And spake the truth of thee on glorious themes Before the Judge, who thenceforth bid thee reft And drink thy fill of pure immortal streams. XV. To the Lord General FAIRFAX *. Fairfax, whofe name in arms through Europe rings, Filling each mouth with envy or with praise, In the REVELATIONS, an angel offers incense with the prayers of the faints upon the golden altar. Ch. viii. 4. See alfo Spenfer, F. Q. i. x. 51. Of Mercy. Thou doeft the praiers of the righteous feed Prefent before the maiestie divine. 14. And drink thy fill of pure immortal ftreams.] So in the EPITAPH. DAMON. V. 206. Æthereos haurit latices, et gaudia potat Ore facro. The allufion is to the waters of life, and more particularly to Ps. xxxvi. 8, 9. "Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy plea"fures, for with thee is the well of life." On this fcriptural idea, which is enlarged with the decorations of Italian fancy, Milton feems to have founded his feaft of the angels, PARAD. L. B. v. 632. Where they "quaff immortality and Joy, &c." For obvious political reasons this Sonnet, the two following, and the twenty fecond, were not inferted in the edition 1673. They were first printed at the end of Philips's Life of Milton prefixed to the English verfion of his public Letters, 1694. They are quoted by Toland in his Life of Milton, 1698. Tonfon omitted them in his editions of 1695, 1705. But, growing lefs offenfive by time, they appear in his edition of 1713. The Cambridge manufcript happily corrects many of their vitiated readings. They were the favourites of the republicans long after the restoration: it was fome confolation to an exterminated party, to have fuch good poetry remaining on their fide of the queftion. These four Sonnets, being frequently tranfcribed, or repeated from memory, became extremely incorrect: their faults were implicitly preferved by Tonson, and afterwards continued without examination by Tickell and Fenton. And And all her jealous monarchs with amaze And rumours loud, that daunt remotest kings, Thy firm unshaken virtue ever brings 5 Victory home, though new rebellions raise Daunt remoteft kings.] Who dreaded the example of England, that their monarchies would be turned into republics. Milton, under the EMMET, has admirably described the fort of men of which a republic was to confift, PARAD. L. B. vii. 484. First crept The PARSIMONIOUS EMMET, provident Pattern of just equality, perhaps Hereafter, joined in her popular tribes 7. Their Hydra heads, and the falfe north displays Her broken league to imp their ferpent-wings.] Euripides, Milton's favourite, is the only writer of antiquity that has given wings to the montter Hydra, ION, v. 198. “ ΠΤΑΝΟΝ πυρίφλεκτον.” The word ПTANON is controverted. But here perhaps is Milton's authority for the common reading. 8. To imp their ferpent-wings.] In falconry, to imp a feather in a hawk's wing, is to add a new piece to a mutilated ftump. From the Saxon impan, to ingraft. So Spenfer, of a headless trunk, F. Q. iv. ix. 4. And having YMPT the head to it agayne. To IMP wings is not uncommon in our old poetry. Spenser, HYMNE Thence gathering plumes of perfect speculation, Fletcher, PURPL. ISL. C. i. 24. IMPING their flaggie wings With thy ftolne plumes. Shakespeare, RICH. ii. A. ii. S. i. IMP out our drooping country's broken wing. Where Mr. Steevens produces other inftances. It occurs alfo in poets much later than Milton. O yet (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 valour bleed, While avarice and rapin share the land. XVI. To the Lord General CROMWELL *. Cromwell, our chief of men, who through a cloud haft plough'd, 5. Haft rear'd God's trophies, and his work pursued, While Darwen ftream with blood of Scots imbrued, *The prostitution of Milton's Mufe to the celebration of Cromwell, was as inconfiftent and unworthy, as that this enemy to kings, to antient magnificence, and to all that is venerable and majestic, should have been buried in the Chapel of Henry the Seventh. But there is great dignity both of sentiment and expreffion in this Sonnet. Unfortunately, the close is an anticlimax to both. After a long flow of perfpicuous and nervous language, the unexpected paufe at "Worcefter's laureat wreath," is very emphatical, and has a striking effect. 