that he had missed the whole purpose of "Paradise Lost"--showed him
"Paradise Regained," and made him happy by telling him that he
caused it to be written; he showed him a poem that expanded the
closing thought of "Paradise Lost" into an image of the Paradise
within, that is to be obtained only by an imitation of Christ under
all forms of our temptation.

Of Ellwood's life after the year in which he ends his own account of
it, let it suffice to say, that he wrote earnest, gentle books in
support of his opinions and against the persecution of them. He
lived retired until the year 1688, and occupied himself with an
attempt at a Davideis, a Life of David in verse. He had not then
seen Cowley's. Ellwood carried on his verses to the end of David's
life, and published them in 1712. When George Fox died, in 1690,
Thomas Ellwood transcribed his journal for the press, and printed it
next year in folio, prefixing an account of Fox. He was engaged
afterwards in controversy with George Keith, a seceder from the
Friends. His intellectual activity continued unabated to the end.
In 1709 he suffered distraint for tithes; goods to the value of 24
pounds 10s. being taken for a due of about 14 pounds, after which
the distrainers "brought him still in debt, and wanted more."

Ellwood's life was healthy, except that he was asthmatic towards the
end. His wife died five years before him. Of her, J. Wyeth,
citizen of London, who was the editor of "Ellwood's History of his
Life," and wrote its sequel, says that she was "a solid, weighty
woman." But the context shows that he means those adjectives to be
read in a spiritual sense. "The liberal soul shall be made fat,"
says Solomon.