[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
Against prelatical Episcopacy. } books?
2. The reason of Church Goverment.
3. A defence of Smectymnuus.
4. The Doctrin and Disciplin of Divorce. }
5. Colasterion. } All these in prosecution
6. The Judgement of Martin Bucer. } of the same subject.
7. Tetrachordon (of divorce). }
Areopagitica, viz. for the libertie of the presse.
Of Education.
Iconoclastes.
Tenure of Kings and Magistrates.
Defensio populi Anglicani.
Defensio 2ᵈᵃ contra Morum.
Defensio 3ᵗⁱᵃ.
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.