Added to her noble birth,

SONG More than she could own from earth.

ON Summers three times eight save one

, MAY MORNING. She had told ; alas ! too soon, After so short time of breath,

Now the bright Morning-star, Day's harbinger, To house with darkness, and with death.

Comes dancing from the east, and leads with Yet had the number of her days

her Been as complete as was her praise,

The flowery May, who from her green lap throws Nature and Fate had had no strife

The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose, In giving limit to her life.

Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire Her high birth, and her graces sweet,

Mirth, and youth, and warm desire; Quickly found a lover meet;

Woods and groves are of thy dressing, The virgin quire for her request

Hill, and dale, doth boast thy blessing, The god that sits at marriage feast ;

Thus we salute thee with our early song,
He at their invoking came,

And welcome thee, and wish thee long.
But with a scarce well-lighted flame;
And in his garland, as he stood,

ORIGINAL VARIOUS READINGS OF THE ODE AT A Ye might discern a cypress bud.

SOLEMN Music.
Once had the early matrons run
To greet her of a lovely son,

There are three draughts or copies of this song : And now with second hope she goes,

all in Milton's own hand-writing. There occur And calls Lucina to her tbroes;

some remarkable expressions in these various But, whether by mischance or blame,

readings which Doctor Newton and Mr. Warton Atropos for Lucina came;

have not noticed. And with remorseless cruelty

Ver. 3. Mire your choice words, and happiest Spoild at one both fruit and tree :

sounds employ, The hapless babe, before his birth,

Dead things with inbreath'd sense Had burial, yet not laid in earth;

able to pierce ; And the languish'd mother's womb

And as your equal raptures, temper'd Was not long a living tomb.

sweet, So have I seen some tender slip,

In high mysterious spousall meet; Sav'd with care from Winter's nip,

Snatch us from Earth awhile, The pride of her carnation train,

Us of ourselves and rative woes beguile : Pluck'd up by some unheedy swain,

And to our high-rays'd phantasie pre, Who only thought to crop the flower

sent New shot up from vernal shower ;

That yndisturbed song, &c. But the fair blossom hangs the head

Here, in the first draught, it is" And whilst your Side-ways, as on a dying bed,

equal raptures;" in the second, whilst is erased. And those pearls of dew, she wears,

and as written over it. In the second draugbt Prove to be presaging tears,

also, the next line was Which the sad Morn had let fall

In high mysterious holie spousall meet; On her hastening funeral.

but holie is expunged, and happie supplied in the Gentle lady, may thy grave

margin; and, in the last of these original lines, Peace and quiet ever have;

“ native woes' was originally “home-bred After this thy travel sore

woes.” Sweet rest seize thee evermore,

Ver. 10. Where the bright Seraphim in tripled That, to give the world increase,

row, Shorten'd hast thy own life's lease.

Ver. 12. And Cherubim, sweet-winged squires, Here, beside the sorrowing

Then called Heaven's henshmen, which means That thy noble house doth bring,

the same; henshman, or henchman, signifying a Here be tears of perfect moan

page of honour. See Minsheu, and also Mids. Wept for thee in Helicon ;

N. Dr. A. i. S. i. And some flowers, and some bays,

"I do but beg a little changeling boy For thy herse, to strew the ways,

To be my henchman." Sent thee from the banks of Came,

The Queen of Fairies is the speaker. Milton's Devoted to thy virtuous name :

curious expressions are in the first draught. Whilst thou, bright saint, high sitst in glory, Ver. 14. With those just spirits that wear the Next her, much like to thee in story,

blooming palms, That fair Syrian shepherdess,

Hymns devout and sacred psalmes Who, after years of barrenness,

Singing everlastingly; The highly favour'd Joseph bore

While all the starry rounds and arches To him that serv'd for her before,

blue And at her next birth, much like thee,

Resound and echo hallelu: . Through pangs fled to felicity,

That we on Earth, &c. Far within the bosom bright

Ver. 18. May rightly answere that melodious Of blazing Majesty and Light :

noise, There with thee, new welcome saint,

By leaving out those harsh ill sounding Like fortunes may her soul acquaint,

jarres With thee there clad in radiant sheen,

of clamorous sin that all our music No marchioness, but now a queen.

lips,

· And in our lives and in our song And misty regions of wide air next ander,

May keepe in tune with Heaven, &c. And hills of snow, and lofts of piled thunder, In the second draught he describes the May tell at length how green-ey'd Neptune harsh discords” of sin by a technical term in

raves, music :

In Heaven's defiance mustering all his waves; By leaving out these harsh chromATIC | Then sing of secret things that came to pass jarres

When beldam Nature in her cradle was; Of sin that all our music marres : And last of kings, and queens, and heroes old, Ver. 19. As once we could, &c.

