1

IX.

To a VIRTUOUS YOUNG LADY.

Lady that in the prime of earliest youth
Wifely haft fhunn'd the broad way
and the green,
And with those few art eminently feen,
That labour up the hill of heavenly truth,
The better part with Mary and with Ruth
Chofen thou haft; and they that overween,
And at thy growing virtues fret their spleen,
No anger find in thee, but pity' and ruth.
Thy care is fix'd, and zealously attends

To fill thy odorous lamp with deeds of light, 10

declared it an unworthy act, to reduce a place, fo celebrated for the production of illustrious men, to total ruin and defolation. The lines of Euripides are at v. 168.

̓Αγαμέμνονος ὦ κόρα, ήλυθον ε
λέκτρα ποτὶ σὰν ἀγροτέραν αὐλάν.
*Εμολέ τις,
&c.

It appears, however, that Lyfander ordered the walls and fortifications to be demolished. See Plutarch. OPP. tom. ii. Vır. p. 807. Par. 1572. 8o.

By the epithet SAD, Milton denominates the pathetic character of Euripides. REPEATED fignifies recited. But it has been ingeniously fuggefted, that the epithet SAD belongs to Electra, who very often calls herfelf OIKTPA, TAAAINA, &c. in Euripides's play; and fays, that all the city gave her the fame appellation, σε κικλήσκεσι δε μ' ΑΘΛΙΑΝ Ηλεκτραν πολιηται.”

14. To fave th' Athenian walls by ruin bare.] See our author's PSALM Vii. 60.

Fall on his crown with ruin STEEP.

The meaning in both inftances is obvious and fimilar.

This is one of Milton's best Sonnets. It was written in 1642, when the King's army was arrived at Brentford, and had thrown the whole city into confternation.

6.

Overween.] PARAD. L. x. 878. «Him OVERWEENING to over-reach." See Note on Coм. v. 309.

And

And hope that reaps not fhame. Therefore be fure
Thou, when the bridegroom with his feastful friends
Paffes to blifs at the mid hour of night,
Haft gain'd thy entrance, Virgin wife and pure.

X.

To the Lady MARGARET LEY.*

Daughter to that good Earl, once Prefident
Of England's Council, and her Treasury,
Who liv'd in both, unstain'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 Chæronea, fatal to liberty,

Kill'd with report that old man eloquent.
Though later born than to have known the days
Wherein your father 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, honour'd Margaret.

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10

12. Thou, when the bridegroom with his feaftful friends.] FEASTFUL is an epithet in Spenfer. He alludes to the midnight feasting of the Jews before the confummation of marriage.

II. And hope that reaps not fame.] Ἐλπὶς & καταιχύνει. Rom. v. v. H.

* Probably written about 1643. When Milton ufed frequently to vifit this Lady, the daughter of fir James Ley, the earl of Marlborough.

1. Daughter to that good Earl, &c.] See Dugdale's BARON. ii. 450.

5. Till fad the breaking of that Parlament.] In 1628-9.

8 Kill'd with report that old man eloquent.] Ifocrates, the orator. The victory was gained by Philip of Macedon over the Athenians.

VOL. I.

U u

On

XI.

On the detraction which followed upon my writing certain treatises.

A book was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon,
And woven close, both matter, form and stile;
The fubject new: it walk'd the town a while,
Numb'ring good intellects; now feldom por❜d on.
Cries the ftall-reader, Blefs us! what a word on 5
A title page is this! and fome in file

1. A book was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon.] This elaborate difcuffion, unworthy in many refpects of Milton, and in which. much acuteness of argument, and comprehenfion of reading, were idly thrown away, was received with contempt, or rather ridicule, as we learn from Howel's LETTERS. A better proof that it was treated with neglect, is, that it was attacked by two nameless and obfcure writers only; one of whom Milton calls, a Serving-man turned Sollicitor! Our author's divorce was on Platonic principles. He held, that disagreement of mind was a better cause of separation than adultery or frigidity. Here was a fair opening for the laughers. This and the following Sonnet were written soon after 1645. For this doctrine Milton was fummoned before the Lords. But they not approving his accufers, the prefbyterian clergy, or thinking the bufinefs too fpeculative, he was quickly difmiffed. On this occafion Milton commenced hoftilities against the Presbyterians. He illuftrates his own system in this line of PAR. L. ix. 372. "Go, for thy ftay, not FREE, absents thee more." See Note on SAMS. AGON. V. 219.

