<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.