Such as the wise Demodocus once told Ver, 28. To live and sing with him in endlesse | In solemn songs at king Alcinous' feast, morne of light,

While sad Ulysses' soal, and all the rest,
Are held, with his melodious harmony,

In willing chains and sweet captivity,
MISCELLANIES.

But fie, my wandering Muse, how thou dost stray!
Expectance calls thee now another way;

Thou know'st it must be now thy only bent
ANNO ÆTATIS XIX.

To keep in compass of thy predicament :
Then quick about thy purpos'd business come,

That to the next I may resign my room,
AT A VACATION EXERCISE IN THE COLLEGE, part

Latin, part English, The Latin speeches ended, the English thus began."

Then Ens is represented as father of the Predica.

ments his two sons, whereof the eldest stood for Hall, native Language, that by sinews weak Substance with his canons, which Ens, thus speakDidst move my first endeavouring tongue to

ing, explains. speak,

Good luck befriend thee, son; for, at thy birth, And mad'st imperfect words with childish trips, The faery ladies danc'd upon the hearth; Half unpronounc'd, slide through my infant Thy drowsy nurse hath sworn she did them spie Driving dumb Silence from the portal door,

Come tripping to the room where thou didst lie,

And, sweetly singing round about thy bed, Where he had mutely sat two years before ;

Strew all their blessings on thy sleeping head. Here I salute thee, and thy pardon ask,

She heard them give thee this, that thou shouldst That now I use thee in my latter task :

still Small loss it is that thence can come unto thee, From eyes of mortals walk invisible : I know my tongue but little grace can do thee :

Yet there is something that doth force my fear; Thou need'st not be ambitious to be first,

For once it was my dismal hap to hear Believe me I have thither pack'd the worst :

A Sibyl old, bow-bent with crooked age, And, if it happen as I did forecast,

That far events full wisely could presage, The daintiest dishes shall be serv'd up last.

And in Time's long and dark prospective glass, I pray thee then deny me not thy aid .

Foresaw what future days should bring to pass; For this same small neglect that I have made :

“Your son,” said she,“ nor can you it prevent) But haste thee straight to do me once a pleasure,

Shall subject be to many an Accident. And from thy wardrobe bring thy chiefest trea O'er all his brethren he shall reign as king, sure,

Yet every one shall make him underling; Not those new-fangled toys, and trimming slight

And those, that cannot live from him asunder, Which takes our late fantastics with delight;

Ungratefully shall strive to keep him under; But call those richest robes, and gay'st attire,

In worth and excellence be shall out-go them, Which deepest spirits and choicest wits desire:

Yet, being above them, he shall be below I have some naked thoughts that rove about,

. them; And loudly knock to have their passage out; . From others he shall stand in need of nothing, And, weary of their place, do only stay,

Yet on his brothers shall depend for clothing. Till thou hast deck'd them in thy best array ; To find a foe it shall not be his hap, That so they may, without suspect or fears, And Peace shall lull him in her flowery lap; Fly swiftly to this fair assembly's ears;

Yet shall he live in strife, and at his door Yet I had rather, if I were to chuse,

Devouring War shall never cease to roar; Thy service in some graver subject use,

Yea, it shall be his natural property Such as may make thee search thy coffers round, I To harbour those that are at enmity. Before thou clothe my fancy in fit sound:

What power, what force, what mighty spell, if Such, where the deep transported mind may

Your learned hands, can loose this Gordian soar

knot?” Above the wheeling poles, and at Heaven's door Look in, and see each blissful deity

The next Quantity and Quality spake in prose ; How he before the thunderous throne doth lie,

then Relation was called by kis naine, Listening to what uushorn Apollo sings To the touch of golden wires, while Hebe brings

Rivers, arise ; whether thou be the son Immortal nectar to her kingly sire:

