Words with just note and accent, not to scan Coperario, fuppofed by Fenton in his Notes on Waller to be an Italian, but really an Englishman under the plain name of John Cooper, at the expence of Edward earl of Hertford. In the year 1625, he became a gentleman of the royal chapel, and was afterwards of the private MUSIC to king Charles the firft. In 1633, in conjunction with Simon Ives, he composed the mufic to a Mask prefented at Whitehall on Candlemas night by the gentlemen of the four inns of court, under the direction of fuch grave characters as Noy the attorney-general, Edward Hyde afterwards earl of Clarendon, Selden, and Bulstrode Whitelock. Lawes and Ives received each one hundred pounds as compofers; and the whole coft, to the great offence of the puritanical party, amounted to more than one thousand pounds. Lawes appears to have been well acquainted with the best poets, and the most popular of the nobility of his times. Befides what I have mentioned in COMUS, he fet to mufic all the Lyrics in Waller's Poems first publifhed in 1645. Among which is an Ode addreffed to Lawes by Waller, full of high compliments. One of the pieces of Waller was fet by Lawes in 1635. He compofed the Songs in the POEMS and a Mafque, of Thomas Carew. See third edit. 1651. p. ult. The MASQUE was exhibited 1633. In the title-p -page to Comedies, Tra"gicomedies, and other Poems," by William Cartwright, published in 1651, it is faid, that "The Ayres and Songs were fet by Mr. "Henry Lawes." And Lawes himfelf has a commendatory poem. prefixed, infcribed "To the memory of my most deferving and peculiar friend Mr. William Cartwright." I have mentioned Lawes's Ayres and Dialogues for one, two, and three voices, 1653." See Note on COMUs, v. 85. The words of the numerous Songs in that work, are by fome of the moft eminent poets of the day. A few young noblemen are alfo contributors, One of the pieces is a poem by John Birkenhead called "an Anniverfary on the Nuptials of John "earl of Bridgewater, Jul. 22, 1642." p. 33. This was the young Lord Brackley, who acted the First Brother in Coмus, and who married, about nineteen, Elizabeth daughter of William earl of Newcastle*. The first piece in the book is the COMPLAINT of ARIADNE, written by Cartwright abovementioned, and printed in his Poems. For a 66 66 She died 1663, leaving a numerous iffue. She was a most amiable woman. The earl, her husband, ordered it to be recorded on his tomb, in Gadefden-church, that he "en"joyed, almost twenty two years, all the happiness that a man could receive in the sweet "fociety of the beft of wives." See above, p. 113. In the Newcastle book on Horse. manfhip, there is a print of this earl of Bridgewater and his countefs, grouped with others, I inform the lovers of Comus, that there is alfo a large mezzotinto plate in quarto of this earl, done in 1680, from a picture by W. Claret, an imitator of Lely, which I believe is, at Ashridge. compofition Thy worth and skill exempts thee from the throng, With praise enough for envy to look wan; 6 compofition to one of the airs, of this piece, which gained unufual and exceffive applaufe, Lawes is faid to be the first who introduced the Italian ftyle of mufic into England. In the Preface, he says he had formerly compofed airs to Italian and Spanish words: and, allowing the Italians to be the chief mafters of the mufical art, concludes that England has produced as able muficians as any country of Europe, and cenfures the prevailing fondnefs for Italian words. To this Preface, among others, are prefixed Waller's verfes abovementioned, and two copies by Edward and John Philips, Milton's nephews. Befides his Pfalms, printed for Mofeley in 1648, and to which this SONNET is prefixed, he composed tunes to Sandys's admirable PARAPHRASE on the Pfalms, published in folio, in 1653. Wood fays, that he had seen a poem written by fir W. Raleigh, "which had a mufi"cal compofition of two parts fet to it by the incomparable artist "Henry Lawes." ATHEN. OXON. ii. p. 441. num. 510. More of Lawes's works are in the Treasury of Mufick, 1669. And in the Mufical Companion, 1662. And in other collections of that age. See Notes on COMUS, v.86.201.230.231.494. Cromwell's ufurpation put an end to Masks and mufic: and Lawes, being difpoffeffed of his appointments, chiefly employed that gloomy period in teaching a few young ladies to fing. His irreproachable life, ingenuous deportment, and liberal connections, had raised even the credit of his profeffion. Wood fays that his great benefactors during his fufferings for the royal caufe in the rebellion and afterwards, were the ladies Alice and Mary the earl of Bridgewater's daughters. MSS. Muf. ASHM. D.17. 4to. p.115 In the year 1660, he was restored to his places and practice; and had the happiness to compofe the coronation-anthem for the exiled monarch. He died in 1662, and was buried in Weftminster-abbey. Of all the panegyrics which he received from his contemporaries, Milton's must be allowed to be the most honourable. And Milton's praife is likely to be founded on truth. Milton was himfelf a kilful performer on the organ, and a judge of mufic: and even after the murther of the king, at a time when the royalifts were univerfally perfecuted or discountenanced by the predominant faction, he continued his friendship for Lawes, whofe attachments and principles had been ftrongly on the fide of the royal caufe. Lawes's brother William was killed in 1645 at the fiege of Chefter: and it is faid, that the king wore a private mourning for his death. Of William's separate works, there are two bulky manuscript volumes in fcore, for various inftruments, in the Mufic School at Oxford. In one of them, I know not if with any of Henry's intermixed, are his original compofitions for Masks performed before the king and at the Inns of Court. In Xx a the To after age thou shalt be writ the man, That with fmooth air could'st humour best our tongue. Thou honour'st verse, and verse must lend her wing To honour thee, the priest of Phoebus quire, 10 That tun'st their happiest lines in hymn, or story. Dante fhall give fame leave to set thee higher Than his Cafella, whom he woo'd to fing Met in the milder fhades of purgatory. the fame fchool, is an original portrait of his brother Henry. In the houfe of Mr. Elderton, an attorney, at Salisbury, there is a portrait on board of Henry Lawes, marked with his name, and "ætat, fuæ "26, 1622." It is not ill painted: the face and ruff in tolerable prefervation, the drapery, a cloak, much injured. 