XI. ON THE DETRACTION WHICH FOLLOWED UPON MY WRITING CERTAIN TREATISES. 1645. A BOOK was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon,' Stand spelling false, while one might walk to Mile Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek, XII. ON THE SAME. I DID but prompt the age to quit their clogs 1 Tetrachordon means exposition on the four chief places in Scripture which mention nullities in marriage. Colkitto and Macdonnel are one and the same person, a brave officer on the royal side, an Irishman of the Antrim family, who served under Montrose. The Macdonnels of that family are styled, by way of distinction, Mac Collcittok, i.e., descendants of lame Colin. Galasp is George Gillespie, a Scottish writer against the Indepen dents; for whom see Milton's verses on the "Forcers of Conscience."WARTON. He a Sir John Cheke has been already named in the notes to this volume. was the first Professor of Greek at Cambridge, and restored the original pronunciation of it. He was tutor to Edward VI. 4 Milton's treatises were on the subiect As when those hinds that were transform'd to frogs1 Which after held the sun and moon in fee. But this is got by casting pearl to hogs; XIII. TO MR. H. LAWES ON THE PUBLISHING HIS AIRS. HARRY, whose tuneful and well measured song That with smooth air couldst. humour best our tongue. of "Divorce." The Presbyterian clergy were much (and justly) scandalized at them, and brought Milton before the Lords for them; but they thought the subject simply speculative, and he was discharged. He thus stigmatizes the Presbyterian clergy. 1 See OVID, Met. VI. fab. iv. "Latona's progeny" were Apollo and Diana, the sun god and moon goddess. 2 A fine moral, coming, too, from a Republican poet. 8 The musician who put the music to "Comus." Midas, a King of Phrygia. He deelded that Pan was superior in singing and playing on the flute to Apollo; and, to punish his stupidity, Apollo changed his ears into those of an ass. 5 A Latinism, meaning offences against quantity.-RICHARDSON. 6 The "Story of Ariadne, set by Lawes.-WARTON. 7 Amongst the souls in Purgatory, Dante recognizes his friend Casella, the musician. In the course of an affectionate conversation, Dante asks for a song to soothe him, and Casella sings, with ravishing sweetness, the poet's second Canzone. See second cant. of Dante's "Purgatorio." XIV. ON THE RELIGIOUS MEMORY OF MRS. CATHERINE THOMSON,' MY CHRISTIAN FRIEND, DECEASED 16TH DEC. 1646. WHEN faith and love, which parted from thee never, Of death, call'd life; which us from life doth sever. XV. TO THE LORD GENERAL FAIRFAX.2 1648. FAIRFAX, whose name in arms through Europe rings Victory home, though new rebellions raise Their Hydra heads, and the false North displays 3 When Milton was first made Latin Secretary to Cromwell, he lodged at a Mr. Thomson's, next to the "Bull Head" Tavern, Charing Cross. Mrs. Thomson is supposed to have been the wife of his landlord.-NEWTON. 2. Addressed to Fairfax at the siege of Colchester. It was first printed, to gether with the two following onets and the two to Cyriack Skinner at th end of Phillips's "Life of Milton," 1694. -WARTON. 3 The English Parliament held that the Scotch had broken their covenant by marching into England, led by Hamilton. O yet a nobler task awaits thy hand, (For what can war, but endless war still breed ?) CROMWELL, our chief of men, who through a cloud Guided by faith and matchless fortitude, To peace and truth thy glorious way hast plough'd, Hast rear'd God's trophies, and his work pursued, And Worcester's 2 laureat wreath. To conquer still; peace Yet much remains hath her victories No less renown'd than war: new foes arise A mall river near Preston, in Lancashire, where Cromwell defeated the Scots under the Duke of Hamilton in August, 1648. Dunbar and Worcester were both fought September 8-one 1650, the other 1651. 3 He alludes to the Presbyterian clergy. They tried to persuade Cromwell to use the secular power against Sectaries. XVII. TO SIR HENRY VANE THE YOUNGER. 1652. VANE, young in years, but in sage counsel old, The helm of Rome, when gowns not arms repell'd Whether to settle peace, or to unfold 2 The drift of hollow states hard to be spell'd, In all her equipage: besides to know [done: Both spiritual pow'r and civil, what each means, XVIII. ON THE LATE MASSACRE IN PIEDMONT, AVENGE, O Lord, thy slaughter'd saints, whose bones 1 This sonnet seems to have been written in behalf of the Independents against the Presbyterian hierarchy. Vane was the chief of the Independents, and therefore Milton's friend. He was a most eccentric character, a mixture of the wildest fanaticism and good sense. He was beheaded after the Restoration, 1682.- From WARTON. 2 The States of Holland. 3 In 1665 the Duke of Savoy determined to make his reformed sub mas jects in Piedmont return to the Roman |