Of utmost Tweed, or Oose, or gulphy Den, Then passing through the spheres of watchful fire, Or Trent, who like some Earth-born giant,

spreads Written 1627. It is hard to say why they did His thirty arms along the indented meads; not first appear in edition 1645. They were first Or sullen Mole, that runneth underneath; added, but misplaced in edit, 1673. WARTON, 1 Or Severn swift, guilty of maiden's death;

(not

ON THE

Or rocky Avon, or of sedgy Lee,

So hung his destiny, never to rot
Or coaly Tine, or ancient hallow'd Dee; While he might still jog on and keep his trot,
Or Humber loud, that keeps the Scythian's

name; Made of sphere-metal, never to decay
Or Medway smooth, or royal-tower'd Thame? Until his revolution was at stay.
[The rest was prose ]

Time numbers motion, yet (without a crime
'Gainst old truth) motion number'd out his time:

And, like an engine, mov'd with wheel and weight
AN EPITAPH

His principles being ceas'd, he ended straight.

Rest, that gives all men life, gave him his death,
ON THE ADMIRABLE DRAMATIC POET W.SHAKSPEARE.' And too much breathing put him out of breath;
Weat needs my Shakspeare, for his honour'd Too long vacation hasten'd on his term.

Nor were it contradiction to affirm,
The labour of an age in piled stones? [bones, Merely to drive the time away he sicken'd,
Or that his hallow'd reliques should be hid

Fainted, and died, nor would with ale be quick-
Under a star-ypointing pyramid?

end;

(stretch'd, Dear son of memory, great heir of fame, What need’st thou such weak witness of thy name?" If I mayn't carry, sure I'll ne'er be fetch'd,

“Nay,” quoth he, on his swooning bed outThou, in our wonder and astonishment, Hast built thyself a live-long monument.

But vow, though the cross doctors all stood hear

ers, For whilst, to the shame of slow-endeavouring art, For one carrier put down to make six bearers.” Thy easy numbers flow; and that each heart

Ease was his chief disease ; and, to judge right, Hath, from the leaves of thy unvalued book,

He died for heaviness that his cart went light :
Those Delphic lines with deep impression took ; His leisure told him that his time was come,
Then thou our fancy of itself bereaving,

And lack of load made his life burdensome,
Dost make us marble with too much conceiving; That even to his last breath, (there be that say't)
And, so sepulcher'd, in such pomp dost lie,

As he were press'd to death, he cried, “More
That kings, for such a tomb, would wish to die.

weight ;"
But, had his doings lasted as they were,

He had been an immortal carrier.
UNIVERSITY CARRIER,

Obedient to the Moon he spent his date

In course reciprocal, and had his fate
Who sickened in the time of his vacancy, being Link'd to the mutual flowing of the seas,
forbid to go to London, by reason of the plague, Yet (strange to think) his wain was his increase :
Here lies old Hobson ; Death hath broke his girt,

His letters are deliver'd all and gone,
And here, alas ! hath laid him in the dirt;

Only remains this superscription,
Or else the ways being foul, twenty to one,
He's here stuck in a slough, and overthrown.

ON THE NEW
'Twas such a shifter, that, if truth were known,
Death was half glad when he had got him down; FORCERS OF CONSCIENCE
For he had, any time this ten years full,
Dodg'd with him betwixt Cambridge and The

UNDER The Long Parliament.
Bull.

Because you have thrown off your prelate Lord.
And surely Deatb could never have prevail'd, And with stiff vows renounc'd his Liturgy,
Had not his weekly course of carriage fail'd; To seise the widow'd whore Plurality
But lately finding him so long at home,

From them whose sin ye envied, not abhorr'ds
And thinking now his journey's end was come, Dare ye for this adjure the civil sword
And that he had ta'en vp his latest inn,

To force our consciences that Christ set free,
In the kind office of a chamberlin

And ride us with a classic hierarchy Show'd him his room where he must lodge that Taught ye by mere A. S. and Rotherford ? night,

Men, whose life, learning, faith, and pure Pulld off his boots, and took away the light:

intent, If any ask for him, it shall be sed,

Would have been held in high esteem with " Hobson has supt, and's newly gone to bed.”

