Thy care is fix'd, and zealously attends To fill thy odorous lamp with deeds of light, And hope that reaps not shame. Therefore be sure Thou, when the bridegroom with his feastful friends Passes to bliss at the mid hour of night, Hast gain'd thy entrance, Virgin wise and pure! X. TO THE LADY MARGARET LEY 1. DAUGHTER to that good Earl, once President your Kill'd with report that old man eloquent'. Though later born than to have known the days Wherein father flourish'd, yet by you, Madam! methinks I see him living yet; So well your words his noble virtues praise, That all both judge you to relate them true, And to possess them, honour'd Margaret. 1 The daughter of Sir James Ley, whose singular learning and abilities raised him through all the great posts of the law, till he came to be made Earl of Marlborough, and Lord High Treasurer, and Lord President of the Council to King James I. He died in an advanced age; and Milton attributes his death to the breaking of the Parliament: and it is true that the Parliament was dissolved the 10th of March, 1628-9, and he died on the 14th of the same month. 2 Isocrates, the orator. The victory was gained by Philip of Macedon over the Athenians. XI. ON THE DETRACTION WHICH FOLLOWED UPON MY WRITING CERTAIN TREATISES. A BOOK was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon3, And woven close, both matter, form and style; The subject new: it walk'd the Town awhile, Numbering good intellects; now seldom por❜d on. Cries the stall-reader, Bless us! what a word on A title-page is this! and some in file Stand spelling false, while one might walk to MileEnd Green. Why is it harder, Sirs, than Gordon, Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp +? Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek, [gasp. That would have made Quintilian stare and Thy age, like ours, O Soul of Sir John Cheeks, Hated not learning worse than toad or asp, When thou taught'st Cambridge, and king Edward, Greek. 3 This was one of Milton's books, published in consequence of his separation from his first wife. Tetrachordon signifies expositions on the four chief places in Scripture which mention marriage or nullities in marriage. + Milton is here collecting, from his hatred to the Scots, what he thinks Scottish names of an ill sound. 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 Macdonalds of that family are styled, by way of distinction, Mac Collcittok, i. e. descendants of lame Colin. Galasp, or George Gillespie, was a Scottish writer against the Independents, and one of the members of the Assembly of Divines. 5 The first professor of the Greek tongue in the university of Cambridge, and afterwards made one of the tutors to Edward VI. XII. ON THE SAME. I DID but prompt the age to quit their clogs When straight a barbarous noise environs me Of owls and cuckoos, asses, 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 sun and moon in fee. But this is got by casting pearl to hogs; That bawl for freedom in their senseless mood, And still revolt when truth would set them free. Licence they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves this, must first be wise and good; But from that mark how far they rove we see, For all this waste of wealth, and loss of blood. XIII. TO MR. H. LAWES ON THE PUBLISHING OF HIS AIRS. HARRY! whose tuneful and well-measured song Thou honor'st verse, and verse must lend her wing XIV. ON THE RELIGIOUS MEMORY OF MRS. CATHERINE THOMSON, MY CHRISTIAN FRIEND, Deceased, Dec. 16, 1646. WHEN Faith and Love, which parted from thee never, Had ripen'd thy just soul to dwell with God, Meekly thou didst resign this earthly load Of death, call'd life; which us from life doth sever. Thy works, and alms, and all thy good endeavour, Staid not behind, nor in the grave were trod; But, as faith pointed with her golden rod, Follow'd thee up to joy and bliss for ever. Love led them on, and Faith, who knew them best Thy hand-maids, clad them o'er with purple beams And azure wings, that up they flew so dress'd, And spake the truth of thee on glorious themes Before the Judge; who thenceforth bid thee rest, And drink thy fill of pure immortal streams. VOL. III. XV. TO THE LORD GENERAL FAIRFAX. FAIRFAX! whose name in arms through Europe rings, Filling each mouth with envy or with praise, And all her jealous monarchs with amaze And rumors loud, that daunt remotest kings; Thy firm unshaken virtue ever brings Victory home, though new rebellions raise Their Hydra heads, and the false North displays Her broken league to imp their serpent wings. O yet a nobler task awaits thy hand, (For what can war but endless war still breed?) Till truth and right from violence be freed, And public faith clear'd from the shameful brand Of public fraud. In vain doth Valor bleed, While Avarice and Rapine share the land. XVI. TO THE LORD GENERAL CROMWELL. CROMWELL, our chief of men! who through a cloud And on the neck of crowned Fortune proud sued, [imbrued, While Darwent's stream, with blood of Scots And Dunbar field resounds thy praises loud, |