IX. TO A VIRTUOUS YOUNG LADY.

LADY, that in the prime of earliest youth
Wisely hast shunn'd the broad way and the green,
And with those few art eminently seen,
That labour up the hill of heavenly truth,
The better part with Mary and with Ruth
Chosen thou hast; and they that overween,
And at thy growing virtues fret their spleen,
No anger find in thee, but pity and ruth.
Thy care is fix'd, and zealously attends

To fill thy odorous lamp with deeds of light,
And hope that reaps not shame.

Therefore be sure

Thou, when the bridegroom with his feastful friends
Passes to bliss at the mid hour of night,

Hast gain'd thy entrance, Virgin wise and pure.

X. TO THE LADY MARGARET LEY.1

DAUGHTER to that good Earl, once President
Of England's Council and her Treasury,
Who liv'd in both, unstain'd with gold or fee,
And left them both, more in himself content,
Till the sad breaking of that Parliament
Broke him, as that dishonest victory
At Charonea, fatal to liberty,

Kill'd with report that old man eloquent.2

'Lady Margaret Ley:' the daughter of Sir James Ley, whose singular learning and abilities raised him through all the great posts of the law, till he came to be made Earl of Marlborough, and Lord High Treasurer, and Lord President of the Council to King James I. He died in an advanced age. Milton attributes his death to the breaking of the Parliament; and it is true that the Parliament was dissolved the 10th of March 1628-9, and he died on the 14th of the same month. Lady Margaret was married to Captain Hobson, Isle of Wight.2 Old man eloquent:' Isocrates, the orator. The victory was gained by Philip of Macedon over the Athenians.

Though later born than to have known the days
Wherein your father flourish'd, yet by you,
Madam, methinks I see him living yet;
So well your words his noble virtues praise,
That all both judge you to relate them true,
And to possess them, honour'd Margaret.

XI. ON THE DETRACTION WHICH FOLLOWED UPON MY
WRITING CERTAIN TREATISES.

A BOOK was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon,1
And woven close, both matter, form, and stile ;
The subject new: it walk'd the Town a while,
Numbering good intellects; now seldom por❜d on.
Cries the stall-reader, Bless us! what a word on
A title page is this! and some in file

Stand spelling false, while one might walk to Mile-
End Green. Why is it harder, Sirs, than Gordon,
Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp?2

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.

2 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
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 hinds1 that were transform'd to frogs
Rail'd at Latona's 2 twin-born progeny,

Which after held the sun and moon in fee.
But this is got by casting pearl to hogs ;
That bawl for freedom in their senseless mood,

And still revolt when truth would set them free.
Licence they mean when they cry Liberty;
For who loves that, must first be wise and good;
But from that mark how far they rove we see,
For all this waste of wealth, and loss of blood.

XIII. TO MR H. LAWES, ON THE PUBLISHING HIS
AIRS.

HARRY, whose tuneful and well-measured song
First taught our English musick how to span
Words with just note and accent, not to scan
With Midas ears, committing4 short and long;
Thy worth and skill exempts thee from the throng,
With praise enough for Envy to look wan;
To after age thou shalt be writ the man,

That with smooth air could'st humour best our tongue.
Thou honour'st verse, and verse must lend her wing
To honour thee the priest of Phoebus' quire,
That tunest their happiest lines in hymn, or story.

'Hinds: see Ovid, Met. lib. vi.-2 Latona's:' Apollo and Diana.3 Lawes :' see 'Comus.'- 'Committing:' offending against rule and quan

tity.

Dante shall give Fame leave to set thee higher
Than his Casella,1 whom he woo'd to sing
Met in the milder shades of Purgatory.

XIV. ON THE RELIGIOUS MEMORY OF MRS CATHERINE THOMSON,2 MY CHRISTIAN FRIEND, deceased DECEMBER 16, 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, 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,
Filling each mouth with envy or with praise,
And all her jealous monarchs with amaze
And rumours loud, that daunt remotest kings;

Thy firm unshaken virtue ever brings

Victory home, though new rebellions raise

Their Hydra heads, and the false North displays

1 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 league 1 to imp2 their serpent wings.
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,
And publick faith clear'd from the shameful brand
Of publick fraud. In vain doth Valour bleed,
While Avarice and Rapine share the land.

XVI. TO THE LORD GENERAL CROMWELL.

CROMWELL, Our chief of men, who through a cloud
Not of war only, but detractions rude,

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 Darwen3 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

เ

1 '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.