Paul,
Must now be nam'd and printed heretics

By shallow Edwards and Scotch what d'ye call :
ANOTHER ON THE SAME,'

But we do hope to find out all your tricks,
Here lieth one, who did most truly prove

Your plots and packing worse than those of

Trent, That he could never die while he could more ;

That so the Parliament * Birch, and from him doctor Newton, asserts, that this copy of verses was written in the twenty- shops-gate-street, where his figure in fresco, with second year of Milton's age, and printed with the an inscription, was lately to be seen. Peck, at Poems of Shakspeare at London in 1640. It first the end of his Memoirs of Cromwell, has printed appeared among other recommendatory verses, Hobson's will, which is dated at the close of the prefixed to the folio edition of Shakspeare's year 1630. He died Jan. 1, 1630, while the plays in 1632. But without Milton's name or plague was in London. This piece was written initials. This therefore is the first of Milton's that year. The proverb, to which Hobson's caprice, pieces that was published.

founded perhaps on good sense, gave rise, needs * Hobson's inn at London was the Bull in Bi- not to be repeated. VOL. VII.

cares.

May, with their wholesome and preventive shears, And kings be born of thee, whose dreadful Clip your phylacteries, though bauk your ears,

might
And succour our just fears, Shall awe the world, and conquer nations bold."
When they shall read this clearly in your charge,
New presbyter is but old priest writ large.

From DANTE.
Ah Constantine, of how much ill was cause,

Not thy conversion, but those rich domains ORIGINAL VARIOUS READINGS ON THE FORCERS

That the first wealthy pope receiv'd of thee.
OF CONSCIENCE.

From DANTE.
Ver. 2. the vacant whore Plurality. Founded in chaste and humble poverty,
Ver. 6. To force the consciences &c.

'Gainst them that rais'd thee dost thou lift thy Ver. 12. By haire-brain'd Edwards.

horn, Shallow is in the margin ; and the pen is drawn Iuapudent whore, where hast thou plac'd thy hope? through haire-brain'd.

In thy adulterers, or thy ill-got wealth? Ver. 17. Crop ye as close as marginal P-W's Another Constantine comes not in haster.

From ARIOŠTO.

Then pass'd he to a flowery mountain green, TRANSLATIONS.

Which once smelt sweet, now stinks as odiously:

This was the gift, if you the truth will have, THE FIFTH ODE OF HORACE,

That Constantine to good Sylvester gavet,
LIB. I.

From HORACE.
What slender youth, bedew'd with liquid Whom do we count a good man? Whom but he

odours, Courts thee on roses in some pleasant cave,

Who keeps the laws and statutes of the senate, Pyrrha ? For whom bind'st thou,

Who judges in great suits and controrersies, In wreaths thy golden hair,

Whose witness and opinion wins the cause?

But his own house, and the whole neighbour Plain in thy neatness ? O, how oft shall he

hood, On faith and changed gods complain, and seas "Rough with black winds, and storms

Sees his foul inside through his whited skin!
Upwonted shall admire!
Who now enjoys thee credulous, all gold,

From EURIPIDES.
Who always vacant, always amiable
Hopes thee, of flattering gales

This is true liberty, when freeborn men,
Unmindful. Hapless they,

Having to advise the public, may speak free; To whom thou-untried seem'st fair! Me, in my Which he who can, and will, deserves high vow'd

praise : Picture, the sacred wall declares to have hung Who neither can, nor will, may hold his peace; My dank and dropping weeds

What can be a juster in a state than this To the stern god of sea.

From HORACET. From GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH.

Laughing, to teach the truth? Brutus thus addresses Diana in the country of What hinders ? As some teachers gire to boys LEOGECIA.

Junkets and kpacks, that they may leam apace. Goddess of shades, and huntress, who at will Walk'st on the rowling spheres, and through the

From Milton's Hist. Engl. Pr. W. vol. i. deep;

p. 7. edit. 1698. These fragments of translaOn thy third reign, the Earth, look now, and tell tion were collected from Milton's Prose-Works. What land, what seat of rest, thou bidst me seek,

* From Of Reformation in England. Pr. W. What certain seat, where I may worship thee

vol. i. p. 10. For aye, with temples vow'd and virgin quires.

3 From Of Reformation, &c. Pr. W. vol. j. To whom, sleeping before the altar, DIANA answers

4 From Of Reformation, &c. Pr. W. vol. i. in a vision the same night.

From Tetrachordon, Pr. W. vol. i 59. Brutus, far to the west, in the ocean wide,

6 Milton's Motto to his Areopagucas, A Beyond the realm of Gaul, a land there lies, speech for the liberty of unlincensed Printing, Sea-girt it lies, where giants dwelt of old ;

&c. Prose W. vol. i. 141. Now void, it fits thy people : thither bend

Sat. i. i. 24. Thy course ; there shalt thou find a lasting seat; • From Apol. Smectymn, Pr. W. fol. i. 116 There to thy sons another Troy shall rise,

P. 10.

p. 10.

