Neither of these men lived till the following
century, so that personally this evidence is none at all. Grafton
sullenly and carelessly believed as he wished to believe; Holinshead
took pains to inquire, and reports undoubtedly the general impression
of France. But I cite the case as illustrating M. Michelet's candour.
[Footnote: Amongst the many ebullitions of M. Michelet's fury against
us poor English are four which will be likely to amuse the reader; and
they are the more conspicuous in collision with the justice which he
sometimes does us, and the very indignant admiration which, under some
aspects, he grants to us. 1. Our English literature he admires with
some gnashing of teeth. He pronounces it "fine and sombre," but, I
lament to add, "skeptical, Judaic, Satanic--in a word, antichristian."
That Lord Byron should figure as a member of this diabolical
corporation will not surprise men. It _will_ surprise them to hear
that Milton is one of its Satanic leaders. Many are the generous and
eloquent Frenchmen, besides Chateaubriand, who have, in the course of
the last thirty years, nobly suspended their own burning nationality,
in order to render a more rapturous homage at the feet of Milton; and
some of them have raised Milton almost to a level with angelic natures.
Not one of them has thought of looking for him _below_ the earth.
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