Milton wished he had not written this work in English. This is obferved by Mr. Bowle, who points out the following proof, in the DEFENSIO SECUNDA. "Vellem hoc tantum, fermone ver"naculo me non fcripfiffe: non enim in vernas lectores incidiffem, "quibus folenne eft fua bona ignorare, aliorum mala irridere.” PROSE-WORKS, ii. 331. This was one of Milton's books pubfifhed, in confequence of his divorce from his firft wife.

TETRACHORDON fignifies Expofitions on the four chief places in Scripture which mention marriage or nullities in marriage.

5. Cries the fall-reader.-] So in APOL. SMECTYMN. §. viii. "In the language of STALL-EPISTLE nonfenfe.". PR. W. 122.

Stand

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

9

Those rugged names to our like mouths grow fleek, That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp Thy age, like ours, O Soul of Sir John Cheek,

Hated not learning worse than toad or afp,
When thou taught'ft Cambridge, and king Edward
Greek.

8. Why is it.-] Tonfon, who might have been taught better by the Errata of the edition he followed, reads is better, in his edition of 1695. So alfo Colikkto, v. 9.

9. Colkitto, Mackdonnel, or Galafp.] Milton is here collecting, from his hatred to the Scots, what he thinks Scottish names of an ill found. Calkitto and Macdonal, are one and the fame perfon; a brave officer on the royal fide, an Irish man of the Antrim family, who ferved under Montrofe. The Macdonals of that family are styled, by way of diftinction, Mac Collcittok, i. e. defcendants of lame Colin. Galafp is a Scottish writer against the Independents; for whom fee verfes on the FORCERS OF CONSCIENCE, &C.

Ib. Or Galafp.] He is George Gilespie, one of the Scotch members of the Affembly of Divines, as his name is fubfcribed to their Letter to the Belgic, French, and Helvetian churches, dated 1643. In which they pray, "that these three nations may be joined as one Stick in the hands of the Lord :-that all Moun"tains may become Plains before them and us; that then all who 66 now fee the Plummet in our hands, may also behold the Top*ftone fet upon the head of the Lord's house among us, and may help us with fhouting to cry, Grace, Grace, to it." Rushw. p. 371. Such was the rhetoric of these reformers of reformation!There are two or more Letters from Samuel Rutherford, to Gilefpie, in JOSHUA REDIVIVUS, quoted above. See P. ii. EPIST. 54.55. p. 408. feq. P. i. EPIST. 114. p. 165. EPIST. 77. p. 122.

13. Hated not learning worse than toad or afp.] Mr. Bowle quotes Halle, RICH. ii. f. 34. "Diverse noble perfonages hated Kinge Richard worse than a toade or a ferpent."

XII.

On the SAME.

I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs
By the known rules of ancient liberty,
When strait a barbarous noife environs the
Of owls and cuccoos, affes, apes and dogs:
As when those 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 still revolt when truth would set them free.
Licénce they mean when they cry Liberty;
For who loves that, must 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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3. When Strait a barbarous noife, &c.] Milton was violently cenfured by the prefbyterian clergy for his TETRACHORDON, and other tracts of that tendency. See Ovid, METAM. vi. 381.

11. Licence they mean when they cry Liberty.] "The hypocrify "of fome fhames not to take offence at this doctrine [the liberty "of Divorce] for Licence; whereas indeed, they fear it would remove Licence, and leave them but few companions. TETRACHORD. Vol. 1. 4to. p. 319. He further explains himself at the bottom of the fame page: This one virtue incomparable it [the prohibition of divorce] hath, to fill all christendom with "whoredoms and adulteries, beyond the art of Balaams or of De"vils." Again, in his TENURE OF KINGS AND MAGISTRATES, P. 341. "Indeed, none can love freedom heartily but good men : "the reft love not Freedom, but Licence; which never hath more scope or more indulgence than under tyrants." H.

XIII. To