Dante fhall give fame leave to fet thee higher XIV. *On the religious memory of Mrs. Catharine Thomson, my christian friend, deceas'd 16 Decem. 1646. When faith and love, which parted from thee never, Had ripen'd thy juft foul to dwell with God, Meekly thou didst resign this earthy load 9. Of death, call'd life; which us from life doth fever. and verfe muft lend her wing] There are three manufcript copies of this fonnet, two by Milton, the fecond corrected, and the third by another hand; and in all of them we read muft lend her wing, which we prefer to must send her wing, as it is in the printed copies. 12. Dante shall give &c] These verses were thus at first, Fame by the Tufcan's leave fhall fet thee higher Than his Cafelle, whom Dante woo'd to fing &c. 13. Than his Cafella, whom he woo'd to fing &c] This refers to the fecond Canto of Dante's Purgatorio, where the poet relates his meeting with Cafella in purgatory, and wooing him to fing in these terms, fe nuoua legge non ti toglie Memoria, o ufo à l'amorofo canto, 5 Thy works and alms and all thy good endevor II To 1673, and the reafon of omitting them in the reign of Charles II is too obvious to need explaining. They were first printed at the end 6. Stay'd not behind, &c] Inftead of thefe lines were the following at firft in the Manufcript, Strait follow'd thee the path that faints have of Philips's life of Milton, prefixed to the trod, Still as they journey'd from this dark abode Up to the realm of peace and joy for ever. Faith show'd the way, and the who faw them best Thy hand-maids &c. 12. And spake the truth] There are alfo three manufcript copies of this fonnet, two by Milton, the fecond corrected, and the third by another hand; and in all of them we read And fpake the truth, which is more agreeable to fyntax, and better than And Speak the truth, as it is in the printed copies. * This and the two following fonnets are not found in the edition of Milton's poems in English translation of his state-letters, in 1694, which was twenty years after his death; they were afterwards cited by Toland in his life of Milton 1698; and as far as I can perceive, they were not inferted among his other poems `till the fifth edition in 1713. But the printed copies, probably being taken at first from memory, are wonderfully incorrect; whole verses are omitted, and the beauty of these fonnets is in great measure defac'd and deftroy'd. therefore a fingular piece of good fortune, that they are ftill extant in Milton's Manufcript, the first in his own hand-writing, and the others by another hand, as he had then loft his fight: and having fuch an authentic copy, we shall make it our standard, and thereby restore these fonnets to their original beauty. This to the It is Lord 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 Victory home, though new rebellions raise 5 O this time there were feveral infurrections of the royalifts, and the Scotch army was marching into England under the command of Duke Hamilton. In the printed copies we have while new rebellions raife &c. 8. Her broken league to imp their ferpent wings.] In the printed copies it is to imp her ferpent wings:. but ferpent wings refers to the fame as Hydra beads; and the infurrections in England were to have been fupported by the Scotch army marching into it at the fame time. I know an ingenious perfon who propofes to read Her broking league as if the whole intent of the folemn league and 6... though new rebellions raife &c] At covenant had been to get money. 10. For O yet a nobler task awaits thy hand, (For what can war, but endless war ftill breed?) 10 Till truth and right from violence be freed, And public faith clear'd from the fhameful brand Of public fraud. In vain doth valor bleed, While avarice and rapin fhare 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 matchlefs fortitude, To peace and truth thy glorious way haft plough'd, And on the neck of crowned fortune proud 5 Haft 4. To peace and truth] With an allufion perhaps to fome of the filver coins of the Commonwealth, which have this infcription round the edges, Truth and Peace. 1651. 5. And on the neck of crowned fortune proud Haft rear'd God's trophies, and his work purlines there is this fingle one in the printed fued, ] Instead of these two glorious copies, And fought God's battels, and his works pursued : and this defect in the number of verses utterly spoils the harmony of the stanza. 7. While Darwen ftream &c] In the printed copies it is While Darwent ftreams &c The Darwen Haft rear'd God's trophies, and his work pursued, 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 confcience from the paw Of hireling wolves, whofe gospel is their maw. XVII. + To Sir HENRY VANE the younger. Vane, young in years, but in fage counsel old, Than whom a better fenator ne'er held Darwen or Derwen is a small river near Preston in Lancashire, mentioned by Camden; and there Cromwell routed the Scotch army under Duke Hamilton in August 1648. The battels of Dunbar and Worcester are too well known to be particulariz'd, both fought on the memorable 3d of September, the one in 1650, and the other in 1651. 9. And Worcester's laureat wreath. ] It was fo corrected, very much for the better, from what was before in the Manufcript, And twenty battels more 10. peace bath her victories peace bas her victories No less than those of war: ΙΟ The and afterwards in fecular chains for with fecular chains. + There is no knowing for certain when this fonnet was compos'd; but we follow the order wherein they ftand and are number'd in Milton's Manufcript, and probably it was compos'd foon after the foregoing one to Cromwell, and upon the fame occafion of the minifters proposals relating, I fuppofe, to their maintenance, which was then under confideration. but in fage counsel old,] This is much Na lefs renown'd than war:] In the printed better than the printed copies copies it is in fage councils old, 7. Ther |