5. And on the neck of crowned fortune proud Haft rear'd God's trophies, and his work purfued.] Thefe admirable verses, not only to the mutilation of the integrity of the ftanza, but to the injury of Milton's genius, were reduced to the following meagre contraction, in the printed copies of Philips, Toland, Tonfon, Tickell, and Fenton. And fought God's battles, and his works pursued. And And Dunbar field refounds thy praises loud, And Worcester's laureat wreath. Yet much remains To conquer still; peace hath her victories 10 No lefs renow'd than war: new foes arife Threatening to bind our fouls with fecular chains: Help us to fave free confcience from the paw Of hireling wolves, whofe gospel is their maw. 9. And Worcester's laureat wreath.-] This hemistic originally stood, And twenty battles more. Such are often our first thoughts in a fine paffage. 14. Of hireling wolves, whose gospel is their maw.] Hence it appears that this Sonnet was written about May, 1652. By bireling wolves, he means the presbyterian clergy, who poffeffed the revenues of the parochial benefices on the old conftitution, and whose conformity he fuppofes to be founded altogether on motives of emolument. See Note on LYCIDAS, V. 114. There was now no end of innovation and reformation. In 1649, it was propofed in parliament to abolish Tythes, as Jewish and antichriftian, and as they were authorised only by the ceremonial law of Mofes, which was abrogated by the gofpel. But as the propofal tended to endanger layimpropriations, the notion of their DIVINE RIGHT was allowed to have fome weight, and the bufinefs was poftponed. This was an argument in which Selden had abused his great learning. Milton's party were of opinion, that as every parifh fhould elect, fo it fhould refpectively fuftain, its own minifter by public contribution. Others proposed to throw the tythes of the whole kingdom into one common ftock, and to diftribute them according to the fize of the parishes. Some of the Independents urged, that Chrift's minifters should have no fettled property at all, but be like the apostles who were fent out to preach without staff or ferip, without common neceffaries; to whom Chrift faid, Lacked ye any thing? A fucceffion of miracles was therefore to be worked, to prevent the faints from ftarving. See Baxter's LIFE, p. 115. Kennet's CASE OF IMPROPRIATIONS, p. 268. Walker's SUFFERINGS, p. 36. Thurloe's STATE PAP. vol. ii. 687. Milton's praife of Cromwell may be thought inconfiftent with that zeal which he profeffed for liberty: for Cromwell's affumption of the Protectorate, even if we allow the lawfulness of the Rebellion, was palpably a violent ufurpation of power over the rights of the nation, and was reprobated even by the republican party. Milton, however, in various XVII. To Sir HENRY VANE the younger. Vane, young in years, but in fage counsel old, various parts of the DEFENSIO SECUNDA, gives excellent admonitions to Cromwell, and with great fpirit, freedom, and eloquence, not to abufe his new authority. Yet not without an intermixture of the groffeft adulation. I am of opinion, that he is writing a panegyric to the memory of Cromwell and his deliverance, instead of reflecting on the recent bleffings of the restoration, in a chorus in SAMSON AGONISTES, v. 1268. Oh how comely it is, and how reviving, To the fpirits of JUST men LONG OPPRESS'D: To quell the MIGHTY of the earth, th' OPPRESSOR, TYRANNICK power, but raging to pursue The RIGHTEOUS, and all fuch as honour TRUTH; And feats of war defeats, With PLAIN HEROIC MAGNITUDE OF MIND And celeftial vigour arm'd, Their armories and magazines contemns, &c. 1. Vane, young in years, but in fage counsel old, &c.] Sir Henry Vane the younger was the chief of the independents, and therefore Milton's friend. He was the contriver of the Solemn League and Cove. nant. He was an eccentric character, in an age of eccentric characters. In religion the most fantastic of all enthusiasts, and a weak writer, he was a judicious and fagacious politician. The warmth of his zeal never misled his public measures. He was a knight-errant in every thing but affairs of ftate. The fagacious bishop Burnet in vain attempted to penetrate the darkness of his creed. He held, that the devils and the damned would be faved. He believed himself the perfon delegated by God, to reign over the faints upon earth for a thoufand years. His principles founded a fect called the VANISTS. On the whole, no fingle man ever exhibited such a medley of fanaticism and diffimulation, folid abilities and vifionary delufions, good sense and madness. In the pamphlets of that age he is called fir Humorous Vanity. He was beheaded in 1662. On the Scaffold, he compared |