From AORACES.

As thy possession I on thee bestow (sway'd,

The Heathen ; and, as thy conquest to be Joking decides great things,

Earth's utmost bounds: them shalt thou bring

full low Stronger and better oft than earnest canto.

With iron sceptre bruis'd, and them disperse

Like tò a potier's vessel shiver'd so.
From SOPHOCLES".

And now be wise at length, ye kings averse,

Be taught, ye judges of the Earth ; with fear "Tis you that say it, not I. You do the deeds,

Jehovah serve, and let your joy converse And your ungodly deeds find me the words'.

With trembling; kiss the Son lest he appear

In anger, and ye perish in the way,
From SENECA".

Ifonce his wrath'take fire, like fuel sere.

Happy all those who have in him their stay,
There can be slain
No sacrifice to God more acceptable,
Than an unjust and wicked king'4.

PSALM III. Aug. 9, 1653.
PSALM I.

When he fled from Absalom

LORD, how many are my fues !
Done into verse, 1653.

How many those,

That in arms against me rise;
Bless'd is the man who hath not walk'd astray Many are they,
In counsel of the wicked, and i' the way

That of my life distrustfully thus says
Of sinners hath not stood, and in the seat No help for him in Gnd there lies.
Of scorners hath not sat. But in the great But thou, Lord, art my shield, my glory,
Jehovah's law is ever his delight,

Thee through my story, . And in his law he studies day and night,

The exalter of my head I count ;
He shall be as a tree which planted grows

Aloud I cried
By watery-streams, and in his season knows Unto Jehovah, he full soon replied,
To yield his fruit, and his leaf shall not fall, And heard me from his holy mount.
And what he takes in hand shall prosper all. I lay and slept; I wak'd again ;
Not so the wicked, but as chaff which fann'd

For my sustain
The wind drives, so the wicked shall not stand Was the Lord. Of many millions
In judgment, or abide their trial then,

The populous rout
Nor sinners in the assembly of just men.

I fear not, though, encamping round about, For the Lord knows the upright way of the just, They pitch against me their pavilions. And the way of bad men to ruin must.

Rise, Lord; save me, my God; for thou

Hast smote ere now
PSALM II.

On the cheek-bone all my foes,
Of men abhorr'd

[Lord; Done Aug 8, 1653. Terzetti.

Hast broke the teeth. This help was from the

Thy blessing on thy people flows.
Why do the Gentiles tumult, and the nations
Muse a rain thing, the kings of the Earth up PSALM IV. Aug. 10, 1653.

stand
With power, and princes in their congregations ANSWER me when I call,
Lay deep their plots together through each land God of my righteousness;

Against the Lord and his Messiah dear? In straits and in distress,

Let us break off, say they, by strength of hand Thou didst me disenthrall Their bonds, and cast from us, no more to wear, And set at large; now spare, Their twisted cords : He, who in Hearen doth Now pity me, and hear my earnest prayer. dwell,

Great ones, how long will ye Shall laugh; the Lord shall scoff them; then My glory have in scorn? severe,

How long be thus forborn Speak to them in his wrath, and in his fell Still to love vanity?

And fierce ire trouble them; but I, saith he, To love, to seek, to prize,

Anointed have my King (though ye rebel) Thing false and vain, and notbing else but On Sion my holy hill. A firm decree

Yet know the Lord hath chose,

[lies, I will declare: the Lord to me hath said, Chose to himself apart,

Thou art my Son, I have begotten thee The good and meek of heart; This day; ask of me, and the grant is made ; (For whom to choose he knows)

Jehovah from on high , Sat. i. x. 14.

Will hear my voice, what time to him I cry. 10 Apol. Smectymn. vol. i. p. 116.

Be aw'd, and do not sin; 11 Electra, v. 627.

Speak to your hearts alone, 's From Apol. Smectymn. Ibid.

Upon your beds, each one, 13 Hercul, Pur.

And be at peace within, 14 From Tenure of Kings, &c. Pr. W. vol. i. Offer the offerings just

Of righteousness, and in Jehovah trust.

$15.