, the most illustrious of English poets, was by birth a gentleman,
, the most illustrious of English poets,
was by birth a gentleman, descended from the proprietors
of Milton, near Thame in Oxfordshire, one of whom forfeited his estate in the contests between the houses of
York and Lancaster. His grand-father was under-ranger
of the forest of Shotover in Oxfordshire, and being a zealous Roman catholic, disinherited his son, of the same
name, for becoming a protestant. This son, when thus
deprived of the family property, was a student at Christchurch, Oxford, but was now obliged to quit his studies,
and going to London became a scrivener. That he retained
his classical knowledge appears from his son addressing
him in one of his most elaborate Latin poems; he was also
a great proficient in music, a voluminous composer, and,
in the opinion of Dr. Burney, “equal in science, if not
genius, to the best musicians of his age.
” He married a
lady of the name of Custon, of a Welsh family. By her
he had two sons, John the poet, Christopher, and Anne.
Anne became the wife of Mr. Edward Phillips, a native of
Shrewsbury, who was secondary to the crown office in
chancery. Christopher, applying himself to the study of
the law, became a bencher of the Inner Temple, was
knighted at a very advanced period of life, and raised by
James II. first to be a baron of the Exchequer, and afterwards one of the judges of the Common-pleas. During
the rebellion he adhered to the royal cause, and effected
his composition with the republicans by the interest of his
brother. In his old age he retired from the fatigues of
business, and closed, in the country, a life of study and
devotion.