[The Life of John Milton, Volume 5 (of 7), 1654-1660 by David Masson]@TWC D-Link book
The Life of John Milton, Volume 5 (of 7), 1654-1660

CHAPTER II
84/279

He would notice this "Supplement" as well as the volume already published, and so have done with Morus altogether.
[Footnote 1: Vaughan's _Protectorate_, I.73; where "Mr.Miton" appears as "Mr.Hulton."] Morus's _Supplementum_ consists of 105 pages, added to the original _Fides Publica_, but numbered onwards from the last page there, so as to admit of the binding of the two volumes into one volume consecutively paged, though with two title-pages, differently dated.

The matter also proceeds continuously from the point at which the _Fides Publica_, broke off.

Referring to the testimony borne to his character in the venerable Diodati's Letter from Geneva to Salmasius, dated May 9, 1648, and connecting it with Milton's mention of his personal acquaintance with Diodati formed in his visit to Geneva in 1639, Morus addresses Milton thus: "This is that John Diodati upon whom you cast no small stain by your praise, and who truly, if he were alive, would prefer to be in the number of those who are vituperated by you.

Would he _were_ alive! How he would beat back your pride, not indeed with other pride, but with the gravest smile of contempt! How he would despise in his great mind your thoughts, sayings, acts, all in one! How he would anticipate your fine satire, and, moved with holy loathing, spit upon it! '_With him_,' you say, '_I had daily society at Geneva_.' But what did you learn from him?
What of desirable contagion did you carry away from his acquaintance?
Often have we heard him enumerating those friends he had in your country whom he commended on the score of either learning or goodness.

Of _you_ we never heard a syllable from him." Then, after telling of his affectionate parting with Diodati at Geneva, when both, were in tears and the old man blessed him, he proceeds to quote other Testimonials, either in French or in Latin.
Four more are still from former Swiss friends:--viz.


<<Back  Index  Next>>

D-Link book Top

TWC mobile books