resent
book. Though Ulac had reprinted it, he had done so in doubt whether,
now that there was peace between the United Provinces and the
Protector, such irritating books between the two nations ought not to
be mutually suppressed. His own leanings had always been rather to
the English Parliamentarians than to the Royalists, and hence he had
been disposed to think well of Milton. Though he cannot think so well
of him now, he will not retaliate by any abuse of Milton. "If Milton
is acknowledged in his own country to be a good man, let him be glad
of it; but I hear that many Englishmen who know him are of another
opinion. I would decide nothing on mere rumour; nay, if I had
ascertained anything scandalous about him with positive certainty, I
should think it better to hold my tongue than to blazon it about
publicly." How strange, however, that Milton had fallen foul of Morus
at such a violent rate! Had he not been told two years ago, through
Hartlib, that Morus was not the author of the book for which he made
him suffer? It was the more inexcusable inasmuch as in the _Joannis
Philippi, Angli, Responsio ad Apologiam Anonymi Cujusdam_--which
work Milton had superintended, if he had not written it--there had
been the same mistake of attributing a work to the wrong person. It
would be for Morus himself, however, to take cognisance of that.

[Footnote 1: Long ago, foreseeing the interest I should have in ULAC,
I made notes in the State-Paper Office of some documents appertaining
to him when he was a Bookseller in London. They do not quite
correspond with Ulac's account of his reasons for leaving London. The
documents, here arranged in what seems to be their chronological
order, are as follows:--(1) Petition of Ulac, undated, to Sir John
Lambe, Dean of the Arches, that he would intercede with Laud in
Ulac's favour. His two years' licence for importing hooks is now
almost expired; but many of the Greek books he had bought from the
Royal Printers are still on his hands unsold, besides the whole
impression of a _Vita Christi_ which he had also bought from
them after the London stationers would not look at it. It would be a
great thing for him therefore to have his licence extended for a
time; and, if this favour is obtained from his Grace, he promises to
do all he can for the importation of learned Greek and Latin books of
the kind his Grace likes. (2) Humble Petition to Laud by Richard
Whittaker, Humphrey Robinson, George Thomaso