18 Colorado College Studies. 



hard uightly study in his youth had first occasion 'd, and 

 which®- by degrees had for some time before depriv'd him 

 of the use of one Ey : And the Issues and Seatous, made use 

 of to save or retrieve that, were thought by drawing away 

 the Spirits, which should have supply 'd the Optic Vessells, 

 to have hasten 'd the loss of the other.''' Hee was indeed 

 advis'd by his Physitians of the danger, in his condition, 

 attending so great intentness as that work requir'd. But 

 hee, who was resolute in going through with what upon good 

 consideration hee at any time designed, and to whom the love 

 of Truth and his Country was®* dearer then all things, would 

 not for any danger decline thir defense. 



Nor did his Darkness discourage or disable him from 

 prosecuting, with the help of Amanuenses,®^ the former design 

 of his calmer Studies. And hee had now more leisure, being 

 dispensed with, by having a Substitute allowd him, and some- 

 times Instructions sent home to him, from attending in his 

 office®® of Secretary.®^ 



It was now that hee began that laborious work of amassing 

 out of all the Classic Authors, both in Prose and Verse, a®® 

 Latin Thesaurus to the emendation of that done by Stephanus; 

 Also the composing Paradise Lost And the framing a Body 

 of Divinity out of the Bible: All which, notwithstanding 

 the several Calamities befalling him in his fortunes, hee 

 finish 'd after the Restoration: As also the Britisli liistory 

 down to the Conquest, Paradise regaind, Samso^i Agonistes, 

 a Tragedy Logica & Accedence commenc'd Grammer & had 

 begun a Greek Thesaurus; having scarce left any part of 

 learning unimprov'd by him: As in Paradise lost & Regained 

 hee more especially taught all Virtue. 



" ' had ' crossed out. 



" This somewliat technical discussion suggests that the author may 

 have been a physician. Later he gives the technical name of the trouble, 

 ' Gutta Serena' (p. 21). Dr. Paget was probably Milton's physician 

 at this time. 



" Substituted for ' were.' 



*" his ' crossed out. 



" Substituted for ' place.' 



"From this and the next paragraph Wood borrows extensively. 



" ' that ' crossed out. 



