Forget not 5 in thy book record their groans Who were thy fheep, and in their ancient fold Slain by the bloody Piemontese that roll'd Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans The vales redoubled to the hills, and they To Heav'n. Their matyr'd blood and ashes sow O'er all th' Italian fields, where still doth sway The triple Tyrant; that from these may grow A hundred fold, who having learn'd thy way Early may fly the Babylonian woe. 9 against the papal Antichrift and Purgatory, as old as 1120. See their History by Paul Perrin, Genev. 1619. Their poverty, and feclufion from the rest of the world for fo many ages, contributed in great measure to this fimplicity of worship. In his pamphlet, "The likelieft means to remove HIRELINGS "out of churches," againft endowing churches with tythes, our author frequently refers to the happy poverty and purity of the Waldenfes. And he quotes Peter Gilles, and " an antient Tractate inferted in the Bohemian hiftory." This pamphlet was written after our Sonnet, in 1659. See PROSE-WORKS, vol. i. 568. 574 Mother with infant down the rocks.- -] There is a print of this piece of cruelty in Moreland. He relates, that "a mother was hurled down a mighty rock, with a little infant in her arms; and three days after, was found dead with the little "childe alive, but faft clafped between the arms of the dead "mother which were cold and ftiffe, infomuch that those who "found them had much ado to get the young childe out." p. 363. See Heylin's CoSмOGR. Lib. i. p. 193. edit. 1680. 14.Babylonian woe.] Antichrift. W. The Pope, or ANTICHRIST, was called the Babylonifh Beaft of Rome. See Prynne's LAUD, p. 277. edit. 1646. He is called Antiftes Babylonius the Babylonith bifhop, IN QUINT. Nov. v. 156. XIX. On his BLINDNESS.* When I confider how my light is spent 5 Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, And that one talent which is death to hide, Lodg'd with me useless, though my foul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and prefent My true account, left he returning chide; "Doth God exact day-labour, light deny'd," I fondly afk: But Patience, to prevent That murmur, foon replies, " God doth not need "Either man's work, or his own gifts; who beft "Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best: his state "Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed, "And post o'er land and ocean without rest They also ferve who only ftand and wait." ; * Aubrey fays that Milton's father could read without spectacles at eighty-four: but that his mother used them foon after she was thirty. MS. Muf. ASH MOL. ut infr. 7. "Doth God exact day-labour, light deny'd ?"] Here is a pun on the doctrine in the gospel, that we are to work only while it is light, and in the night no man can work. There is an ambiguity between the natural light of the day, and the author's blindness. I have introduced the turned commas, both in the question and anfwer, not from any authority, but because they seem abfolutely neceffary to the fenfe. 9. From this ninth verse to the end of this Sonnet, is a speech of PATIENCE, here perfonified. Dr. J. WARTON. 10. Man's work, or his own gifts.-] grace." W. 12. Thousands at his bidding Speed, And poft o'er land and ocean without reft; "Free-will or They also ferve who only ftand and wait.] Compare Spenser, in the HYMNE OF HEAVENLY Love, ft. x. Of the angels. There XX. To Mr. LAWRENCE. Lawrence, of virtuous father virtuous fon, There they in their trinall triplicities It is the fame conception in PARAD. L. B. iv. 677. Unfeen, both when we wake, and when we fleep, &c, See alfo on the DEATH OF A FAIR INFANT, v. 59. To earth from thy prefixed feat didft rosr. We have POST in PARAD. L. B. iv. 171. -With a vengeance sent From Media POST to Egypt. 