And in He con Jericho. In Lycidas we see the first indications of the vigor and the coarseness that strengthen and disfigure the Prose Works. Lycidas we have the intimation of two facts regarding Milton. sidered the day of his youth to be closed by the death of the friend of his youth, that on the morrow he was to seek fresh woods and pastures new.' But his choice has been made. His mantle is already of the Presbyterian color. Henceforth there will be no more quiet communing with English oaks and rills. A brief holiday interposes between him and a time of chiding,' which with small respite will vex his spirit till, wearied and worn, he rests at last; ، Though fallen on evil days, On evil days though fallen, and evil tongues.' CHRONOLOGY. [The Student should consult biographies, histories, encyclopaedias, etc., and write out a connected sketch of Milton's life.] 1608. John Milton born Dec. 9; baptized Dec. 20 at Allhallows, Bread Street, near Cheapside. 1618. His picture is painted by Cornelius Jansen. About this time, and for some years, he has a private tutor, Thomas Young, a Puritan. 1619. Enters St. Paul's School, though still under Young's tuition. 1624. Still in St. Paul's School. Writes paraphrases of Psalms exiv. and exxxvi. Is a diligent student. Intimate friend of Charles Diodati. 1625. Feb. 12. Admitted as a pensioner (i. e. a paying student) of Christ's College, Cambridge University. Writes letter, March 26, to Young. 1626. Writes a poem On the Death of a Fair Infant. Has a disagreement with his tutor, and is absent awhile from college. 1627. Writes a metrical epistle to Young. Writes 1628. First smitten with love, as shown in his "Seventh Elegy." Letters to Alexander Gill and to Young. Writes Latin verses. the noble lines entitled At a Vacation Exercise in the College. 1629. Writes Latin Elegy to his friend Diodati. Is admitted to the degree of B. A., March 26. Writes his famous Ode on the Morning of Christ's Nativity, beginning it on Christmas Day. 1630. Writes ode Upon the Circumcision ; also, perhaps, the verses On Time, and the lines At a Solemn Music. Here belong the unfinished verses On the Passion. Wrote also the important Epitaph on Shakespeare, the first verses of Milton to appear in print. 1631. Writes two Epitaphs on Hobson, and one on the Marchioness of Winchester. Writes a letter to a friend containing the noble Sonnet On his being arrived at the Age of Twenty-Three. 1632. Is graduated M. A. at Cambridge in July. Retires to his father's house at Horton. 1633. Writes Sonnet To the Nightingale; Song on May Morning; perhaps in this year L'Allegro and Il Penseroso. 1634. Writes Arcades and Comus, acted at Harefield and Ludlow respectively; the latter, Sept. 29, 1634. Latin letter to Alexander Gill, enclosing a translation of the 114th Psalm into Greek hexameters. 1635. Was 'incorporated' as Master of Arts at Oxford, with Jeremy Taylor and others. 1637. His mother dies, April 3. His friend, Edward King, was drowned, August 10. Letters to Diodati, Sept. 2 and Sept. 23. Writes Lycidas in November. 1638. Milton leaves England about the middle of April for the Continent, receiving, just before his departure, a handsome letter of advice and thanks from Sir Henry Wotton. Reaches Florence in September. Visits Galileo. Goes to Rome about October 1st. Writes epigrams to Leonora Baroni. Goes to Naples. 1639. In Rome in January and February. Goes again to Florence. Receives and writes, about this time, letters, odes, sonnets, etc., in Latin and in Italian. Visits Venice. Stops briefly in Geneva. Returns home to England about Aug. 1, that he may serve the cause of Liberty. Learns of the death of his friend Diodati. Writes his beautiful Epitaphium Damonis in Latin. 1640. Resides for a short time in St. Bride's Churchyard, where he undertakes the education of a few boys. Takes a garden house in Aldersgate Street and continues teaching. Plans sacred dramas, and poems on subjects from British history. 1641. Writes his first pamphlet, entitled Of Reformation in England, in May or June; writes Of Prelatical Episcopacy; also Animadversions on the Remonstrant's Defence. 