Their Hydra heads, and the false North displays Her broken league to imp their serpent wings. O yet a nobler task awaits thy hand, 9 (For what can war, but endless war still breed?) Till truth and right from violence be freed, Of public fraud. In vain doth valor bleed, XVI. * To the Lord General CROMWELL. Cromwell, our chief of men, who through a cloud Not of Duke Hamilton. In the printed These lines are thus in the printed copies we have copies, - while new rebellions raise &c. For what can war, but a&ts of war ftill breed, 8. Her broken league to imp their Till injur’d. truth from violence Serpent wings.] In the printed be freed, copies it is And public faith be rescued from - to imp ber ferpent wings : the brand &c. but ferpent wings refers to the same * In the Manuscript was this Inas Hydra beads; and the insurrections in England were to have been know not for what reason. To the scription, but blotted out again, I fupported by the Scotch army Lord General Cromwell, May 1652. marching into it at the same time. On the proposals of certain minifters I know an ingenious person who at the committee for propagation of proposes to read the gospel · Her broking league who through a choud &c ] as if the whole intent of the solemn In the printed copies it stands thus, league and covenant had been to that through a crowd get money. Not of war only, but difractions 10. For what can war, &c ] rude : bat 1. Not of war only, but detractions rude, To peace and truth thy glorious way hast plough’d, And on the neck of crowned fortune proud 5. Haft rear'd God's trophies, and his work pursued, And Dunbar field resounds thy praises loud, IO No less renown'd than war: new foes arise Threatning to bind our souls with secular chains : Help but a cloud of war is a classical ex 7. While Darwen stream &c] In preffion, and we have nubem belli the printed copies it is in Virgil Æn. X. 809. While Darwent streams &c 4. To peace and truth] With an The Darwen or Derwen is a small allusion perhaps to some of the river near Preston in Lancashire, filver coins of the Commonwealth, mentioned by Camden ; and there which have this inscription round Cromwell routed the Scotch army the edges, Truth and peace. 1651. under Duke Hamilton in August 1648. The battels of Dunbar and 5. And on the neck of crowned for. Worcester are too well known to tune proud be particulariz'd, both fought on Haft rear'd God's trophies, and his the memorable 3d of September, work pursued,] Instead of these the one in 1650, and the other in two glorious línes there is this single 1651. one in the printed copies, 9. And Worcester's laureat wreath.] And fought God's battels, and his It was so corrected, very much for works pursued : the better, from what was before in the Manuscript, and this defect in the number of And twenty battels verses utterly spoils the harmony of the stanza. peace bath her victories No more 10. Help us to fave free conscience from the paw XVII. * To Sir HENRY VANE the younger. 1. ed copies Vane, young in years, but in fage counsel old, Than whom a better fenator ne'er held The helm of Rome, when gowns not arms re pellid The fierce Epirot and the African bold, Whether i No less renown'd than war:] In but in fage counfel old, ] the printed copies it is This is much better than the princpeace has her victories No less than those of war: in sage councils old, 7. Then to advise &c) In the and afterwards in secular chains for Manufcript there was at firft And with secular chains. instead of Then : but afterwards it was corrected as it stands in the * There is no knowing for printed copies. But in the remaincertain when this sonnet was com- der of these two verses, as they pos'd; but we follow the order stand in the printed copies, the wherein they stand and are num- meter is spoil'd in one, and the ber'd in Milton's Manuscript, and sense in the other. probably it was compos’d foon af Then to advise how war may be ter the foregoing one to Crom best upheld, well, and upon the same occafion Mann'd by her two main nerves, of the minifters proposals relat iron and gold ing, I suppose, to their maintenance, which was then under con- Move by was at first in the Manufideration, script Move on her two main & c. 9. besides Whether to settle peace, or to unfold 5 The drift of hollow, states hard to be spellid, Then to advise how war may best upheld Move by her two main nerves, iron and gold, In all her equipage: besides to know 9 Both spiritual pow'r 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: Therefore on thy firm hand religion leans In peace, and reckons thee her eldest son. On 9. — besides to know &c] In the Both spiritual pow'r and civil, printed editions this third stanza what each means wants one whole line, and gives us Thou hast learn'd well, a praise another line so much corrupted as which few have won. to be utter nonsense: At last it was corrected, as we have - besides to know caused it to be printed. What ferves each, thou haft learn'd, which few have done. 13. Therefore on thy firm hand The Manuscript fupplies the one, better in the Manuscript than in &c] These two lines are infinitely and corrects the other. In the Ma the printed editions ; nuscript it was originally thus, Therefore on thy right hand rebesides to know ligion leans, What pow'r the Church, and what And reckons thee in chief her the Civil means, eldeft fon. Thou teachest best, which few have ever done. It was at first in the Manuscript Afterwards thus right band, buy alter'd to firm band, besides to know Among XVIII. * On the late massacre in Piemont. Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughter'd saints, whose bones Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold; When all our fathers worshipt stocks and stones, Forget not: in thy book record their groans 5 Who Among our author's state-let- « they apply'd themselves to your ters there are several in Cromwell's “ Royal Highness in a most fupname address'd to the Duke of 66 pliant manner, imploring a reSavoy, and other potentates and" vocation of the said edict, and ftates, complaining of this perse- “ that being receiv'd into priftin cution of the protestants. His let- “ favor, they might be restored to ter to the Duke of Savoy begins “the liberty granted them by your thus. • Redditæ funt nobis Ge predecessors, a part of your army « nevâ &c. Letters have been “ fell upon them, most cruelly flew « sent us from Geneva, as also “ several, put others in chains, and “ from the Dauphinate, and many compelld the rest to fly into « other places bordering upon “ desert places and to the moun your territories, wherein we are “ tains cover'd with snow, where “ given to understand, that such “ fome hundreds of families are « of your Royal Highness's sub- “ reduced to such distress, that it “ jects as profess the reform'd re “ is greatly to be feared, they will ligion, are commanded by your “ in a short time all miserably pe« edict and by your authority, “ rish, thro' cold and hunger. &c." “ within three days after the pro- These letters are dated in May mulgation of your edict, to de: 1655, and about the same time it « part their native seats and habi- is probable this fonnet was com« tations, upon pain of capital pu- pos’d, which was added in the edi. “ nishment, and forfeiture of all tion of 1673. " their fortunes and estates, unless they will give security to relin 1. Avenge, O Lord, &c ] Nor « quish their religion within 20 was this prayer in behalf of the days, and embrace the Roman persecuted proteftants entirely with“ catholic faith. And that when out effect. * For Cromwell exerted himself |