cause　many　hearts　which　had　been　alienated　thence　by　the　turbulence　of　factions；　for；　if　I　know　aught　of　history；　or　of　the　heart　of　man；　he　will　soon　learn　that　the　last　champion　of　the　people　was　not　destroyed　when　he　murdered　Vane；　nor　seduced　when　he　beguiled　Fairfax。〃
  Mr　Cowley　seemed　to　me　not　to　take　much　amiss　what　Mr　Milton　had　said　touching　that　thankless　court；　which　had　indeed　but　poorly　requited　his　own　good　service。　　He　only　said；　therefore；　〃Another　rebellion！　　Alas！　alas！　Mr　Milton！　　If　there　be　no　choice　but　between　despotism　and　anarchy；　I　prefer　despotism。〃
  〃Many　men；〃　said　Mr　Milton；　〃have　floridly　and　ingeniously　compared　anarchy　and　despotism；　but　they　who　so　amuse　themselves　do　but　look　at　separate　parts　of　that　which　is　truly　one　great　whole。　　Each　is　the　cause　and　the　effect　of　the　other；　the　evils　of　either　are　the　evils　of　both。　　Thus　do　states　move　on　in　the　same　eternal　cycle；　which；　from　the　remotest　point；　brings　them　back　again　to　the　same　sad　starting…post：　　and；　till　both　those　who　govern　and　those　who　obey　shall　learn　and　mark　this　great　truth；　men　can　expect　little　through　the　future；　as　they　have　known　little　through　the　past；　save　vicissitudes　of　extreme　evils；　alternately　producing　and　produced。
  〃When　will　rulers　learn　that；　where　liberty　is　not；　security　end　order　can　never　be？　　We　talk　of　absolute　power；　but　all　power　hath　limits；　which；　if　not　fixed　by　the　moderation　of　the　governors；　will　be　fixed　by　the　force　of　the　governed。　Sovereigns　may　send　their　opposers　to　dungeons；　they　may　clear　out　a　senate…house　with　soldiers；　they　may　enlist　armies　of　spies；　they　may　hang　scores　of　the　disaffected　in　chains　at　every　cross　road；　but　what　power　shall　stand　in　that　frightful　time　when　rebellion　hath　become　a　less　evil　than　endurance？　　Who　shall　dissolve　that　terrible　tribunal；　which；　in　the　hearts　of　the　oppressed；　denounces　against　the　oppressor　the　doom　of　its　wild　justice？　　Who　shall　repeal　the　law　of　selfdefence？　　What　arms　or　discipline　shall　resist　the　strength　of　famine　and　despair？　　How　often　were　the　ancient　Caesars　dragged　from　their　golden　palaces；　stripped　of　their　purple　robes；　mangled；　stoned；　defiled　with　filth；　pierced　with　hooks；　hurled　into　Tiber？　　How　often　have　the　Eastern　Sultans　perished　by　the　sabres　of　their　own　janissaries；　or　the　bow…strings　of　their　own　mutes！　　For　no　power　which　is　not　limited　by　laws　can　ever　be　protected　by　them。　　Small；　therefore；　is　the　wisdom　of　those　who　would　fly　to　servitude　as　if　it　were　a　refuge　from　commotion；　for　anarchy　is　the　sure　consequence　of　tyranny。　　That　governments　may　be　safe；　nations　must　be　free。　Their　passions　must　have　an　outlet　provided；　lest　they　make　one。
  〃When　I　was　at　Naples；　I　went　with　Signor　Manso；　a　gentleman　of　excellent　parts　and　breeding；　who　had　been　the　familiar　friend　of　that　famous　poet　Torquato　Tasso；　to　see　the　burning　mountain　Vesuvius。　　I　wondered　how　the　peasants　could　venture　to　dwell　so　fearlessly　and　cheerfully　on　its　sides；　when　the　lava　was　flowing　from　its　summit；　but　Manso　smiled；　and　told　me　that　when　the　fire　descends　freely　they　retreat　before　it　without　haste　or　fear。　They　can　tell　how　fast　it　will　move；　and　how　far；　and　they　know；　moreover；　that；　though　it　may　work　some　little　damage；　it　will　soon　cover　the　fields　over　which　it　hath　passed　with　rich　vineyards　and　sweet　flowers。　　But；　when　the　flames　are　pent　up　in　the　mountain；　then　it　is　that　they　have　reason　to　fear；　then　it　is　that　the　earth　sinks　and　the　sea　swells；　then　cities　are　swallowed　up；　and　their　place　knoweth　them　no　more。　　So　it　is　in　politics：　　where　the　people　is　most　closely　restrained；　there　it　gives　the　greatest　shocks　to　peace　and　order；　therefore　would　I　say　to　all　kings；　let　your　demagogues　lead　crowds；　lest　they　lead　armies；　let　them　bluster；　lest　they　massacre；　a　little　turbulence　is；　as　it　were；　the　rainbow　of　the　state；　it　shows　indeed　that　there　is　a　passing　shower；　but　it　is　a　pledge　that　there　shall　be　no　deluge。〃
  〃This　is　true；〃　said　Mr　Cowley；　〃yet　these　admonitions　are　not　less　needful　to　subjects　than　to　sovereigns。〃
