Though later born than to have known the days XI. ON THE DETRACTION WHICH FOLLOWED UPON MY A BOOK was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon,1 Stand spelling false, while one might walk to Mile- Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek, That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp. Thy age, like ours, O Soul of Sir John Cheek, Hated not learning worse than toad or asp, When thou taught'st Cambridge and king Edward, Greek. 1 Tetrachordon:' this was one of Milton's books, published in consequence of his divorce from his first wife. Tetrachordon signifies Expositions on the four chief places in Scripture which mention marriage, or nullities in marriage. -Milton is here collecting, from his hatred to the Scots, what he thinks Scottish names of an ill sound. 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 Macdonalds of that family are styled, by way of distinction, Mac Collcittok, i. e., descendants of lame Colin. Galasp, or George Gillespie, was a Scottish writer against the Independents, and one of the members of the Assembly of Divines, and a right noble spirit. - Sir John Cheek:' the first professor of the Greek tongue in the University of Cambridge, and afterwards made one of the tutors to Edward VI. XII. ON THE SAME. I DID but prompt the age to quit their clogs When straight a barbarous noise environs me Which after held the sun and moon in fee. XIII. TO MR H. LAWES,3 ON THE PUBLISHING HIS HARRY, whose tuneful and well-measured song That with smooth air could'st humour best our tongue. ''Hinds: see Ovid, Met. lib. vi.- Latona's:' Apollo and Diana.Lawes: see 'Comus.'-Committing:' offending against rule and quan tity. Dante shall give Fame leave to set thee higher XIV. ON THE RELIGIOUS MEMORY OF MRS CATHERINE THOMSON,2 MY CHRISTIAN FRIEND, DECEASED 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, Staid 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 drest, 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. XV. TO THE LORD GENERAL FAIRFAX. FAIRFAX, whose name in arms through Europe rings, Thy firm unshaken virtue ever brings Victory home, though new rebellions raise Their Hydra heads, and the false North displays Casella:' an eminent musician and friend of Dante; see an exquisite passage in Purg. c. ii. v. 111.-'Mrs Thomson:' Milton, when made Latin Secretary, lodged in her house. She was a Quakeress. N Her broken league1 to imp2 their serpent wings. (For what can war but endless war still breed?) XVI. TO THE LORD GENERAL CROMWELL. CROMWELL, Our chief of men, who through a cloud Guided by faith and matchless fortitude To peace 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 laureat wreath. Yet much remains To conquer still; Peace hath her victories No less renown'd than War: New foes arise Threatening to bind our souls with secular chains: Help us to save free conscience from the paw Of hireling wolves, whose gospel is their maw. XVII. 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 'Broken league: the English Parliament held that the Scotch had broken their Covenant by Hamilton's march to England.-2 Imp:' add a new piece to the old. Darwen:' a river near Preston, where Cromwell routed the Scotch in August 1648.-Hireling wolves:' he means the Presbyterian clergy, and the claims they made on the parochial revenues. The fierce Epirot and the African bold; The drift of hollow States1 hard to be spell'd; Move by her two main nerves, iron and gold, 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 : Therefore on thy firm hand Religion leans XVIII. ON THE LATE MASSACRE IN PIEMONT. AVENGE, O Lord, thy slaughter'd saints, whose bones To heaven. Their martyr'd blood and ashes sow 1 'States: those of Holland. The late massacre:' this was organised by the Duke of Savoy in 1655. It was very barbarous. Those who escaped fled to the mountains of Piedmont, whence they applied to Cromwell for relief. He ordered a general fast, and made a national contribution, amounting to £40,000. |