Dinne, fe la tua fpeme fia mai vana, E de penfieri lo miglior t'arrivi ; Spuntati ad hor, ad hor a la tua chioma Canzon dirotti, e tu per me rispondi Dice mia Donna, e'l fuo dir, è il mio cuore 15 Pellegrina bellezza che'l cuor bea, E degli occhi fuoi auventa fi gran fuoco V. Per certo i bei voftr'occhi, Donna mia Effer non puo che non fian lo mio fole 10 5 Da quel lato fi fpinge ove mi duole, Scoffo mi il petto, e poi n'ufcendo poco VI. Giovane piano, e femplicetto amante De penfieri leggiadro, accorto, e buono ; Quando rugge il gran mondo, e fcocca il tuono, Tanto del forfe, e d' invidia ficuro, Di timori, e speranze al popol use 10 5 10 Quanto d'ingegno, e d'alto valor vago, E di cetta fonora, e delle mufe: Sol troverete in tal parte men duro Ove Amor mife l'infanabil ago. VII. On his being arriv'd to the age of 23 How foon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, But my late spring no bud or bloffom fhew'th. Perhaps my femblance might deceive the truth, 5 That I to manhood am arriv'd fo near, And inward ripenefs doth much less appear, That fome more timely-happy fpirits indu'th. Yet be it lefs or more, or foon or flow, It fhall be ftill in ftricteft measure even To that fame lot, however mean or high, 10 Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven; All is, if I have grace to use it so, As ever in my great Task-Master's eye. VIII. When the affault was intended to the City *. Captain or Colonel, or Knight in arms, Whofe chance on these defenseless doors may feife, 'The great Emathian conqueror bid fpare To fave th' Athenian walls from ruin bare. 5 10 In the manufcript, after the title, is added 1642. It was in November that year that the King marched with his army as near as Brentford, and put the city in great confternation. IX. To a virtuous young Lady. Lady that in the prime of earliest youth Wifely haft fhunn'd the broad way and the green, 5 10 To fill thy odorous lamp with deeds of light, And hope, that reaps not shame. Therefore be fure Thou, when the bridegroom with his feaftful friends. Paffes to blifs at the mid hour of night, Haft gain'd thy entrance, Virgin wife and pure, X. To the Lady Margaret Ley *. Daughter to that good Earl, once Prefident * We have given the title which is in Milton's Manufcript, To the Lady Margaret Ley. She was the daughter of Sir James Ley, whofe fingular learning and abilities raifed him through all the great pofts of the law, till he came to he made Earl of Marlborough, and Lord High Treasurer, and Lord Prefident of the Council to King James I. He died in an advanc'd age, and Milton attributes his death to the breaking of the parlament; and it is true that the parlament was diffolved the roth of March 1628-9, and he died on the 14th of the fame month. He left feveral fons and daughters; and the Lady Magaret was married to Captain Hobson of the Isle of Wight. It appears from the accounts of Milton's life, that in the year 1643 he ufed frequently to visit this lady and her husband, and about that time we may fuppofe that this fonnet was compofed. Who liv'd in both, unftain'd with gold or fee, Kill'd with report that old man eloquent. XI. On the detraction which followed upon my 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 † ? * When Milton publifhed his book of divorce, he was greatly sondemned by the Prefbyterian minifters, whofe advocate and champion he had been before. He publifh'd his Tetrachordon, or Expofitions upon the four chief places in fcripture, which treat of marriage or nullities in marriage, in 1645. "We may fuppofe, (fays Dr Newton) that these were perfons "of note and eminence amongst the Scotch minifters who were "for preffing and enforcing the covenant." Mr. George Gillespie, here |