r416 Tim LIFE of MILTON. penalties infliaeci upon them, not extending to life, yet Milton was not excepted at all, and confequently was included in the general pardon. We find indeed that afterwards he was in cuflody of the Serjeant at arms ; but the time, when he was taken into cuftody, is not certain. He was not in cuftody on the 12th of September, for that day a lift of the prifoners in cuftody of the Serjeant at arms was yead in the Houfe, and Milton is not among them ; and on the 15th of Sep- tember the Houfe adjourned to the 6th of November. It is moft probable therefore, that after the a& of indemnity was palled, and after the Houfe was adjourned, he came out of his concealment, and was afterwards taken into cuftody of the Serjeant at arms by virtue of the former order of the Houfe of Commons : but we cannot find that he was profecuted by the Attorney General, nor was he continu- ed in cuftody very long : for on Saturday the 15th day of December 166o, it was ordered by the Houfe of Commons, that Mr. Milton now in cuftody of the Serjeant at arms fhould be forthwith releafed, paying his fees ; and on Monday the 17th ofDecember, a complaint being made that the Serjeant at, arras had demanded exceflive fees for his imprifonment, it was referred to the committee of privileges and ele&ions to examine this bufinefs, and to call Mr. Milton and the Serjeant before them, and to determine what was fit to be given to the Serjeant for his fees in this cafe ; fo courageous was he at all times in defenfe of liberty, againft all the encroachments ofpower, and tho' a prifoner, would yet be treated like a freeborn Englifh- man. This appears to he the matter of faa, as it may be collated partly from the Journals of the Houfe of Commons, and partly from Ken- net's Hiftorical Regifter : and the clemency of the government was furely very great towards him, confidering the nature of his offences; for tho' he was not one of the King's judges and murderers, yet he contributed more to murder his charaaer and reputation than any of them all : and to what therefore could it be owing, that he was treated with fuch lenity, and was fo eafily pardoned ? It is certain, there was not wanting powerful interceffion for him, both in Coun cil
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