It was one of the maxims of the Spartans, not to press upon a flying army, and therefore their enemies were always ready to quit the field, because they knew the danger was only in opposing. The civility with which you have thought proper to treat me, when you had incontestable superiority, has inclined me to make your victory complete, without any further struggle, and not only publickly to acknowledge the truth of the charge which you have hitherto advanced, but to confess, without the least dissimulation, subterfuge, or concealment, every other interpolation I have made in those authors, which you have not yet had opportunity to examine.

On the sincerity and punctuality of this confession, I am willing to depend for all the future regard of mankind, and cannot but indulge some hopes, that they whom my offence has alienated from me, may by this instance of ingenuity and repentance, be propitiated and reconciled. Whatever be the event, I shall at least have done all that can be done in reparation of my former injuries to Milton, to truth, and to mankind, and entreat that those who shall continue implacable, will examine their own hearts, whether they have not committed equal crimes without equal proofs of sorrow, or equal acts of atonement *.

The interpolations are distinguished by Italick characters.

PASSAGES

PASSAGES interpolated in MASENIUS.

The word pandemonium in the marginal notes of Book I. Essay, page 10.

CITATION VI. Essay, page 38.

Adnuit ipsa dolo, malumque (heu! longa dolendi
Materies! & triste nefas!) vesana momordit
Tanti ignara mali. Mora nulla, solutus Avernus
Exspuit infandas acies; fractumque remugit
Divulsa compage solum. Nabathæa receptum
Regna dedere sonum, Pharioque in littore Nereus
Territus erubuit: simul adgemuere dolentes
Hesperiæ valles, Libyæque calentis arenæ
Exarsere procul. Stupefacta Lycaonis ursa
Constitit, & pavido riguit glacialis in axe:
Omnis cardinibus submotus inhorruit orbis;
Angeli hoc efficiunt, cælestia jussa secuti.

CITATION VII. Essay, page 41.
Illa quidem fugiens, sparsis per terga capillis,
Ora rigat lacrimis, & cœlum questibus implet:
Talia voce rogans. Magni Deus arbiter orbis!
Qui rerum momenta tenes, solusque futuri
Præscius, elapsique memor: quem terra potentem
Imperio, cœlique tremunt; quem dite superbus
Horrescit Phlegethon, pavidoque furore veretur:
En! Styge crudeli premimur. Laxantur hiatus
Tartarei, dirusque solo dominatur Avernus,
Infernique canes populantur cuncta creata,
Et manes violant superos: discrimina rerum

Sustulit

Sustulit Antitheus, divumque oppressit honorem. Respice Sarcotheam: nimis, heu! decepta momordit Infaustas epulas, nosque omnes prodidit hosti.

CITATION VIII. Essay, page 42, the whole

passage.

Quadrupedi pugnat quadrupes, volucrique volucris ;
Et piscis cum pisce ferox hostilibus armis

Pralia sava gerit: jam pristina pabula spernunt,
Jam tondere piget viridantes gramine campos :
Alterum & alterius vivunt animalia letho:
Prisca nec in gentem humanam reverentia durat ;
Sed fugiunt, vel si steterant fera bella minantur
Fronte truci, torvosque oculos jaculantur in illam.

CITATION IX. Essay, page 43.

Vatibus antiquis numerantur lumine cassis,
Tiresias, Phineus, Thamyrisque, & magnus Homerus.

The above passage stands thus in Masenius, in one line:

Tiresias cœcus, Thamyrisque, & Daphnis, Homerus.

N. B. The verse now cited is in Masenius's Poems, but not in the Sarcotis.

CITATION X. Essay, page 46.

In medio, turmas inter provectus ovantes
Cernitur Antitheus, reliquis hic altior unus
Eminet, & circum vulgus despectat inane:
Frons nebulis obscura latet, torvumque furorem
Dissimulat, fidæ tectus velamine noctis:

Persimilis

Persimilis turri præcelsæ, aut montibus altis
Antiquæ cedro, nudatæ frondis honore.

Passages interpolated in Grotius.

CITATION I. Essay, page 55.

Sacri tonantis hostis, exsul patriæ
Cœlestis adsum; tartari tristem specum
Fugiens, & atram noctis æternæ plagam.
Hac spe, quod unum maximum fugio malum,
Superos videbo. Fallor? an certè meo
Concussa tellus tota trepidat pondere?
Quid dico? Tellus? Orcus & pedibus tremit.

CITATION II. Essay, page 58, the whole passage.
Nam, me judice,

Regnare dignum est ambitu, etsi in Tartaro:
Alto præcesse Tartaro siquidem juvat,

Calis quam in ipsis servi obire munia.

CITATION IV. Essay, page 61, the whole passage,

Innominata quæque nominibus suis,

Libet vocare propriis vocabulis.

CITATION V. Essay, page 63.

Terrestris orbis rector! & princeps freti!
Cali solique soboles; ætherium genus !
Adame! dextram liceat amplecti tuam !

CITATION VI. Essay, ibid.

Quod illud animal, tramite obliquo means,
Ad me volutum flexili serpit viâ?

Sibila

Sibila retorquet ora setosum caput

Trifidamque linguam vibrat: oculi ardent duo,

Carbunculorum luce certantes rubrâ.

CITATION VII. Essay, page 65, the whole passage.

Nata deo! atque homine sata!

Regina mundi! eademque interitus inscia!

Cunctis colenda!

CITATION VIII. Essay, page 66, the whole passage.

Rationis etenim omnino paritas exigit,
Ego bruta quando bestia evasi loquens ;
Ex homine, qualis ante, te fieri Deam.

CITATION IX. Essay, ibid.

Per sancta thalami sacra, per jus nominis
Quodcumque nostri: sive me natam vocas,
Ex te creatam; sive communi patre
Ortam, sororem; sive potius conjugem:
Cassam, oro, dulci luminis jubare tui

Ne me relinquas: nunc tuo auxilio est opus.
Cum versa sors est. Unicum lapsæ mihi
Firmamen, unam spem gravi adflictæ malo,
Te mihi reserva, dum licet: mortalium
Ne tota soboles pereat unius nece:

Tibi nam relicta, quò petam? aut ævum exigam?

CITATION X. Essay, page 67, the whole passage.

Tu namque soli numini contrarius,
Minus es nocivus; ast ego nocentior,

(Adeoque