384 TIE LIFE of MILTON. very worthy man ; and married an excellent woman, Sarah of the ancient family of the Bradthaws, fays Mr. Wood ; but Mr. Philips, our author's nephew, who was more likely to know, fays, of the family of the Caftans derived orginally from Wales, Whoever the was, the is Paid to have been a woman of incomparablevirtue and gooclnefs ; and by her, her huibancl had two fons and a daughter. The elder of the fons was our famous poet, who was born in the year of our Lord 16o8, on the 9th of December in the morning be- tween 6 and 7 o'clock, in Bread-ftreet London, where his father lived at the fign of the fptead eagle, which was alfo the coat of arms of the family. He was named John, as his father and grand-father had been before him ; and from the beginning difcovering the marks of an uncommon genius, he was defigned for a feholar, and had his edu- cation partly under private tutors, and partly at a public fchool. It has been often controverted whether a public or private education is bet, but young Milton was fo happy as to (hare the advantages of both. It appears from the fourth of his Latin elegies, and and from the firft and fourth of his familiar epittles, that Mr. Thomas Young, who was afterwards paftor of the company of Eng- lith merchants refiding at Hamburg, was one of his private pre. ceptors : and when he had made good progrefs in his studies at home, he was fent to St. Paul's fchool to be fitted for the univerlity under the care of Mr. Gill, who was the matter at that time, and to whofe fon are addreffed fome of his familiar epifties. In this early time of his life fuch was his love of learning, and fo great was his am- bition to furpafs his equals, that from his twelfth year he commonly continued his ftudies till midnight, which (as he fays himfelf in hig fecond defence) was the firft ruin of his eyes, to whofe natural debility too were added frequent head akes : but all could not extinguilh or abate his laudable paffion for letters. It is very feldom feen, that fuch application and fuch a genius meet in the fame perfon. The force of either is great, but both together mull perform wonders. He was now in the 7th year of his age, and was a very good claf- heal fcholar and matter of feveral languages, when he was fent to the univerfity of Cambridge, and admitted at Chrift's College (as appears from the regifter) on the tzth of February 1624-5, under the tuition of Mr. William Chappel, afterwards Biihop of Cork and
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