THE LIFE or MILTON. 415 without teeing a man who did fo much honor to it by his writings, and whofe name was as well known and as famous abroad as in his own nation ; and by feveral perfons ofquality of both fexes, parti- cularly the pious and virtuous Lady Ranelagh, whole fon for fome time he intruded, the fame who was Paymafter of the forces in King William's time ; and by many learned' and ingenious friends and acquaintance, particularly Andrew Marvel, and young Laurence, fon to the Prefident of Oliver's Council, to whom he has infcribed one of his fonnets, and Marchamont Needham the Writer of Politicus, and above all Cyriac Skinner, whom he has honored with two fon. nets. But now it was not fate for him to appear any longer in pub- lic, fo that by the advice of fome who withed him well and were concerned for his prefervation, he fled for filcher to a friend's houfe in Bartholomew Clofe near Well Smithfield, where he lay concealed, till the wort of the formwas blown over. The firft notice that we find taken of him was on Saturday the 16th of June I66o, when it was ordered by the Houfe of Commons, that his Majefty fhould be humbly moved to if his proclamation for the calling in of Milton's two books, his Defenfe of the people and Iconoclalles, and alto Goodwyn's book intitled the Obitrudors of juftice, written in juftification of the murder of the late King, and to order them to be burnt by the hands of the common hangman. At the fame time it was ordered, that the Attorney General fhould pro- ceed by way of indidment or information againfi Milton and Good- wyn in refped of their books, and that they themfelves fhoald be fent for in cuftody of the Serjeant at arms attending the- Houfe. On Wednefday June 27th an order of Council was made agreeable to the order of the Houfe of Commons, for a proclamation againft Milton's and Goodwyn's books ; and the proclamation was Med the 13th of Auguft following, wherein it was Paid that the authors had fled or did abfcond : and on Monday Auguft 27th Milton's and Goodwyn's books were burnt according to the proclamation at the Old Bailey by the hands of the common hangman. On Wednefday Auguft 29th the ad of indemnity was paired, which proved more favorable to Milton than could well have been expected ; for tho' John Good- wyn Clerk was excepted among the, twenty perfons, who were to have penalties
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