  〃Surely；〃　said　Mr　Milton；　〃and；　that　I　may　end　this　long　debate　with　a　few　words　in　which　we　shall　both　agree；　I　hold　that；　as　freedom　is　the　only　safeguard　of　governments；　so　are　order　and　moderation　generally　necessary　to　preserve　freedom。　　Even　the　vainest　opinions　of　men　are　not　to　be　outraged　by　those　who　propose　to　themselves　the　happiness　of　men　for　their　end；　and　who　must　work　with　the　passions　of　men　for　their　means。　　The　blind　reverence　for　things　ancient　is　indeed　so　foolish　that　it　might　make　a　wise　man　laugh；　if　it　were　not　also　sometimes　so　mischievous　that　it　would　rather　make　a　good　man　weep。　　Yet；　since　it　may　not　be　wholly　cured　it　must　be　discreetly　indulged；　and　therefore　those　who　would　amend　evil　laws　should　consider　rather　how　much　it　may　be　safe　to　spare；　than　how　much　it　may　be　possible　to　change。　　Have　you　not　heard　that　men　who　have　been　shut　up　for　many　years　in　dungeons　shrink　if　they　see　the　light；　and　fall　down　if　their　irons　be　struck　off？　　And　so；　when　nations　have　long　been　in　the　house　of　bondage；　the　chains　which　have　crippled　them　are　necessary　to　support　them；　the　darkness　which　hath　weakened　their　sight　is　necessary　to　preserve　it。　　Therefore　release　them　not　too　rashly；　lest　they　curse　their　freedom　and　pine　for　their　prison。
  〃I　think　indeed　that　the　renowned　Parliament；　of　which　we　have　talked　so　much；　did　show；　until　it　became　subject　to　the　soldiers；　a　singular　and　admirable　moderation；　in　such　times　scarcely　to　be　hoped；　and　most　worthy　to　be　an　example　to　all　that　shall　come　after。　　But　on　this　argument　I　have　said　enough：　and　I　will　therefore　only　pray　to　Almighty　God　that　those　who　shall；　in　future　times　stand　forth　in　defence　of　our　liberties；　as　well　civil　as　religious；　may　adorn　the　good　cause　by　mercy；　prudence；　and　soberness；　to　the　glory　of　his　name　and　the　happiness　and　honour　of　the　English　people。〃
  And　so　ended　that　discourse；　and　not　long　after　we　were　set　on　shore　again　at　the　Temple　Gardens；　and　there　parted　company：　　and　the　same　evening　I　took　notes　of　what　had　been　said；　which　I　have　here　more　fully　set　down；　from　regard　both　to　the　fame　of　the　men；　and　the　importance　of　the　subject…matter。
  。。。
  ON　THE　ATHENIAN　ORATORS。
  （August　1824。）
  〃To　the　famous　orators　repair；　Those　ancient；　whose　resistless　eloquence　Wielded　at　will　that　fierce　democratie；　Shook　the　arsenal；　and　fulmined　over　Greece　To　Macedon　and　Artaxerxes'　throne。〃Milton。
  The　celebrity　of　the　great　classical　writers　is　confined　within　no　limits；　except　those　which　separate　civilised　from　savage　man。　Their　works　are　the　common　property　of　every　polished　nation。　They　have　furnished　subjects　for　the　painter；　and　models　for　the　poet。　　In　the　minds　of　the　educated　classes　throughout　Europe；　their　names　are　indissolubly　associated　with　the　endearing　recollections　of　childhood；the　old　school…room；the　dog…eared　grammar；the　first　prize；the　tears　so　often　shed　and　so　quickly　dried。　　So　great　is　the　veneration　with　which　they　are　regarded；　that　even　the　editors　and　commentators　who　perform　the　lowest　menial　offices　to　their　memory；　are　considered；　like　the　equerries　and　chamberlains　of　sovereign　princes；　as　entitled　to　a　high　rank　in　the　table　of　literary　precedence。　　It　is；　therefore；　somewhat　singular　that　their　productions　should　so　rarely　have　been　examined　on　just　and　philosophical　principles　of　criticism。
  The　ancient　writers　themselves　afford　us　but　little　assistance。　When　they　particularise；　they　are　commonly　trivial：　　when　they　would　generalise；　they　become　indistinct。　　An　exception　must；　indeed；　be　made　in　favour　of　Aristotle。　　Both　in　analysis　and　in　combination；　that　great　man　was　without　a　rival。　　No　philosopher　has　ever　possessed；　in　an　equal　degree；　the　talent　either　of　separating　established　systems　into　their　primary　elements；　or　of　connecting　detached　phenomena　in　harmonious　systems。　　He　was　the　great　fashioner　of　the　intellectual　chaos；　he　changed　its　darkness　into　light；　and　its　discord　into　order。　　He　brought　to　literary　researches　the　same　vigour　and　amplitude　of　mind　to　which　both　physical　and　metaphysical　science　are　so　greatly　indebted。　　His　fundamental　principles　of　criticism　are　excellent。　To　cite　only　a　single　instance：the　doctrine　which　he　established；　that　poetry　is　an　imitative　art；　when　justly　understood；　is　to　the　critic　what　the　compass　is　to　the　navigator。　　With　it　he　may　venture　upon　the　most　extensive　excursions。　　Without　it　he　must　creep　cautiously　along　the　coast；　or　lose　himself　in　a　trackless　expanse；　and　trust；　at　best；　to　the　guidance　of　an　occasional　star。　　It　is　a　discovery　which　changes　a　caprice　into　a　science。
  The　general　propositions　of　Aristotle　are　valuable。　　But　the　merit　of　the　superstructure　bears　no　proportion　to　that　of　the　foundation。　　This　is　partly　to　be　ascribed　to　the　character　of　the　philosopher；　who；　though　qualified　to　do　all　that　could　be　done　by　the　resolving　and　combining　powers　of　the　understanding；　seems　not　to　have　possessed　much　of　sensibility　or　imagination。　Partly；　also；　it　may　be　attributed　to　the　deficiency　of　materials。　　The　great　works　of　genius　which　then　existed　were　not　eit