Controversy; his Manhood was imploy'd in Affairs of State, or those of his Family; and in his latter years, to speak nothing of a decaying Fancy, nor of his personal Troubles, he was by reason of his Blindness oblig'd to write by whatsoever hand came next, ten, or twenty, or thirty Verses at a time; and consequently must trust the judgment of others at least for the Pointing and Orthography. But another difficulty that stopt its passage to the W orId was very singular: for his Vein never happily flow'd but from the Autumnal to the Vernal Equinox, as his Nephew Edward Philips affirms, who says he was told this particular by Milton himself; and yet I fancy he might be mistaken as to the time, because our Author in his Latin Elegy on the approach of Spring seems to say just the contrary, as if he could not make any Verses to his satisfaction till the Spring begun, according to these lines: [Elegia quinta, ll. 5-8J. A more judicious Friend of his informs me, that he could never compose well but in the Spring and Autumn: And let it be which way you will, it follows that this Piece was compos'd in half the time he was thought to be about it. As to the choice of his Subject, or the Particulars of his Story, I shall say nothing in defence of them against those People who brand' em with Heresy and Impiety: for to incur the Displeasure of certain ignorant and supercilious Critics, argues free thinking, accurat Writing, and a generous Profession of Truth. I'm sure if Hesiod, or such other fabulous Authors in the rude ages of the W orId, had given so intelligible, coherent, and delightful an account of the Creation of the Universe, and the Origin of Mankind their System had past for Divine Inspiration; and the Unbelievers of it would appear to be so few, that any of 'em might well be shewn for a Monster rather than be thought worthy of Punishment or Confutation. As to the regularity of the Poem, I never knew it question'd by any but such as would build themselves a Reputation on the flaws and mistakes they discover in other Mens Labors. But the unparallel'd Sublimity and Force of the Expression, with the delicacy of his Thoughts, and the copiousness of his Invention, are unanimously own'd by all ranks of Writers. He has incontestably exceeded the fecundity of Homer, whose two Poems he could almost repeat without book: nor did he com much short of the correctness of Virgil. . . .