By shallow Edwards and Scotch what d'ye call: your tricks, has left a great variety of Calvinistic tracts. He was an avowed enemy to the independents, as appears from his Difputation on pretended liberty of confcience, 1649. This was anfwered by John Cotton a Separatist of New England. It is hence eafy to fee, why Rotherford was an obnoxious character to Milton. 12. By shallow Edwards.] It is not the GANGRENA of Thomas Edwards that is here the object of Milton's refentment, as Doctor Newton and Mr. Thyer have fuppofed. Edwards had attacked Milton's favourite plan of independency, in a pamphlet full of miferable invectives, immediately and profeffedly levelled against the APOLO"ANTAPOGETICALL NARRATION abovementioned, and entitled, LOGIA, or a full answer to the APOLOGETICALL NARRATION, &c. "Wherein is handled many of the Controverfies of these times, by T. Edwards minifter of the gospel, Lond 1644." In quarto. But Edwards had fome time before publifhed his opinions againit congregational churches, "Reafons against the independent government of particular congregations: as alfo against the toleration of fuch churches to be erected in this kingdome. Together with an answer "to fuch reafons as are commonly alledged for a toleration. Prefented in all humility to the honourable houfe of Commons, &c. By Thomas Edwards, &c. Lond. 1641." In quarto. However, in the GANGRENA, not lefs than in these two tracts, it had been his business to blacken the opponents of presbyterian uniformity, that the parliament might check their growth by penal ftatutes. Against fach enemies, Milton's chief hope of enjoying a liberty of confcience, and a permiffion to be of any religion but popery, was in Cromwell, who for political reafons allowed all profeffions; and who is thus addressed as the great guardian of religious independence, SONN. xvi, 11. New foes arife, Threatening to bind our souls in SECULAR CHAINS: OF HIRELING WOLVES, whofe gospel is their maw. 12. And Scotch what d'ye call.] Perhaps Henderfon, or George Galafpie, another Scotch minifter with a harder name, and one of the ecclefiaftical commiffioners at Westminster. But I wish not to be. wilder myself or my readers any farther in the library of fanaticism. Happily the books, as well as the names, of the enthusiasts on both fides of the question, are almost all configned to oblivion. Your Your plots and packing worse than those of Trent, That fo the Parlament May with their wholesome and preventive shears 16 Clip your phylacteries, though bauk your ears, And fuccour our just fears, When they shall read this clearly in your charge, New Prefbyter is but Old Priest writ large. 20 14. Your plots and packing worse than those of Trent.] The famous council of Trent. 17. Clip your phylacteries, though bauk your ears.] Tickell, I think, is the first who gives baulk, or bauk, from the errata of edition 1673, which has bank. Fenton retains the errour from Tonson's text. The line stands thus in the manufcript, Crop ye as clofe as marginal P―'s ears. That is, Prynne, whofe ears were cropped close in the pillory, and who was fond of oftentatiously loading the margin of his voluminous books with a parade of authorities. But why was the line altered, when this piece was firft printed in 1673, as Prynne had been then dead four years? Perhaps he was unwilling to revive, and to expose to the triumph of the royalifts now reftored, this difgrace of one of the leading heroes of the late faction. Notwithstanding Prynne's apoftacy. The meaning of the present context is, "Check your infolence, with"out proceeding to cruel punishments." To balk, is to spare. SONNETS*. I. To the NIGHTINGALE. Nightingale, that on yon bloomy spray Petrarch, fays doctor Newton, has gained the reputation of being the firft author and inventor of this fpecies of poetry. This is a great miftake for Guitone d'Arezzo, who flourished about the year 1250, many years before Petrarch was born, first used the measure observed in the Sonnet; a meafure, which the great number of fimilar térmipations renders easy in the Italian, but difficult in our language.. Dr. J. WARTON. To the Nightingale.] Let it not be deemed invidious, although perhaps Thomfon himfelf might have thought it fo, to compare the following exquifite Ode with this Sonnet of Milton. 1 O Nightingale, beft poet of the grove, O mourn with me, sweet bird, my hapless flame. WORKS of Thomson. 4to. vol. i. p. 463. No Thou with fresh hope the lover's heart doft fill, While the jolly hours lead on propitious May. eye of day, Thy liquid notes that close the First heard before the shallow cuccoo's bill, No poet has more frequently celebrated the nightingale than Milton. Where he fays in PARAD. L. B. iv. 603. The wakeful nightingale, She ALL NIGHT LONG her amorous defcant fung, &c.' Perhaps he remembered Petrarch, SONN. X. El'rofignuol, che dolcemente a l'ombra TUTTE LE NOTTE fi lamenta e piagne. See alfo PARAD. L. vii. 435. Where doctor Newton obferves, "his "fondness for this little bird is very remarkable.” 4. While the jolly bours lead on propitious May.] Because the nightingale is fuppofed to begin finging in April. So Sydney, in ENGLAND'S HELICON, Signat. O. edit. 1614. The nightingale, fo foone as Aprill bringeth Vnto her refted fenfe a perfect waking, While late bare earth proud of new clothing fpringeth, 5. Thy liquid notes that close the eye of day.] So in COMUS, v. 978. And those happy climes that lie Where day never SHUTS his EYE. And in LYCIDAS, V. 26. Under the opening EYELIDS of the MORN. Compare Browne, BRIT. PAST. B. ii. S. iii. p. 78. When from a wood, wherein the EYE OF DAY Had long a stranger beene. 6. Firft beard before the shallow cuccoo's bill, &c.] That is, if they happen to be heard before the cuckow, it is lucky for the lover. But Spenfer calls the cuckow the meffenger of fpring, and fupposes that his trumpet fhrill warns all lovers to wait upon Cupid, SoNN. xix. Jonfon gives this appellation to the nightingale, in the SAD SHEPHERD, A. ii. S. vi. But beft, the dear good angel of the spring, ANGEL is messenger. And the whole expreffion feems to be literally Portend fuccefs in love; O if Jove's will Have link'd that amorous pow'r to thy foft lay, Now timely fing, ere the rude bird of hate Foretel my hopeless doom in fome grove nigh; As thou from year to year haft fung too late II For relief, yet hadft no reason why: my Whether the Mufe, or Love call thee his mate, Both them I ferve, and of their train am I. II. Donna leggiadra il cui bel nome honora L'herbofa val di Rheno, e il nobil varco, Qual tuo fpirto gentil non innamoro, De fui atti foavi giamai parco, E i don', che fon d'amor faette ed arco,, La onde l'alta tua virtu s'infiora. 5 from a fragment of Sappho, preferved by the fcholiaft on Sophocles, ELECTR. V. 148. ΗΡΟΣ Δ' ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ, ἱμερόφωνος ἀηδων. Veris nuntia, amabiliter cantans luscinia. Or from one of Simonides, of the fwallow. Schol. Ariftoph. Av. v. 1410. ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ κλυτὰ ΕΑΡΟΣ άδυόσμο, κυανέα χελιδών. Nuntia inclyta veris fuaveolentis, fufca birundo. Milton laments afterwards, that hitherto the nightingale had not preceded the cuckow as the ought: had always fung too late, that is, after the cuckow. Quando |