<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.