Who liv'd in both, unftain'd with gold or fee,
And left them both, more in himself content,
Till fad the breaking of that Parliament
Broke him, as that dishonest victory

At Charonea, fatal to liberty,

Kill'd with report that old man eloquent.
Though later born than to have known the days.
Wherein you rather florish'd, yet by you,
Madam, methinks I fee him living yet;
So well your words his noble virtues praise,
That all both judge you to relate them true,
And to poffefs them, honor'd Margaret.-

XI.

On the detraction which followed upon my
writing certain treatifes *.

A book was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon,
And woven clofe, both matter, form and ftile;
The fubject new: it walk'd the town awhile,
Numb'ring good intelle&s; now feldom por❜d on.
Cries the ftall reader, Blefs us what a word on
A title page is this! and fome in file

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Stand fpelling falfe, while one might walk to MileEnd Green. Why is it harder Sirs than Gordon, Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galafp†?

*When Milton published his book of divorce, he was greatly condemned by the Prefbyterian minifters, whofe advocate and champion he had been before. He publish'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 those were perfons of note and eminence amongst the Scotch minifters who were "prefling and enforcing the covenant," Mr. George Gillespie,

here

Thefe rugged names to our like mouths grow fleek, 10 That would have made Quintillian ftare and gafp. Thy age like ours, O Soul of Sir John Cheek *, Hated not learning worse than toad or asp,

When thou taught'ft Cambridge, and king Edward Greek.

XII.

On the fame.

I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs
By the known rules of ancient liberty,
When ftrait a barbarous noife environs me
Of owls and cuccoos, affes, apes and dogs:
As when thofe hinds that were transform'd to frogs
Rail'd at Latona's twin-born progeny,
Which after held the fun and moon in fee.
But this is got by cafting pearl to hogs;
That bawl for freedom in their fenfelefs mood,

And ftill revolt when truth would fet them free.
Licence they mean when they cry Liberty;
For who loves that, muft first be wife and good;
But from that mark how far they rove we
fee

For all this waste of wealth, and lofs of blood.

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here wrongoufly named Galafp, was one of the Scotch commiffioners to the Westminster affembly. But who the other perfons were is not known. It appears from this fonnet, and the verses on the forcers of confcience, that Milton treats the Prefbyterians with great con tempt.

This Gentleman was the firft Profeffor of the Greek tongue in the University of Cambridge, and was highly inftrumental in bring ing that language into repute. He was afterwards made one of the tutors to Edward VI.

XIII.

To Mr. H. LAWES on his Airs 1645.

Harry, whofe tuneful and well meafur'd song
First taught our English mufic how to span
Words with juft note and accent, not to scan
With Midas ears, committing fhort and long;
Thy worth and kill exempts thee from the throng,
With praise enough for envy to look wan;
To after age thou shalt be writ the man,

That with fmooth air could'st humour best our tongue.
Thou honor'ft verfe, and verfe must lend her wing
To honor thee, the priest of Phoebus quire,
That tun'ft their happiest lines in hymn or story.
Dante shall give fame leave to set thee higher
Than his Cafella, whom he woo'd to fing
Met in the milder fhades of purgatory.

XIV.

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On the religious memory of Mrs. Catharine Thom» fon, my christian friend, deceas'd 16 Dec. 1646 +.

When faith and love, which parted from thee never, -
Had ripen'd thy just foul to dwell with God,
Meekly thou didst refign this earthly load

Of death, call'd life; which us from life doth fever.

This Mr. Henry Lawes was a gentleman of the King's chapel, and one of his band of mufic, and an intimate friend of Milton.

Who is this Mrs. Thomfon was, fays Dr. Newton, we cannot be certain; but I find in the accounts of Milton's life, that when he was first made Latin Secretary, he lodged at one Thomfon's next door to the Bull-head tavern at Charing-Crofs. This Mrs. Thomfon therefore was in all probability one of that family..

Thy works and alms and all thy good endeavor
Stay'd 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.

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Love led them on, and faith who knew them beft -
Thy hand-maids, clad them o'er with purple beams 10
And azure wings, that up they flew so drest,
And fpake the truth of thee on glorious themes
Before the Judge, who thenceforth bid thee reft
And drink thy fill of pure immortal ftreams.

XV.

To the Lord General FAIRFAX.

Fairfax, whofe 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 unfhaken virtue ever brings

Victory home, though new rebellions raise
Their Hydra heads, and the false North displays
Her broken league to imp their ferpent wings.
O yet a nobler tafk awaits thy hand,

(For what can war, but endless war ftill breed ?).
Till truth and right from violence be freed,
And public faith clear'd from the shameful brand.
Of public fraud. In vain doth valor bleed,
While avarice and rapin fhare the land,

This fonnet appears from the manufcript to have been addreffed to Gen. Fairfax at the fiege of Colchester, which was carried on in the fummer 1648.

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 matchlefs fortitude,
To peace and treth thy glorious way haft plough'd,
And on the neck of crowned fortune proud

Haft rear'd God's trophies, and his word purfued,
While Darwen ftream with blood of Scots imbrued,
And Dunbar field refounds thy praifes loud,
And Worcester's laureat wreath. Yet much remains
To conquer ftill; peace hath her victories
No lefs renown'd than war: new foes arife
Threatning to bind our fouls with fecular chains:
Help us to fave free conscience from the paw
Of hireling wolves, whofe gofpel is their maw.

XVII.

To Sir HENRY VANE the younger.

Vane, young in years, but in fage counfel old,
Than whom a better fenator ne'er held
The helm of Rome, when gowns not arms repell'd
The fierce Epirot and the African bold,

Whether to fettle peace, or to unfold

The drift of hollow ftates hard to be fpell'd,
Then to advise how war may best upheld

Move by her two main nerves, iron and gold,

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In the Author's manufcript is this infcription. To the Lord Geseral Cromwell, May 1652. On the proposals of certain ministers at the committee for propagation of the Gospel,