will understand our ing. This is an inconsistency more than any thing else, rai character in our estimation, bec shows how many private tast