THE LIFE OF MILTON. 431 numerous prints, piftures, bulls, medals, and other reprefentations which have been made of him. There are two pidures of greater value than the reft, as they are undoubted originals, and were in the poffeflion of Milton's widow : the firft was drawn when he was about twenty one, and is at prefent in the colledion of the Right Honor- able Arthur Onflow, Efq; Speaker of the Houfe of Commons ; the other in crayons was drawn when he was about fixty two, and was in the colledion of Mr. Richardfon, but has fence been purchafed by Mr. Tonfon. Several prints have been made from both thefe pidures ; and the;e is a print done, when he was about fixty two or fixty three, after the life by Faithorn, which tho' not fo handfome, may yet perhaps be as true a refemblance, as any of them. It is prefixed to fome of our author's pieces, and to the folio edition of his profe works in three volumes printed in 1698. In his way of living he was an ex- ample of fobriety and temperance- He was very fparing in the ufe of wine or firong liquors of any kind. Let meaner poets make ufe of fuch expedients to raife their fancy and kindle their imagination. He wanted not any artificial fpirits ; he had a natural fire, and poetic warmth enough of his own. He was likewife very abflemions in his diet, not faflidioully nice or delicate in the choice of his difhes, but content with any thing that was molt in feafon, or eafieft to be procured, eating and drinking (according to the diftindion of the philofopher) that he might live and not living that he might eat and drink. So that probably his gout defcended by inheritance, from one or other of his parents ; or if it was of his own acquiring, it muff have been owing to his ftudi- ous and fedentary life. And yet he delighted fometimes in walking and ufing exercife, but we hear nothing of his riding or hunting ; and having early learned to fence, he was Inch a mailer of his fword, that he was not afraid of relenting an affront from any man ; and before he loft his light, his principal recreation was the exercife of his arms ; but after he was confined by age and blindnefs, he had a machine to fwing in for the prefervation of his health. In his youth he was accuftomed to fit up late at his (Indies, and feldomwent to bed
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