John Milton
Published: 2017-10-12
Total Pages: 578
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Excerpt from The Works of John Milton in Verse and Prose, Vol. 8: Printed From the Original Editions With a Life of the Author by the Rev. John Mitford Power manifef'ted upon all occafions, We went on in no obfcure, but an illuf'trious paftage, pointed out and made plain to us by God himfelf. Which things, if I fhould fo much as hope by any diligence or ability of mine, fuch as it is, to difcourfe of as I ought to do, and to commit them fo to writing, as that per haps all Nations and all Ages may read them,1t would be a very vain thing in me. For what {tile can be auguft and magnificent enough, what man has parts fufficient to undertake fo great a Talk? Since We find by Experience, that in fo many Ages as are gone over the World, there has been but here and there a man found, who has been able worthily to recount the Actions of Great Heroes, and Potent States; Can any man have (0 good an opinion of his own Talents, as to think bimfelf capable to reach thefe glorious and wonderful Works of Almighty God, by any Lan guage, by any Stile ofhis? Whichenterprize, though fome of the mof'c Eminent Perfons in our Common wealth have prevailed upon me by their Authority to undertake, and would have it be my bufinefs to vindicate with my Pen againfi Envy and Calumny (which are proof againft Arms) thofe Glorious Per formances of theirs (whofe opinion of me I take as a very great honour, that they {hould pitch upon me before others to be ferviceable in this kind to thofe molt Valiant Deliverers of my Native Countrey; and true it is, that from my very youth I have been bent extremely upon fuch fort of Studies, as inclin'd me, if not to do great things my felf, at leafi to celebrate thofe that did) yet as having no confidence in any fuch Advantages, I have recourfe to the Divine Afiif't ance; and invoke the Great and Holy God, the Giver of all good Gifts, that I may as fubf'tantially, and as truly, difcufs and refute the Sawcinefs and Lies of this Foreign Declamator, as our Noble Generals. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.