Their Hydra heads, and the false North displays

Her broken league to imp their serpent wings. O yet a nobler task awaits thy hand,

9 (For what can war, but endless war still 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 share the land.

XVI. * To the Lord General CROMWELL. Cromwell, our chief of men, who through a cloud

Not

of Duke Hamilton. In the printed These lines are thus in the printed copies we have

copies, - while new rebellions raise &c. For what can war, but acts of war

ftill breed, 8. Her broken league to imp their

Till injur'd. truth from violence ferpent wings.] In the printed

be freed, copies it is

And public faith be rescued from - to imp her serpent wings:

the brand &c. but ferpent wings refers to the fame as Hydra beads; and the insurrec- fcription, but blotted out again,

* In the Manuscript was this Iotions in England were to have been know not for what reason. To the supported by the Scotch army Lord General Cromwell, May 1652. marching into it at the same time. On the proposals of certain minifiers I know an ingenious person who at the committee for propagation of proposes to read

the gospel. Her broking league

who through a cloud &c] as if the whole intent of the solemn In the printed copies it stands thus, league and covenant had been to

that through a crowd get money.

Not of war only, but diftra&ions 10. For what can war, &c ]

rude :

1.

but

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 5

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

1ο No less renown'd than war: new foes arise Threatning to bind our souls with secular chains :

Help but a cloud of war is a classical ex- 7. While Darwen Aream &c] In pression, and we have nubem belli the printed copies it is in Virgil Æn. X. 809.

While Darwent streams &c 4. To peace and truth] With an The Darwen or Derwen is a small allusion perhaps to some of the river near Preston in Lancashire, filver coins of the Commonwealth, mentioned by Camden; and there which have this inscription round Cromwell routed the Scotch army the edges, Truth and peace. 1651. under Duke Hamilton in August

1648. The battels of Dunbar and 5.

And the neck of crowned for. Worcester are too well known to tune proud

be particulariz'd, both fought on Haft reard God's trophies, and his the memorable 3d of September,

work pursued,] Instead of these the one in 1650, and the other in two glorious lines there is this single 1651. one in the printed copies,

9. And Worcester's laureat wreath.] And fought God's battels, and bis It was so corrected, very much for works pursued :

the better, from what was before

in the Manuscript, and this defect in the number of

battels verses utterly spoils the harmony of the stanza.

peace bath her victories

No

on

And twenty

more

10.

Help us to fave free conscience from the

paw Of hireling wolves, whose gospel is their maw.

XVII.

* To Sir HENRY VANE the younger.

a

Vane, young

in

years, but in fage counsel old, Than whom a better fenator ne'er held The helm of Rome, when gowns not arms re

pellid The fierce Epirot and the African bold,

Whether

1.

No less renown'd than war:] In

but in fage counfel old, ] the printed copies it is

This is much better than the print

ed copies peace

has her victories No less than those of war:

in fage councils old,

7. Then to advise &c ] In the and afterwards in secular chains for Manufcript there was at first And with secular chains.

instead of Then : but afterwards it

was corrected as it stands in the * There is no knowing for printed copies. But in the remaincertain when this sonnet was com- der of these two verses, as they pos’d; but we follow the order stand in the printed copies, the wherein they stand and are num- meter is spoild in one, and the ber'd in Milton's Manuscript, and sense in the other. probably it was compos'd soon af

Then to advise how war may be ter the foregoing one to Crom

best upheld, : well, and upon the same occasion

Mann'd by her two main nerves, of the minifters proposals relat

iron and gold. ing, I suppose, to their maintenance, which was then under con. Move by was at first in the Manufideration.

script Move on her two main &c.

9. -- besides

9

Whether to settle peace, or to unfold

5 The drift of hollow states hard to be spellid, Then to advise how war may best upheld Move by her two main nerves, iron and gold, In all her equipage: besides to know Both spiritual pow'r 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 In peace, and reckons thee her eldest son.

On

9. - besides to know &c] In the Both spiritual pow'r and civil, printed editions this third stanza what each means wants one whole line, and gives us

Thou hast learn'd well, a praise another line so much corrupted as

which few have won. to be utter nonsense:

At last it was corrected, as we have besides to know

caused it to be printed. What serves each, thou hast learn'd, which few have done.

13. Therefore on thy firm hand The Manuscript fupplies the one, better in the Manuscript than in

&c] These two lines are infinitely and corrects the other. In the Ma

the printed editions ; nuscript it was originally thus,

Therefore on thy right hand rebesides to know

ligion leans, What pow'r the Church, and what

And reckons thee in chief her the Civil means,

eldeft fon. Thou teacheft best, which few have ever done.

It was at firft in the Manuscript Afterwards thus

right band, byt alter'd to firm

XVIII. * On the late mafsacre in Piemont. Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughter'd saints, whose bones

Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold; Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pure of old,

When all our fathers worshipt stocks and stones, Forget not: in thy book record their

groans 5

Who

Among our author's state-let- “ they apply'd themselves to your ters there are several in Cromwell's Royal Highness in a most fupname address'd to the Duke of “ pliant manner, imploring a reSavoy, and other potentates and “ vocation of the said edict, and ftates, complaining of this perse. " that being receiv'd into priftin

“ cution of the protestants. His let- “ favor, they might be restored to

, ter to the Duke of Savoy begins “ the liberty granted them by your thus. 66 Redditæ sunt nobis Ge- " predecessors, a part of your army a nevâ &c. Letters have been “ fell upon them, most cruelly flew « fent us from Geneva, as also “ several, put others in chains, and « from the Dauphinate, and many “compelld the rest to fly into “ other places bordering upon “ desert places and to the moun