12. And poft, &c.] Sylvefter in Du BARTAS calls the angels quicke POSTES with ready expedition, &c." W. i. D. i. 1. Lawrence, of virtuous father virtuous fon, &c.] Of the vir tuous fon nothing has tranfpired. The virtuous father Henry Lawrence, was member for Herefordshire in the Little Parliament which began in 1653, and was active in fettling the protectorate of Cromwell. In confequence of his fervices, he was made Prefident of Cromwell's Council; where he appears to have figned many fevere and arbitrary decrees, not only against the royalifts, but the Brownifts, fifth-monarchy men, and other fectarists. He continued high in favour with Richard Cromwell. As innovation is progreffive, perhaps the fon, Milton's friend, was an independent and a still warmer republican. The family appears to have been feated not far from Milton's neighbourhood in Buckingham, fhire for Henry Lawrence's near relation, William Lawrence a writer, and appointed a Judge in Scotland by Cromwell, and in 1631 a gentleman commoner of Trinity college Oxford, died at Belfont near Staines in Middlesex, in 1682. Hence fays Milton, V. 2. Now that the fields are dank, and ways are mire, Milton, in his firft Reply to More written 1654, recites among the most respectable of his friends who contributed to form the : VOL. I. Y Y Common Where shall we fometimes meet, and by the fire Help waste a fullen day, what may be won From the hard feafon gaining? Time will run 5 On smoother, till Favonius re-inspire Commonwealth," Montacutium, LAURENTIUM, fummo ingenio "ambos, optimifque artibus expofitos, &c." PR. W. ii. 346. Where by Montacutium we are to understand Edward Montague, earl of Manchester; who, while lord Kimbolton, was one of the members of the Houfe of Commons impeached by the King, and afterwards a leader in the Rebellion. I believe they both deserved this panegyric. 3. And by the fire Help waste a fullen day, &c.] He has fentiments of much the fame caft in the EPITAPH. DAMON, V. 45. -Quis me lenire docebit Mordaces curas, quis longam fallere noctem See also Drayton's ODES, vol. iv. 1343. 6. -Till Favonius re-infpire, &c.] Favonius had before been rendered familiar in English poetry for Zephyr, by the following beautiful paffage in Jonfon's MASQUES, vol. vi. 24. As if Favonius, father of the Spring, Who in the verdant meads doth reign fole king, To force out all the flowers that may be found, &c. So many lights and fhadows, nor the rain- But the whole is from Claudian's Zephyr, Rapt. PROSERP. L. ii. 73. Compellat Zephyrum. Pater o gratiffime Veris, Qui mea lafcivo regnas per prata volatu, &c. Incipiens The frozen earth, and clothe in fresh attire The lilly' and rofe, that neither fow'd nor fpun. What neat repast fhall feast us, light and choice, Of Attic tafte, with wine, whence we may rife To hear the lute well touch'd, or artful voiceWarble immortal notes and Tuscan air? He who of thofe delights can judge, and spare To interpose them oft, is not unwife. XXI. To CYRIAC SKINNER.* Cyriac, whofe grandfire on the royal bench Incipiens redimitur hyems, cum tramite flexo Compare Beaumont's BOSWORTH-FIELD, edit. 1629. p. iz. Again, Poems, ibid. p. 131. And like FAVONIUS gives a gentle blast. 13. The close of this Sonnet is perfectly in the ftyle of Horace and the Grecian lyrics. As is that of the following to Cyriac Skinner. * Cyriac Skinner was one of the principal members of Harrington's political club. Wood fays, that he was an ingenious young gentleman, and fcholar to John Milton, which Skinner "fometimes held the chair." ATH. OxON. ii. 591. I find one Cyriac Skinner, I know not if the fame, a member of Trinity college Oxford in 1640. In 1659-60, Milton published "A Ready and eafy way to establish a free Commonwealth, &c." This was foon afterwards attacked in a burlefque pamphlet, pretended to be written by Harrington's club, under the title of " The " cenfure of the ROTA upon Mr. Milton's Book entitled The Ready " and easy way, &c. Lond. Printed by Paul GIDDY printer to "the ROTA, at the figne of the WINDMILL in Turne againe "Lane, 1660." But Harrington's club, which encouraged all proposals for new models of government, was very unlikely to have made fuch an attack; and Milton's very familiar intimacy with Skinner, to whom he addreffes two Sonnets, full of confidence and affection, Y y z |