The Life of John Milton, Volume 5 (of 7), 1654-1660: Narrated in Connexion with the Political, Ecclesiastical, and Literary History of His TimeMasson, David
History
The Life of John Milton, Volume 5 (of 7), 1654-1660: Narrated in Connexion with the Political, Ecclesiastical, and Literary History of His Time
Masson, David
Milton, John, 1608-1674; Poets, English -- Early modern, 1500-1700 -- Biography
been promised to Principal Leighton, when he had been in London, some
time before, on one of his yearly journeys for his own bookish
purposes, and certainly neither as Resolutioner nor Protester. "Mr.
Leighton does nought to count of, but looks about him in his
chamber," is Baillie's characteristic fancy-sketch of Leighton when
he was back in Edinburgh and the £200 a year had become a certainty;
but he adds that the saint had shown more temper than usual at
finding that Mr. Sharp had contrived that £100 of the sum should go
to Mr. Alexander Dickson (son of the Resolutioner David Dickson) who
had been recently appointed to the Hebrew Professorship, and whom
Leighton did not like. Indeed Baillie makes merry over the
possibility that the poor £200 a year for Edinburgh might never be
forthcoming, any more than the richer "flim-flams" Mr. Gillespie had
obtained for Glasgow, though in _them_ he confessed a more
lively interest.[3]--Whether Scotland should ever actually handle the
new endowments for her Universities, or the more important £1200 a
year for the civilization of the Highlands, depended on the energy
and ability of his Highness's Scottish Council in finding out ways
and means. Broghill being still absent in England, but on the wing
for Ireland, and Lockhart and others being also absent, the most
active of the Councillors now left in Scotland, in association with
Monk, seem to have been Lord Keeper Desborough, Swinton of Swinton,
and Colonel Whetham. Since August 1656, by the Protector's orders,
_three_ had been a sufficient quorum of the Council. Monk, of
course, was the real Vice-Protector. Scotland had become his home. He
had lived for some years in the same house at Dalkeith, "pleasantly
seated in the midst of a park," occupying all his spare time "with
the pleasures of planting and husbandry"; he had buried his second
son, an infant, in a chapel near; and to all appearance he might
expect to spend the rest of his days where he was, a wealthy English
soldier-farmer naturalized among the Scots, acquiring estates among
them, and keeping them under quiet command.[4]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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