EPIGRAM ON SALMASIUS'S HUNDREDA. WHO taught Salmasius, that French chattering ON THE NEW FORCERS OF CONSCIENCE UNDER THE LONG PARLIAMENT.* BECAUSE you have thrown off your Prelate Lord, And with stiff vows renounced his Liturgy, To seize the widow'd whore Plurality From them whose sin ye envied, not abhorr'd, Dare ye for this adjure the civil sword To force our consciences that Christ set free, And ride us with a classic hierarchy The note of Warton on this sonnet appears to me to be extremely unjust and severe. Milton denoted his indignation against the Presbyterians because they had deserted their own principles, continued many of the supposed abuses, and usurped much of the power of the church which they had overthrown in fact, the new Presbyter was more tyrannical than the old priest. Taught ye by mere A. S. and Rotherford? Men whose life, learning, faith, and pure intent Would have been held in high esteem with Paul, Must now be nam'd and printed Heretics By shallow Edwards and Scotch what d'ye call: But we do hope to find out all your tricks, Your plots and packing worse than those of Trent, That so the Parliament .5 May with their wholesome and preventive shears Clip your phylacteries, though bauk your ears, And succour our just fears, When they shall read this clearly in your charge, New Presbyter is but old Priest writ large. 20 8 A. S.] A polemical writer of the times, named 'Adam Steuart.' See the notes of Warton and Todd. Rotherford was one of the Chief Commissioners of the Church of Scotland; also sat with the Assembly at Westminster. He was Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrew's; wrote many Calvinistic tracts; and was an avowed enemy of the Independents. T. Edwards had attacked Milton's Plan of Independency in his Antapologia, 1644. On Rotherford. See Heber's Life of I. Taylor, ii. 203. 17 Clip] In the MS. the lines stand thus: Crop ye as close as marginal P. Prynne's. Warton. 17 bauk] i. e. spare. Warton. 's ears;-that is, SONNETS. I. TO THE NIGHTINGALE. O NIGHTINGALE, that on yon bloomy spray eye 5 First heard before the shallow cuckoo's bill, Portend success in love; O if Jove's will Have link'd that amorous power to thy soft lay, Now timely sing, ere the rude bird of hate Foretell my hopeless doom in some grove nigh; As thou from year to year hast sung too late For my relief, yet hadst no reason why: Whether the Muse, or Love call thee his mate, Both them I serve, and of their train am I. II. DONNA leggiadra,il cui bel nome honora Qual tuo spirto gentil non innamora, 5 close] Crashawe's Poems, the Weeper, st. xxiii. Does day close his eyes?' Todd. 5 De' sui atti soavi giammai parco, E i don', che son d'amor saette ed arco, Quando tu vaga parli, o lieta canti, Che mover possa duro alpestre legno, III. QUAL in colle aspro, al imbrunir di sera, Va bagnando l'herbetta strana e bella, 10 10 1 imbrunir] Petrarch Sestina vii. (in Vita di M. L.) Imbrunir veggio la sera.' Bowle. CANZONE. RIDONSI donne e giovani amorosi, Spuntati ad or ad or a la tua chioma IV. DIODATI, e te'l dirò con maraviglia, Quel ritroso io ch'amor spreggiar solea, Gia caddi, ov'huom dabben talhor s'impiglia. Ne treccie d'oro, nè guancia vermiglia M'abbaglian sì, ma,sotto nova idea, 4 vermiglia] Tasso Aminta, act i. sc. 2, 'Alle guancie vermiglie, come rosa;' and Comus, 752, 'vermeil-tinctured lip.' Warton. 10 15 5 |