1642. Writes The Reason of Church Government urged against Prelaty, in which his name first appears upon a title-page. Writes his Apology for Smectymnuus; also, in November, his third Sonnet, entitled When the Assault was intended to the City. 1643. Marries Mary Powell about June 1. His wife leaves him about July 1, to return about Michaelmas; but fails to come back. 1644. Writes Areopagitica, Of Education in a Letter to Mr. Samuel Hartlib, Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, The Judgment of Martin Bucer concerning Divorce; and perhaps, this year, his Sonnet To a Virtuous Young Lady, and the Sonnet to The Lady Margaret Ely. His sight is a little impaired. 1645. Writes Tetrachordon, Colasterion, two Sonnets On the Detraction which followed upon my writing Certain Treatises. Publishes first edition of his early poems. His wife rejoins him. 1646. Writes Sonnets To Mr. H. Lawes, in Memory of Mrs. Thomson, To Mr. Lawrence, To Cyriack Skinner, and perhaps, at this time, On the New Forcers of Conscience. His first daughter, Anne, is born. 1647. Removes to Barbican, and then to Holborn. March. His second daughter, Mary, is born. His father dies in 1648. Versifies Psalms lxxx. to lxxxvii. in April. Begins, this year or the next, his History of England. Writes Sonnet To the Lord General Fairfax. 1649. Is appointed Secretary of State. Removes to lodgings at Charing Cross, and afterwards in Scotland Yard. Writes Tenure of Kings and Magistrates, Observations on Ormond's Peace, Eikonoklastes. 1650. Son born and died. 1651. Writes Defensio pro Populo Anglicano, at the risk of losing his eyesight. Takes lodgings in a pretty garden house,' York Street, Westminster. Loses the sight of his left eye. 1652. His third daughter, Deborah, born, and his wife dies May 2d. Sonnets to Cromwell, and to Sir Harry Vane. Becomes nearly blind. 1653. Verifies Psalms i. to viii., August. Sonnet On His Blindness. 1654. Totally blind. Writes Defensio Secunda. 1655. Writes Defence of Himself against Alexander More, in Latin. Writes Sonnet On the late Massacre in Piedmont; Sonnet To Cyriack Skinner Upon his Blindness. 1656. Marries his second wife, Catherine Woodcock, Nov. 12. 1658. His second wife dies in February. Sonnet On His Deceased Wife. Edits Raleigh's Cabinet Council. 1659. Writes A Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes, Considerations touching the Likeliest Means to remove Hirelings, Letter to a Friend on the Ruptures of the Commonwealth, The Present Means ana brief Delineation of a Free Commonwealth. 1660. Writes The Ready and Easy Way to establish a Free Commonwealth; Notes on a Sermon by Dr. Griffiths. Is concealed at a friend's house in Bartholomew Close; his prosecution is voted by the Commons ; his Ikonoklastes and Defence of the People of England are publicly burnt by the common hangman in August. Life saved by the intercession of Davenant? Arrested. Released December 15th. 1662. Makes the acquaintance of Thomas Ellwood, the Quaker. 1663. Marries his third wife, Elizabeth Minshull, in February. 1665. Milton shows Ellwood the MS. of Paradise Lost. Retires to Chalfont St. Giles, to escape the plague. Paradise Regained is sug gested by Ellwood. 1667. Paradise Lost is sold to Samuel Simmons, April 27. Published in ten books. 1669. Published Accidence Commenced Grammar (Latin); also History of England. 1671. Paradise Regained is published; also Samson Agonistes. 1672. Published Artis Logicæ. 1673. Published Of True Religion, Heresy, Schism, and Toleration; republished Early Poems, with additions. 1674. Second Edition of Paradise Lost, in twelve books. Published Familiar Epistles, and Academic Exercises. Died Nov. 8; was buried Nov. 12, in the chancel of St. Giles, Cripplegate. In addition to the foregoing works, should be named his Brief History of Muscovy, his Letters of State, his System of Christian Doctrine, and his unfinished Latin Lexicon. What could the golden-haired Calliope For her enchanting son, Line 69. Line 105. Line 129. Line 138. When she beheld (the gods far-sighted be) His gory scalp roll down the Thracian lea. And Heaven and Hell deplore, When his divine head down the stream was sent.] and thou smooth [famed] flood. Soft sliding Mincius Scrawled o'er with figures dim. little said. Line 142 etc. Bring the rathe primrose that unwedded dies, And that sad flower that strove To write his own woes on the vermeil grain; |