404 THE LIFE o F MILT° Na Cefar's laft will, making a deeper impreflion, and exciting greatef commiferation in the minds of the people, than the king himfelf did while alive, Milton was 'ordered to prepare an anfwer to it which was publifhed by authority, and intitled Eikonocialles, or the image- breaker, the famous furname of many Greek emperors, who in their zeal againft idolatry broke all fuperftitious images to pieces. This piece was tranflated into French ; and two replies to it were publifh- ed, one in 1651, and the other in 1692, upon the reprinting of ,IV1ilton's book at A infterdam. In this controverfy a heavy charge bath been alleged againft Mil- ton. Some editions of the king's book have certain prayers added at the end, and among them a prayer in time of captivity, which is taken from that of Pamela in Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia : and it is faid, that this prayer was added by the contrivance and artifice of Milton, who together with Bradfhaw prevailed upon the printer to infert it, that from thence he might take occafion to bring a fcandal upon the King, and to blaft the reputation of his book, as he bath attempted to do in the firft fettion of his anfwer. This faEt is related chiefly upon the authority of Henry Hills the printer, who had fre- quently affirmed it to Dr. Gill and Dr. Bernard his phyficians, as they themfelves have teftified. But Hills was not himfelf the printer who was dealt with in this manner, and con fequently he could have the ftory only from hearfay : and tho' he was Cromwell's printer, yet afterwards he turned papift in the reign of James H, in order to be that king's printer, and it was at that time that he ufed to relate this story; fo that, I think, little credit is due to his tettimony. And indeed 1 cannot but hope and believe, that Milton had a foul above being guilty of fo mean an action to ferve fo mean a purpofe ; and there is as little reafon for fixing it upon him, as he had to traduce the King for profaning the duty of prayer " with the polluted trail " of romances." For there are not many finer prayers in the belt books ofdevotion ; and the king might as lawfully borrow and apply it to his own coca- fions, as the Apoflle might make quotations from Heathen poets and plays ; and it became Milton the Ina of all men to bring fuck an
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