Purification in the Old Law did save, And such, as yet once more I trust to have Her face was veiled, yet to my fancied sight So clear, as in no face with more delight. I waked, she fled, and day brought back my night. Various readings of the SONNETS, from Milton's MS. IX. 7. And at thy blooming vertue fret their spleen. 13. Opens the dore of blisse that hour of night. XI. 1. I writt a book of late called Tetrachordon, XII. 10 4. Of owls and buzzards. 10. And hate the truth, whereby they should be free. XIII. 3. Meekly thou didst resign this earthly clod Of flesh and sin which man from heaven doth sever. 6. Strait follow'd thee the path that saints have trod, Still as they journey'd from this dark abode Up to the realm of peace and joy for ever Faith shew'd the way, and she who saw them best Thy handmaids, etc. 12. And spoke the truth. XVI. 3. Words with just notes, which till us'd [when most were wont] to scan With Midas' ears, misjoining short and long. 6. And gives thee praise above the pipe of Pan, were washed, or wore white at their purification after childbed: see Lev. xii. Perhaps however Milton does not make the latter assertion. 12. in no face, i.e. in no other face. To after-age thou shalt be writ a man, Thou didst reform thy art the chief among. 12. Fame by the Tuscan's leav shall set thee higher 2. the vacant whore Plurality. 5. To force the consciences, etc. 12. By haire-brain'd Edwards. XVII. 17. Crop ye as close as marginal P—'s ears. Sonnets xviii., xix., xx., xxiii. were not printed by Milton himself, for obvious reasons. They first appeared in 1694, at the end of Phillips's Life of Milton, whose text was followed till Newton gave the present one from the Cambridge MS. The variations are as follows.* 2. And fills each mouth, etc. XVIII. 5. Thy firm unshaken valour ever brings Victory home, while new rebellions raise. 8. Her broken league to imp her serpent-wings. 10. For what can war but acts of war still breed Till injured truth from violence be freed, And publick faith be rescued from the brand. 1. that through a crowd XIX. Not of war only but distractions rude. 5, 6. And fought God's battles and his works pursued. 7. While Darwent stream, etc. 9. And twenty battles more (first reading of MS.). 11. No less than those of war. XX. 1. Vane, young in years, but in sage councils old. 7. Then to advise how war may be best upheld, Mann'd by her two main nerves, etc. 10. This line wanting. 11. What serves each thou hast learn'd, etc. XXIII. 3. Bereft of sight their seeing have forgot * Warton, who is as usual followed by Todd, in his notes on the first of these four Sonnets, says that "it, the two following, and the two to Cyriac Skinner, were not inserted in the edition of 1673." Now one of those to Skinner is in that edition. In our Life of Milton (p. 313) we were here, as elsewhere, led into misstatement by the authority of these critics. Nor to their idle orbs doth day appear, Or sun or moon, etc. 7. bate one jot. 12. Whereof all Europe rings from side to side. This thought might lead me through this world's vain mask In v. 12 the MS. has talks for rings. TRANSLATIONS. 1. IN OF REFORMATION IN ENGLAND,' ETC. AH, Constantine, of how much ill was cause, Not thy conversion, but those rich domains. That the first wealthy Pope received of thee! 2. IN THE SAME. Founded in chaste and humble poverty, 'Gainst them that raised thee dost thou lift thy horn, 1. 2. 3. 3. IN THE SAME. Then passed he to a flowery mountain green, "Ahi, Costantin, di quanto mal fu madre Non la tua conversion, ma quella dote Che da te prese il primo ricco padre!" Dante, Inf. xix. 115. "Fondata in casta ed umil povertate, Contra tuoi fondatori alzi le corna, Putta sfacciata; e dov' hai posto spene? Negli adulteri tuoi? nelle mal nate Ricchezze tante? Or Costantin non torna; Ma tolga il mondo tristo, che 'l sostene." Petrarca, Son. 107. "Di varii fiori ad un gran monte passa, Ch' ebbe già buono odore, or putia forte. 4. 5. This was the gift, if you the truth will have, 4. IN APOLOGY FOR SMECTYMNUUS.' Laughing to teach the truth What hinders? As some teachers give to boys 5. IN THE SAME. Joking decides great things, 6. IN THE SAME. 'Tis you that say it, not I. You do the deeds, And your ungodly deeds find me the words. 7. IN TETRACHORDON.' Whom do we count a good man?-Whom but he Questo era il dono-se però dir lece- Ariosto, Orl. Fur. xxxiv. 80. Quamquam ridentem dicere verum Quid vetat? ut pueris olim dant crustula blandi Doctores, elementa velint ut discere prima." Hor. Sat. i. 1, 24. "Ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat res." Hor. Sat. i. 10, 14. Whose witness and opinion wins the cause? 8. IN AREOPAGITICA.' This is true liberty, when freeborn men 9. IN TENURE OF KINGS.' There can be slain No sacrifice to God more acceptable, 10. IN HISTORY OF ENGLAND.' Brutus thus addresses Diana in the country of Leogecia. Goddess of shades, and huntress, who at will Quo res sponsore, et quo causæ teste, tenentur. Introrsus turpem, speciosum pelle decora." Hor. Ep. i. 16, 40. Χρηστόν τι βούλευμ ̓ ἐς μέσον φέρειν ἔχων ; Καὶ ταῦθ ̓ ὁ χρήζων λαμπρός ἐσθ', ὁ μὴ θέλων Σιγᾷ. Τί τούτων ἔστ ̓ ἰσαίτερον πόλει; Eur. Sup. v. 438. "Victima haud ulla amplior Potest, magisque opima mactari Jovi, Quam rex iniquus." Sen. Her. Fur. v. 922. "Diva potens nemorum, terror silvestribus apris, Infernasque domos, terrestria jura resolve, Geoffrey of Monmouth, lib. i. fol. vi. |