And that one talent which is death to hide,
Lodg'd with me useless, though my foul more bent

To ferve therewith my Maker, and prefent

My true account, left he returning chide;
Doth God exact day-labor, light deny'd,
I fondly ask: But patience to prevent
That murmur, foon replies, God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts; who beft
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best: his state
Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed,

And poft o'er land and ocean without rest ;
They also serve who only stand and wait.

XX.

To Mr. LAWRENCE.

Lawrence, of virtuous father virtuous fon,

Now that the fields are dank, and ways are mire,

doctors of the Gospel, and preferv'd from the defilement of fuperftition, or else reftor'd to its priftin fincerity long before other nations obtain'd that felicity.

14. the Babylonian woe.] The woes denounced against Rome, under the name of Babylon, in Scripture.

3. And that one talent which is death to hide,]

5

ΙΟ

Where shall we fometimes meet, and by the fire
Help waste a fullen day, what may be won
From the hard feason gaining? time will run
On smoother, till Favonius re-inspire

The frozen earth, and clothe in fresh attire
The lilly' and rofe, that neither sow'd nor fpun.
What neat repast shall feast us, light and choice,

5

Of Attic tafte, with wine, whence we may rife 10 To hear the lute well touch'd, or artful voice Warble immortal notes and Tuscan air?

He who of thofe delights can judge, and spare
To interpose them oft, is not unwife.

XXI.

+ To CYRIAC SKINNER.

Cyriac, whose grandfire on the royal bench

6. Favonius] The fame as Zephyrus, or the western wind that blows in the fpring. Plin. Lib. 16. Sect. 39. Hic eft genitalis fpiritus mundi, a fovendo dictus, ut quidam exiftimavere. Flat ab occafu æquinoctiali, ver inchoans. And fo Lucretius I. 10.

Nam fimul ac fpecies patefacta eft verna diei,
Et referata viget genitabilis aura Favoni.
8.-

that neither fow'd nor fpun.] Alluding to Mat. VI. 26, 28. they fow not, neither do they spin.

Of

† Cyriac Skinner was the fon of William Skinner Efq; and grandfon of Sir Vincent Skinner, and his mother was Bridget, one of the daughters of the famous Sir Edward Coke Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench. Mr. Wood informs us that he was one of Harrington's political club, and fometimes held the chair; and farther adds, that he was a merchant's fon of London, an ingenious young gentleman, and scholar to John Milton. Athen. Ox. Vol. 2. p. 591. No wonder then that

Of British Themis, with no mean applause
Pronounc'd and in his volumes taught our laws,
Which others at their bar fo often wrench;
To day deep thoughts refolve with me to drench
In mirth, that after no repenting draws ;
Let Euclid reft and Archimedes pause,

5

And what the Swede intends, and what the French. To measure life learn thou betimes, and know

ΙΟ

Toward folid good what leads the nearest way; 10 For other things mild Heav'n a time ordains, And disapproves that care, though wife in show, That with fuperfluous burden loads the day, And when God fends a chearful hour, refrains. XXII. * To the fame.

Cyriac, this three years day these eyes, though clear,

Milton was fo intimate with him, and has addrefs'd two fonnets to him, this firft of which was printed in the edition of 1673.

8. And what the Swede intends, ] We have printed it as it is in the Manufcript. In the firft edition it was And what the Swede intend, which in others is alter'd to And what the Swedes intend. Charles Guftavus, king of Sweden, was at this time waging war with Poland, and the French with the Spaniards in the Netherlands: and what Milton fays is fome

*The two fonnets to Cyriac Skinner we have printed in the fame order as they are number'd in the Manufcript. This latter was never printed in Milton's life-time, but was

5

To outward view, of blemish or of spot, Bereft of light their feeing have forgot, Nor to their idle orbs doth fight appear Of fun, or moon, or ftar throughout the year, Or man, or woman. Yet I argue not Against Heav'n's hand or will, nor bate a jot Of heart or hope; but still bear up and steer Right onward. What fupports me, doft thou ask? The conscience, Friend, to' have loft them overply'd In liberty's defense, my noble task,

Of which all Europe talks from side to fide.

I I

[mask

This thought might lead me through the world's vain Content though blind, had I no better guide.

first publish'd several years after his death at the fame time and in the fame manner with the foregoing ones to General Fairfax, Cromwell, and Sir Henry Vane: and tho' the perfon, to whom it is address'd, was not so obnoxious as any of thofe before mention'd, yet it might not have been fafe for Milton to have publifh'd fuch a commendation of his Defenfe of the people, which the government had order'd to be burnt by the hands of the common hangman. In the printed editions this fonnet likewife is very incorrect, but we shall restore it by the affiftance of the Manufcript.

3. Bereft of light their feeing have forgot,] In

the printed copies it is abfurdly,

Bereft of fight their feeing have forgot.

On

4. Nor to their idle orbs doth fight appear
Of fun, or moon, &c.] In the printed edi-
tions it is,

Nor to their idle orbs doth day appear,
Or fun, or moon, &c.

7. Against Heav'n's hand &c] It was at firft in the Manufcript God's hand: and one jot in the printed copies is a jot in the Manufcript. but still bear up and steer

8.

Right onward.] In the Manufcript it was at first,

Uphillward.

but ftill attend to steer

XXIII.

* On his deceafed WIFE.

Methought I saw my late efpoufed faint

Brought to me like Alceftis from the grave, Whom Jove's great fon to her glad husband gave, Rescued from death by force, though pale and faint. Mine, as whom wash'd from spot of child-bed taint 5 Purification in the old Law did fave,

And such, as yet once more I trust to have Full fight of her in Heav'n without restraint, Came vested all in white, pure as her mind: Her face was veil'd, yet to my fancied fight Love, fweetnefs, goodness, in her person shin'd

12. Of which all Europe talks from fide to fide. &c] In the printed copies thefe lines are thus, Whereof all Europe rings from fide to fide. This thought might lead me through this

world's vain mask

Content though blind, had I no other guide. The Manuscript has the advantage over the printed editions, unless rings may be thought better than talks from fide to fide. There is fomething very pleafing, as well as very noble, in this confcious virtue and magnanimity of a great poet and for the fame reason no part of Mr. Pope's works affords greater pleasure than what he fays of himself and his writings, efpecially in his imitation of the first Satire of

So

Horace, and in his Satires intitled from the year 1738.

* This was his fecond wife, Catharine the who lived with him not above a year after their daughter of Captain Woodcock of Hackney, marriage, and died in childbed of a daughter.

2. like Alceftis from the grave, &c] Alceftis was the wife of Admetus king of Theffaly, who being dangerously ill obtain'd by the means of Apollo, that he fhould recover, if any body else would die in his ftead. His wife voluntarily offer'd herfelf, but Hercules inter'vening refcued her from death, and brought her back again to her husband. borrows the allufion from a play of Euripides called Alcestis.

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