Wherein your father flourish'd, yet by you, On the Detraction which followed upon the writing certain Treatises.* A BOOK was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon, Stand spelling false, while one might walk to MileEnd Green. Why is it harder, Sirs, than Gordon, Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp?t Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek, That would have made Quintillian stare and gasp; Thy age, like ours O soul of Sir John Cheek,+ *When Milton published his book of Divorce, he was greatly condemned by the Presbyterian ministers, whose advocate and champion he had been before. He published his Tetrachordon, or Expositions upon the four chief places in Scripture, which treat of marriage, or nullities in marriage, in 1645. +"We may suppose, (says Dr. Newton,) that these were persons of note and eminence among the Scotch ministers who were for pressing and enforcing the covenant." Mr. George Gillespie, here wrongously named Galasp, was one of the Scotch commis ioners to the Westminister assembly. But who the other persons were is not known. It appears from this sonnet, and the verses on the forcers of conscience, that Milton treats the Presbyterians with great contempt. This Gentleman was the first Professor of the Greek tongue in the university of Cambridge, and was highly instrumental in bringing that language into repute. He was afterwards made one of the tutors to Edward VI. Hated not learning worse than toad or asp, When thou taught'st Cambridge, and king Edward, Greek. I DID ON THE SAME. but prompt the age to quit their clogs By the known rules of ancient liberty, When straight a barbarous noise environs me Of owls and cuckoos, asses, apes and dogs: As when those hinds that were transform'd to frogs, Rail'd at Latona's twin-born progeny, Which after held the sun and moon in fee. And still revolt when truth would set them free TO MR. H. LAWES, ON HIS AIRS, 1645.* HARRY, whose tuneful and well-measur'd song That with smooth air could humour best our tongue. Thou honour'st verse, and verse must lend her wing This Mr. Henry Lawes was a gentleman of the king's chapel, and one of his band of music, and an intimate friend of Milton. To honour thee, the priest of Phoebus' choir, That tun'st their happiest lines in hymn, or story. Dante shall give fame leave to set thee higher Than his Casella, whom he woo'd to sing, Met in the milder shades of Purgatory. T On the religious memory of Mrs. Catharine Thomson. my Christian Friend, deceased 16th of December, 1646.* WHEN faith and love, which parted from thee never, Had ripen'd thy just soul to dwell with God, Meekly thou didst resign this earthly load Of death, call'd life; which us from life doth sever. Thy works, and alms, and all thy good endeavour, Stay'd not behind, nor in the grave were trod: But, as Faith pointed with her golden rod, Follow'd thee up to joy and bliss for ever. Love led them on, and faith who knew them best Thy hand-maids, clad them o'er with purple beams And azure wings, that up they flew so dress'd And spake the truth of thee on glorious themes Before the Judge: who thenceforth bid thee rest, And drink thy fill of pure immortal streams. TO THE LORD GENERAL FAIRFAX.t FAIRFAX, whose name in arms through Europe rings Filling each mouth with envy or with praise, "Who this Mrs. Thomson was, (says Dr. Newton,) we cannot be certain; but I find in the accounts of Milton's life, that when he was first made Latin Secretary, he lodged at one Thomson's, next door to the Bull-head tavern at Charing-cross. This Mrs. Thomson, therefore, was, in all probability, one of that family." + This sonnet appears, from the manuscript, to have been ad And all her jealous monarchs with amaze Victory home, though new rebellions raise (For what can war but endless war still breed?) TO THE LORD GENERAL CROMWELL.* CROMWELL, Our chief of men who through a cloud To peace and truth thy glorious way hast ploughed. And on the neck of crown'd fortune proud Hast rear'd God's trophies, and his works pursued, While Darwen stream, with blood of Scots imbrued, And Dunbar field resounds thy praises loud, And Worcester's laureate wreath. Yet much remains To conquer still; Peace hath her victories No less renown'd than War: new foes arise Threat'ning to bind our souls with secular chains: Help us to save free conscience from the paw Of hireling wolves, whose gospel is their maw. dressed to Gen. Fairfax at the seige of Colchester, which was carried on in the summer of 1648. In the Author's manuscript is this incription: To the Lord General Cromwell, May 1652. On the proposals of certain ministers at the committee for propagation of the Gospel. R* TO SIR HENRY VANE THE YOUNGER Vane, young in years, but in sage counsel old, Than whom a better Senator ne'er held The helm of Rome, when gowns, not arms, repell'd The fierce Epirot, and th' African bold, Whether to settle peace, or to unfold The drift of hollow states hard to be spell'd: Then to advise how War may, best upheld, Move by her two main nerves, iron and gold, In all her equipage; besides to know Both spiritual power and civil, what each means, What severs each, thou hast learn'd which few have done : The bounds of either sword to thee we owe; ON THE LATE MASSACRE IN PIEDMONT.* AVENGE, O Lord thy slaughter'd saints, whose bones This persecution of the Protestants in Peidmont broke out in 1655. In May, that year, Cromwell wrote several letters to the Duke of Savoy, and other potentates and states complaining of that persecution. Echard tells us, that he proclaimed a fast, and caused large contributions to be gathered for them in England; that he sent his agents to the Duke of Savoy, a prince with ' whom he had no correspondence or commerce, and the next year, so engaged Cardinal Mazarine, and even terrified the Pope himself, without so much as doing any favour to the English Roman Catholics, that the Duke thought it necessary to restore all that he had taken from them, and renewed all those privileges they had formerly enjoyed. "So great (adds Echard) was the terror of his name; nothing being more usual than his saying, that his ships in the Medditerranean should visit Civita Vecchia, and the sound of his cannon should be heard in Rome." |