4. II. Committing fhort and long.] COMMITTING is a Latinism. Or ftory.] "The ftory of Ariadne fet by him to music." This a note in the margin of this fonnet, as it ftands prefixed to "Choice Pfalms put into mufick by Henry and William Lawes, Lond. "for H. Mofeley 1648." The infcription is there, "To my friend "Mr. HENRY LAWES." In the ninth line, is the true reading lend, as in the manufcript, for "fend her wing," as in the edition 1673. 14. Than his Cafella, &c.] Dante, on his arrival in Purgatory fees a veffel approaching the fhore, freighted with fouls under the conduct of an angel, to be cleanfed from their fins and made fit for Paradife. When they are difembarked, the poet recognizes in the croud his old friend Cafella the musician. The interview is ftrikingly imagined, and in the course of an affectionate dialogue, the poet requests a foothing air; and Cafella fings, with the most ravifhing fweetnefs, Dante's fecond CANZONE. CONVIT. p. 116. vol. iv. P.i.Ven. 1758. 4to. It begins, Amor, che nella mente mi ragiona. See Dante's PURGATOR. C.ii.v.111. The Italian commentators on the paffage fay, that Cafella, Dante's friend, was a musician of diftinguished excellence. He muft have died a little before the year 1300. In the Vatican library is a Ballatella, or Madrigal, infcribed Lemmo da Piftoja, e Cafella diede il Suono. That is, Lemmo da Pistoja wrote the words, which were fet to mufic by Cafella. Num. 3214. f. 149. Crescimbeni XIV. On the religious memory of Mrs. CATHARINE THOMSON, my chriftian friend, deceafed 16 Decem. 1646. When faith and love, which parted from thee never, Had ripen'd thy juft foul to dwell with God, Meekly thou didst refign this earthly load Of death, call'd life; which us from life doth fever. Crefcimbeni mentions an antient manufcript Ballatella, with Dante's words and his friend Scochetti's mufic. Infcribed Parole di Dante, e Suono di Scochetti. IST. VOLG. POES. p. 409. From many parts of his writings, Dante appears to have been a judge and a lover of mufic. This is not the only circumftance in which Milton resembled Dante. By milder fhades, our author means, fhades comparatively much less horrible than those which Dante describes in the INFERNO. * Peck fuppofes, that Milton, from his acquaintance with this Mrs. Thomson and Thomas Ellwood, was a quaker. Milton was certainly of that profeffion, or general principle, in which all fectarists agree, a departure from establishment; and there was at least one common cause in which all concurred who deferted the church, whether quakers, anabaptifts, or Brownifts. In the PARADISE REGAINED, however, a poem fuppofed to have been written at the fuggeftion of Ellwood, there is a paffage which may feem to favour this notion. B. iv. 288. He who receives Light from above, from the fountain of light, No other doctrine needs, though granted true. And if ever a quaker indulges himself in the vanities of English poetry, the PARADISE REGAINED is his favourite claffic. Be this as it may, one is furprised to find that Milton fhould have been fo intimately connected with Ellwood. The early life of Ellwood exhibits the exact progress of an enthufiaft. Having been a profligate youth, and often whipped at fchool twice a day, he was fuddenly converted by accidentally hearing a quaker's fermon. He then had the felicity of following the fteps of faint Paul, in fuffering bonds and imprisonment. But these flight evils did not reach the fpiritual man. He found the horrours of a gaol to be green and flowery pastures, refreshed with the fountains of grace. He confoled himself, as Shakespeare fays, Thy works and alms and all thy good endevor 5 Stay'd 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 fo dreft, 11 fays, with a jnuff in a dungeon. The hiftory of his defultory life written by himself, and from which I collect these anecdotes, is filled with idle rambles and adventures, foolish fcraps of poetry both religious and fatirical, and fanatical opinions. The best and most curious part of the book is the defcription of Bridewell and Newgate, then the ufual receptacles of preaching apprentices, and frequently more full of faints than felons. He is a voluminous controverfialift. He wrote DAVIDEIS, a long English poem. In the Preface of which he declares, that he has avoided "lofty language, angels, fpirits, demons, "&c." p. xiii. edit. Lond. 1712. Thefe trappings were too pompous for the fimplicity of a quaker's poetry. Milton was fond of Ellwood's converfation. See his LIFE, p. 136. Lond. 1714. 8vo. 6. Stay'd not bebind, nor in the grave were trod.] "Nor in the grave "were trod," is a beautiful periphrafis for "good deeds forgotten, at "her death," and a happy improvement of the original line in the manufcript, Strait follow'd thee the path that faints have trod. 7. But as Faith pointed with her golden rod.] Perhaps from the golden reed in the Apocalypfe. Which he mentions in CH. GOVERNM. B. i. ch. i. "The golden furveying reed [of the Saints] marks out and "meafures every quarter and circuit of the New Jerufalem." PROSEWORKS, Vol. i. 41. See alfo p. 44. · 10. Clad them o'er with purple beams And azure wings, that up they flew fo dreft, &c.] This is like the thought of the perfonification and afcent of the Prayers of Adam and Eve, a fiction from Ariofto and Taffo, PARAD. L. B. xi. 14. - To heaven their prayers Flew up, nor mifs'd their way, by envious winds In |