On Evil Daies though fall’n and Evil Tongues, in Darkness,
    and with Dangers compast round, and Solitude.

* * * * *

Mr. Bendish has heard the Widow or Daughter or Both say it, that Soon after the Restauration the King Offer’d to Employ this Pardon’d Man as his Latin Secretary, the Post in which he Serv’d Cromwell with So much Integrity and Ability; (that a like Offer was made to Thurlow is not Disputed as ever I heard) Milton Withstood the Offer; the Wife press’d his Compliance. Thou art in the Right (says he) You, as Other Women, would ride in your Coach; for Me, My Aim is to Live and Dye an Honest Man.

* * * * *

Other Stories I have heard concerning the Posture he was Usually in when he Dictated, that he Sat leaning Backward Obliquely in an Easy Chair, with his Leg flung over the Elbow of it. that he frequently Compos’d lying in Bed in a Morning (’twas Winter Sure Then) I have been Well inform’d, that when he could not Sleep, but lay Awake whole Nights, he Try’d; not One Verse could he make; at Other times flow’d Easy his Unpremeditated Verse, with a certain Impetus and AEstro, as Himself seem’d to Believe.  Then, at what Hour soever, he rung for his Daughter to Secure what Came.  I have been also told he would Dictate many, perhaps 40 Lines as it were in a Breath, and then reduce them to half the Number.

60.

ABRAHAM COWLEY.

Born 1618.  Died 1667.

Of My self.

It is a hard and nice Subject for a man to write of himself, it grates his own heart to say any thing of disparagement, and the Readers Eares to hear any thing of praise from him.  There is no danger from me of offending him in this kind; neither my Mind, nor my Body, nor my Fortune, allow me any materials for that Vanity.  It is sufficient, for my own contentment, that they have preserved me from being scandalous, or remarkable on the defective side.  But besides that, I shall here speak of myself, only in relation to the subject of these precedent discourses, and shall be likelier thereby to fall into the contempt, then rise up to the estimation of most people.  As far as my Memory can return back into my past Life, before I knew, or was capable of guessing what the world, or glories, or business of it were, the natural affections of my soul gave me a secret bent of aversion from them, as some Plants are said to turn away from others, by an Antipathy imperceptible to themselves, and inscrutable to mans understanding.  Even when I was a very young Boy at School, instead of running about on Holy-daies and playing with my fellows, I was wont to steal from them, and walk into the fields, either alone with a Book, or with some one Companion, if I could find any of the same temper.  I was then too, so much an Enemy to all constraint, that my Masters could never prevail on me, by any perswasions