Coming to London, he hired lodgings in St. Bride's church-yard, and received, as pupils, his two nephews, John and Edward Phillips. It has been asked, whether he took pupils gratuitously or for reward—we may go a step farther back, and ask what is the use of such a question ? The business of teaching is still honourable, though it should reward the teacher with subsistence. It is of more importance to inquire how far his plan of teaching corresponded with the superiority of his intel lect. It was formed, says one of his most admiring biographers, Dr. Symmons, on an erroneous principle " It respected things more than words." This descrip Lion certainly opens not unprepossessingly. He placed in the hands of boys from ten to fifteen years of age, such writers, as, though not remarkable for beauty of language, gave information on some of the departments of science, as, the agricultural works of Cato, Coluntel la, and Varro; the Medical Treatise of Cornelius Cel stls j Pliny's Natural History ; Vitruvius's Architec ture, and the philosophical poems of Lucretius and Mani lius. We perceive in this plan the teacher's laudable ambition to imbue the minds of those entrusted to him with an early love of science, as well as the recollection of words and phrases, and cannot agree with Dr. Sym mons that it is founded on false principles. Sir William Jones followed the plan of education traced out by Mil ton ; and if we may judge of a system by its disciple, he could not have pursued a better.
From St. Bride's Church-yard he soon removed to a house in Aldersgate Street, which admitted his scholars into his family, and the situation, secluded by a court from the street, and opening behind into a garden, sup plied the retirement favourable to literary occupation. Here he gave his pupils the example of close applica tion and abstinent diet. He indulged only in temperate festivity once in the course of a month or three weeks. " His companions," Phillips says, " were the beaux of the times, but they never were so intemperate as those of the succeeding generation." The state of politics brought his pen into exertion. The long parliament now represented a nation irritated by the flagrant abuse both of civil and ecclesiastical power. The king's treatment of members of parlia ment, one of whom, Sir John Elliot, had died from the severity of imprisonment ; his arbitrary exertions, and the severe sentences of his courts and councils, had made the public ripe for resistance and innovation; and the despotism of the church had walked side by side with that of the state. But Charles's embarrassments after his defeat from the Scottish army compelled him to have recourse in earnest to a parliament ; and this legislature released the press from its horrid silence.
Milton, on his return from the Continent, found the clamour loud and general against the bishops. He was on this occasion, to all appearance, the leader of the at tack on the church, as far as the hostility of the press was concerned. In his two treatises of reformation touching church government, he contended that the re formation of the church had not proceeded sufficiently far; and inveighed against the practical evils re ligion and libel ty had suffered under the prelatical go vernment. To this and other attacks from puritan pens, the virtuous and learned Bishop Hall thought it proper to reply, in " A Humble Remonstrance to the High Court of Parliament ;" and about the same time Arch bishop Usher published a work to maintain the aposto lical institution of Episcopacy.
In reply to these pamphlets, Milton published two pieces, the first of which bore the title of " Prelatical _Episcopacy," and the second, " The Reason of Church Government urged against Prelacy." The point at issue between these polemics was the divine or the human origin of episcopacy. These opponents of our author, Hall and Usher, were men whose characters reflected honour upon their cause, and who, in their conduct, were not persecutors. This circumstance, however, is not decisive of the truth of the ecclesiastical doctrines which they supported. Milton's productions were the most learned and able on the puritan side of controver sy. But the piece which seems to have chiefly attracted the public attention at this time, was one written by five of the presbyterian divines, under the title cf " Smec tymnuus," a word made up of the initial names of the au hers. Tu tins book Bishop Hall replied in a " fence of the Remonstrance," and Milton's forniiilable pen produced " Animadversions on the Remonstrant's Defence." These five pieces of Milton's wiitten in one year, 1641, when their author was thirty-three years of age, and whilst he was daily occupied with the fatigues of tuition.
In the beginning of the next year, his " Animadver sions," which unquestionably were rude and personal, excited a deeply vindictive reply (as was supposed) from the son of Bishop Hall. The anonymous publi cation heaped enormous falsehoods on Milton's head. Our author's " Apology for Smectymnuus," was drawn forth by this accumulated provocation. The most ob jectionable part of this work is the critical attack which he makes on Bishop Hall's literary character, and on his satires : its most splendid and eloquent passage is his eulogy on the first proceedings of the Long Parlia ment. This publication seems to have closed the con troversy; weapons more effectual than pens were now drawn against the church.