( 44 ) 
Mr. Dry den, many years after, took the 
hint, and wrote the following lines in praife 
of Milton, 
Three poets in three diftant ages born, 
Greece, Italy and England did adorn: 
The firft in majefty of thought furpafs'd, 
The next in gracefulnefs, in both the laft. 
The force Of Nature could no farther go, 
To make a third fhe join'd the former two. 
At Naples, he became acquainted with 
the celebrated Baptifta Manfo, who at his 
departure complimented him thus, 
Ut men*) fofma, dfcor, fades, mos, fi pietasfic, 
Non Anglus, verum^ Hercuki arigelus ipfe fores. 
ft To underftand the meaning of this fi 
pietasjic, you muft know, that Milton was 
fo imprudent a bigot, as to avow his Prefby- 
terian opinions in the midfl of bigots to an 
oppofite creed. 
On his return to England in 1639, he 
commenced matter of an academy in Al- 
derfgate ftreet, in which occupation he con- 
tinued till the execution of Charles I. and 
the confequent ufurpation of Oliver Crom- 
well, by whom he was appointed Latin Se- 
cretary to the Counfel of State. In 1652 
tw 
