ON THE DETRACTION WHICH FOLLOWED UPON MY WRITING CERTAIN TREATISES. 1645. A BOOK was writ of late call’d Tetrachordon, And woven close, both matter, form, and style; Numb'ring good intellects; now seldom pored on A title-page is this ! and sci e in file End Green. Why is it harder, Sirs, than Gordon, Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek, That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp. Hated not learning worse than toad or asp, Greek. ON THE SAME. By the known rules of ancient liberty, Scottish writer against the Indepen. dents; for whom see Milton's verses the " Forcers of Conscience.”WARTON. 2 Colkitto and Macdonnel are one and 'the same person, a brave officer on the royal side, an Irishman of the Antrim family, who served under Montrose. The Macdonnels of that family are styled, by way of distinction, Mac Collcittok, i.e., descendants of lame Colin. Galaspis George Gillespie, a 3 Sir John Cheke has been already named in the notes to this volume. Не was the first Professor of Greek at Cambridge, and restored the original pronunciation of it. He was tutor to Edward VI. * Milton's treatises were on the subieot. of “Divorce." The Presbyterian clergy were much and justly) scandalized at them, and brought Milton before the Lords for them, but they thought the subject simply speculative, and he was discharged. Ho thus stigmatizes the Presbyterian clergy. As when those hinds that were transform'd to frogs! Rail'd at Latona's twin-born progeny, But this is got by casting pearl to hogs; And still revolt when truth would set them free Licence they mean when they cry Liberty ; But from that mark how far they rove we see XI. TO MR. H. LAWES3 ON THE PUBLISHING HIS AIRS HARRY, whose tuneful and well measured song First taught our English music how to span With Midas' ears,* committing short and long; With praise enough for envy to look wan; That with smooth air couldst-humour best our tongue To honour thee, the priest of Phæbus' quire, That tun'st their happiest lines in hymn, or story." Than his Casella,? whom he woo'd to sing i See OVID, Diet. VI. fab. iv. “Le tona's progony" were Apollo and Diana, the sun god and moon goddess. ? A fine moral, coming, too, from a Republican poet. 8 The musician who put the music to Comus • Mid:8, a King of Phrygia. Ho decided that Pan was superior in singing and playing on the flute to Apollo; and to pinush his stupidity, Apollo changed his ears into those of an ass. 5 A Latinism, meaning offences against quantity. --RICHARDSON, 6 The “Story of Ariadne," set by Lawes.-- WARTON. 7 Amongst the souls in Purgatori, Dante recognizes his friend Casella, the musician. In the course of an affeco tionate conversation, Dante asks for a song to soothe him, and Casella sings , with ravishing sweetness, the poet's second Canzone. See secund cant. a Danta's " Purgatorio." SONNETS 48E XIV. ON THE RELIGIOUS MEMORY OF MRS. CATHERINE THOMSON, Had ripen'd thy just soul to dwell with God, Of death, call'd life; which us from life doth sever. Stay'd not behind, nor in the grave were trod; Follow'd thee up to joy and bliss for ever. Thy handmaids, clad them o'er with purple beams And azure wings, that up they flew so drest, Before the Judge, who thenceforth bid thee rest XV. TO THE LORD GENERAL HAIRFAX.2 1648. Filling each mouth with envy or with praise, And rumours loud, that daunt remotest kings, Victory home, though new rebellions raise When Milton was first made Latin Secretary to Cromwell, he lodged at a Mr. Thomson's, next to the “Bull Head" Tavern, Charing Cross. Mrs. Thomson is supposed to have been the wife of his landlord.-NEWTON. ? Addressed to Fairfax at the sicge of Colchester, It was first printed. to gether with the two following sonnets, and the two to Cyriack Skinner, at th end of Phillips's “Life of Milton," 1694. -WARTON. 3 The English Parliament held that the Scotch hud broken their covenant by marching into England, led by Hamilton, O yet a nobler task awaits thy hand, (For what can war, but endless war still breed !) Till truth and right from violence be freed, Of public fraud. In vain doth valour bleed, CROMWELL, our chief of men, who through a cloud Not of war only, but detractions rude, and truth thy glorious way hast plough'd, And on the neck of crowned fortune proud Hast rear'd God's trophies, and his work pursued, While Darwen stream' with blood of Scots imbrued, And Dunbar field resounds thy praises loud, And Worcester's ? lanreat wreath. Yet much remains To conquer still; peace hath her victories No less renown'd than war: new foes arise Help us to save free conscience from the paw I A small river near Preston, in lancashire, where Cromwell defeated the Scots under the Duke of Hamilton in August, 1648. → Dunbar and Worcester were both fought September 8-one 1650, the other 3 He alludes to the Preshyterian clergy. 1 IVIL TO SIR HENRY VANE THE YOUNGER. 1652. Vane, young in years, but in sage counsel old, Tnan whom a better senator ne'er held The fierce Epirot and the African bold, The drift of hollow states ? hard to be spell’d, Move by her two main nerves, iron and gold Both spiritual pow'r and civil, what each means What severs each, thou hast learn'd, which few bavo Therefore on thy firm hand Religion leans XVIIL ON THE LATE MASSACRE IN PIEDMONT.: AVENGE, O Lord, thy slaughter'd saints, whose bones Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold ; mas 1 This sonnet seems to have been written in behalf of the Independents against the Presbyterian hierarchy. Vane was the chief of the Independents, and therefore Milton's friend. He was a most eccentric character, a mixture of the wildest fanaticism and good sense. He was beheaded after the Restoration, 1662.– From WARIN. 2 The States of Holland, 3 In 1665 the Duke of Savoy determined to make his reformed sub jects in Piedmont return to the Roman of great effect. Cromwell commanded a general fast, and a national contribution for the relic of the sufferers. £40,000 were collected. He then wrote to the Duke: and so |
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