the heavy labour of converting into Logarithms the
Sines and Tangents to a Radius of 10,000,000,000 given in the _Opus
Palatinum_, and had issued the same under the title
_Trigonometria Artificialis_. These labours of Ulac's were not
unknown to the mathematical world; and it was somewhat surprising
that Milton had not heard of them, especially as, in his sketch of
his own life in the _Defensio Secunda_, he professed his
interest in Mathematics, and spoke of his visits to London from
Horton for the purpose of picking up any novelties in that science.
At any rate, it was zeal for the dissemination of the mathematical
books above-mentioned that had turned Ulac into a printer and
bookseller. In that capacity he certainly had been in London, trading
in books generally, and he had been in difficulties there, though not
of a kind discreditable to himself. After he had been some years in
London, trading peaceably, some London booksellers, jealous for their
monopoly, had conspired against him, and tried to obtain an order
from Archbishop Laud for the confiscation of his whole stock in
trade. Through the kind offices of Dr. Juxon, Bishop of London, this
had been prevented, and he had been empowered to sell off his
existing stock. Nay, a little while afterwards, he had had a
prospect, through the Royal Printers, of a full trading licence from
the Archbishop, on condition of his buying from them copies of two
heavy works they had printed by the Archbishop's desire--viz.
_Theophylact on St. Paul's Epistles_ and the _Catena of the
Greek Fathers on Job_. He had actually obtained such a licence for
two years, and had hopes of its renewal, when the Civil War broke
out. On that account only, and not in any disgrace, as Milton said,
he had, after having been about ten years in all in London,
transferred himself to Paris.[1] He had been there about six years,
dealing honestly, and publishing important theological and other
books, the titles of some of which he gives; but here also he had
been the victim of trade jealousy. He had found it impossible to get
on in Paris, though it was utterly false that he dared not now show
his face there. He _had_ shown his face there, since he had
returned to his native Holland and made the Hague his head-quarters;
and he could show his face there again without any inconvenience.
Meanwhile he was in the Hague, comfortable enough; and his character
there might easily be ascertained.--To return to Milton's p