GENERAL INTRODUCTION; OR, CHRONOLOGY OF THE POEMS : WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE EDITIONS OF 1645 AND 1673, AND OF THE CAMBRIDGE VOLUME OF MILTON MSS. MILTON was a poet from his childhood. The earliest verses of his that have been preserved, however, are his PARAPHRASES ON PSALMS CXIV. AND CXXXVI. These were done "at fifteen years old”—¿.e. in 1624, when Milton was a boy at St. Paul's School in London, just finishing his course there, and preparing to go to College. AT CAMBRIDGE: 1625-1632. In February 1624-5, or when sixteen years and two months old, Milton was admitted at Christ's College, Cambridge; and he remained at Cambridge (constantly there in term-time, though spending the vacations in London or elsewhere) till July 1632, when he left the University, as Master of Arts and with the highest distinction, at the age of twenty-three years and seven months. These seven years of his residence at Cambridge were a period of considerable literary activity. Besides four of his Latin familiar Epistles, one English letter to a friend, and seven Latin academic exercises in prose, there remain, of his writings during this period, the following English and Latin poems : I. ENGLISH:— "ON THE DEATH OF A FAIR INFANT DYING OF A COUGH." 1626. "ON THE UNIVERSITY CARRIER, who sickened in the time of his 66 vacancy, being forbid to go to London by reason of the Plague." 1630-1. ANOTHER ON THE SAME." 1630-1. "AN EPITAPH ON THE MARCHIONESS OF WINCHESTER." SONNET, "O Nightingale" (perhaps of this period). 1631. SONNET on his having arrived at the age of twenty-three. II. LATIN:— 'Ad Carolum DIODATUM" (among the Elegies). 1626. 1626. “IN OBITUM PRÆSULIS ELIENSIS” (among the Sylvæ). 1626. 1626. "IN OBITUM PROCANCELLARII MEDICI" (among the Sylvæ). 1626. "IN QUINTUM NOVEMBRIS" (among the Sylvæ). 1626. "IN PRODITIONEM BOMBARDICAM "IN EANDEM " "IN EANDEM " Among the Elegies. "IN EANDEM " "IN INVENTOREM BOMBARDÆ" "AD THOMAM JUNIUM, PRÆCEPTOREM SUUM, apud mercatores Anglicos Hamburgæ agentes Pastoris munere fungentem" (among the Elegies). 1627. ELEGY, beginning "Nondum blanda tuas" (among the Elegies). "NATURAM NON PATI SENIUM" (among the Sylvæ). 1628. "IN ADVENTUM VERIS" (among the Elegies). 1628-9. AD CAROLUM DIODATUM, RURI COMMORANTEM" (among the |