The vales redoubled to the hills, and they To Heaven. Their martyr'd blood and ashes fow 10 O'er all the Italian fields, where ftill 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. 14 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 fast clasped between the arms of the dead mother which were cold and stiffe, infomuch that those who found them had much ado to get the young childe ou p. 363. T WArton. Ver. 10. Their martyr'd blood and ashes fow] An allufion to "6 Sanguis martyrum femen eft Ecclefiæ." TODD. Ver. 14. Babylonian woe.] Antichrift. WARBURTON. The Pope, or Antichrift, was called the Babylonish Beast of Rome. See Prynne's Laud, p. 277. edit. 1646. He is called Antiftes Babylonius, the Babylonish bishop, by Milton, In Quint. Nov. v. 156. T. WARTON. XIX. On his BLINDNESS. WHEN I confider how my light is spent bent 5 To ferve therewith my Maker, and prefent My true account, left he, returning, chide ; "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied ?" 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 10 "Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best: his "ftate He Ver. 3. And that one talent which is death to hide,] fpeaks here with allufion to the parable of the talents, Mat. xxv. And he speaks with great modefty of himfelf, as if he had not five, or two, but only one talent. NEWTON. Ver. 7. Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?] 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. T. WARTON. Ver. 10. or grace. WARTON. man's work, or his own gifts;] Free-will "Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed, "And poft o'er land and ocean without reft; They also serve who only stand and wait.” 66 Ver. 12. thousands at his bidding Speed, And poft o'er land and ocean without rest ; They alfo ferve who only ftand and wait.] Compare Spenfer, in the Hymne of heavenly Love, ft. x. of the angels. "There they in their trinall triplicities "About him wait, and on his will depend; "Either with nimble wings to cut the skies, It is the fame conception in Par. Loft, B. iv. 677. "Millions of fpiritual creatures walk the earth, See alfo on the Death of a Fair Infant, v. 59. "To earth from thy prefixed feat didst post.” We have post alfo in Par. Loft, B. iv. 171. "with a vengeance fent "From Media post to Egypt." Sylvefter in Du Bartas calls the angels "quicke poftes with ready expedition." W. i. D. i. WARTON. So Cowley, in his Davideis, B. ii. "The joyful Gabriel posts away." And, in his Hymn to Light, "Let a post-angel start with thee!" TODD. XX. To Mr. LAWRENCE. LAWRENCE, of virtuous father virtuous fon, Now that the fields are dank, and ways are mire, Ver. 1. Lawrence, of virtuous father virtuous fon, &c.] Of the virtuous fon nothing has transpired. 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 sectarists. 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 Buckinghamfhire for Henry Lawrence's near relation, William Lawrence a writer, and appointed a Judge in Scotland by Cromwell, and who was in 1631 a gentleman commoner of Trinity college Oxford, died at Bedfont 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 refpectable of his friends who contributed to form the Commonwealth, "Montacutium, Laurentium, fummo ingenio ambos, optimifque artibus expofitos, &c." Prose-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 House of Commons impeached by the King, and afterwards a leader in the Rebellion. I believe they both deferved this panegyrick. T. WARTON. 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 Mr. Warton is mistaken in saying that "of the virtuous fon nothing has tranfpired." This Henry Lawrence, the virtuous fon, is the author of a work, of which I am in poffeffion, suited to Milton's tafte; on the fubject of which, I make no doubt, he and the author "by the fire helped to waste many a fullen day." It is entitled " Of our Communion and Warre with Angels, &c. Printed Anno Dom. 1646." 4°. 189 pages. The dedication is "To my Moft deare and Moft honoured Mother, the Lady Lawrence." I fuppofe him also to be the fame Henry Lawrence, who printed "A Vindication of the Scriptures and Christian Ordinances, 1649. Lond." 4to. TODD. Ver. 3. and by the fire Help waste a fullen day, &c.] He has fentiments of much the fame caft in the Epitaph. Dumon. v. 45. "Quis me lenire docebit "Mordaces curas, quis longam fallere noctem See alfo Drayton's Odes, vol. iv. 1343. "They may become John Hewes's lyre, "Which oft at Polefworth by the fire Ver. 6. "Hath made us gravely merry." T. WARTON. till Favonius re-inspire &c.] Favonius had before been rendered familiar in English poetry for Zephyr, by the following beautiful paffage in Jonfon's Mafques, 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. |