4IQ THE LIFE of MILTON. " I think 'tis about ten years, more or lefs, fince I began to per. ceive that my eye-fight grew weak and dim, and at the fame time " my fpleen and bowels to be oppreff and troubled with Flatus ; F' and in the morning when I began to read, according to cuftom, " my eyes grew painful immediately, and to refufe reading, but " were refreilfd after a moderate exercife of the body. 4 certain " Iris began to furround the light of the candle if I look'd at it ; " loon after which, on the left part of the left eye (for that was fome years fooner clouded) a mitt ,arofe which hid every thing on " that fide ; and locking forward if I flint my right eye, objeas appear'd fmaller. lyly other eye alfo, for there laft three years, " fading by degrees, force months before all fight was aboliffied " things which I looked upon feemed to fwim to the right and left; " certain inveterate vapors feem to poffefs my forehead and temples, " which after meat efpecially, quite to evening, generally, urge and " deprefs my eyes with a fleepy heavinefs. Nor would I omit that " whiff} there was as yet come remainder of fight, I no loaner lay- " down in my bed, and turn'd on, my fide, but a copious light daz- '5 zled out of my shut eyes ; and as my fight diminifh'd every day " colors gradually more obfcure flafh'd out with vehernedce ; but " now that the lucid is in a manner wholly extinct, a direa black- " nefs, or elfe (potted, and, as it were, woven with afh-color, is us'd " to pour itfelf in. Neverthelefs the conftant and fettled darknefs " that is before me as well by night as by day, feems nearer to the ?` whitiih than the blackifh ; and the eye rolling itfelf a little, feems to admit I know not what little frnallnefs of light as through a di chink." But it does not appear what anfwer he received ; we may prefume, none that adminiflered any relief. His blindnefs however did not difable him entirely from performing the Wind's of his office. An affiltant was allowed him and his falary as fecretary (till continued to um. And there was farther occafion for his fervice befides dictating pf letters. For the controverfy with Salmafius did not die with him, and there was publifbed at the Hague in 165z a book intitled the :thy of Ghe King's blood, &c. Regii fanguinis Clamor ad ecelam ad- , ye:To
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