Marlborough, and made him Lord High Treasurer and President of the Council. He died on the 14th of March, 1628-9; and as the last Parliament which King Charles convoked previous to entering on his course of reckless despotism was dissolved only four days previously, Milton chooses to ascribe his death to grief at that event. Lady Margaret was married to Captain Hobson, of the Isle of Wight; and Milton, when deserted by his wife, was a frequent visitor at their house in London. The sonnet is a pleasing composition, and we do not discern in it any defects. SONNETS XI. XII. A book was writ of late called Tetrachordon. I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs. These two sonnets were written apparently in 1645, on account of the reception which his works on the subject of divorce had met with from the Presbyterians, who were then in power. The first expresses his contempt and dislike of the Scots; the second, his scorn of those who claimed a liberty for themselves which they would not accord to others. On account probably of their personal and political character, he did not insert them in his edition of his Poems; he printed them however in 1673. Johnson says of them, "The first is contemptible, and the second not excellent." To show his aversion to the sonnet, as a mode of poetic composition, he gives the former as the specimen of it in his Dictionary. SONNET XIII. (XIV.) When Faith and Love which parted from thee never. This sonnet, which first appeared in the edition of 1673, is inscribed in the Cambridge MS. "On the religious memory of Mrs. Catherine Thomson, my Christian friend, deceased 16 Decemb. 1646." When it was written Milton was living at his house in Barbican. Who Mrs. Thomson was (for it is plain from v. 5 that she was married), is quite uncertain. Newton, observing that when Milton was made Latin Secretary (in 1648) he went to lodge at one Thomson's at Charing Cross, thinks that she may have been one of this family. It may have been so, but we have no proof of it. The sonnet is excellent, redolent of pure and exalted religion. SONNETS XIV. XV. (XX. XXI.) It might seem that, after the death of his father, Milton, who probably found no great pleasure in the insipid society of his wife, used to hold social meetings (perhaps at taverns), with some of his more intellectual friends, where their conversation was enlivened by wine and music, Henry Lawes being probably one of the party. Possibly, however, these sonnets might have been written during his bachelor-days, and he regarded them as of too personal a nature to be printed among his Poems. In composing them he had evidently some of Horace's odes in view, and candour must acknowledge that he is very far from attaining, if he sought it, to the ease and gaiety of the Sabine bard. We have above noticed Lawrence and Skinner among Milton's friends. SONNET XVI. (XIII.) Harry, whose tuneful and well-measured song. The date of this sonnet in Milton's MS. is February 5, 1645-6, though the work to which it alludes was not published till 1648. Possibly the poet, knowing that the work was in preparation, got his sonnet ready for presentation on its appearance. It is not one of Milton's best productions, but it is a pleasing testimony to the talents and merits of a friend. In our account of Henry Lawes, given in the First Part of this work, we observed that Dr. Burney spoke slightingly of him as a composer. We will here give the opposite opinion of a learned and scientific musician on Lawes and on Milton's sonnet, which is, we believe, equivalent to that of Burney. Of Milton's sonnet I would say, that it is the language of simple truth, and sound and discriminating criticism, conveyed in the dress of poetry. Milton sees, knows, describes his friend's peculiar excellence. He is the exception to the general rule. Other writers, ancient or modern, in prose or in poetry, rarely speak of music without betraying their ignorance of it. They deal in vague generalities, or, if they attempt anything more, blunder. Milton, whenever he speaks of music-and how often does the divine Art present itself to his mind!—is always strictly, technically correct. Whoever is acquainted with Henry Lawes' music, and especially whoever compares it with the compositions of his predeces sors, will see the truth and discrimination of Milton's commendation. Lawes was one of the earliest of the English melodists— the father of that style of writing which was successively cultivated by Purcell, Eccles, Weldon, Howard, Boyce, Battishill, Arnold, and Shield; and, in that department of his art, was in no respect behind his Italian contemporaries, Cesti, Caccini, and Cavalli. In this sonnet Milton alludes to Lawes' Cantata "Theseus and Ariadne;" for as a marginal note-not preserved in modern editions of it-to the eleventh line these words are added, “The story of Ariadne by him set to Musick." This composition Milton must have seen in MS., for it was not published till 1653, seven years after he wrote his sonnet. I mention this as an accidental proof of the intimacy that continued between Lawes and Milton. We may picture to ourselves (what no doubt happened) the two friends trying this composition over,-Lawes inviting, and Milton giving his opinion on its merits previous to publication.* SONNET XVII. Because ye have thrown off your prelate-lord. When Presbyterianism was established in England, the ministers of that most intolerant creed began to enforce it with the utmost rigour on the reluctant people. Milton, who had both public and private reasons for disliking the Presbyterians, discharged this sonnet against them, probably in 1646 or 1647. It is the only specimen in our language of what the Italians call the Sonetto con coda which Berni used; but he was probably not the inventor of it, as three sonnets of this kind appear among those of Ariosto, which however could not have been known to Milton, as they were not published till the eighteenth century. This kind of sonnet was used by the Italians only on humorous and satirical subjects. Milton adheres closely to the Italian model in its structure. SONNET XVIII. (XV.) Fairfax, whose name in arms through Europe rings. Five of Milton's sonnets,-namely, the present, that to Cromwell, the two to Cyriac Skinner, and that to Sir Henry Vane,-were, for obvious reasons, omitted in the edition of 1673. They were first printed after the Re * Some unrecorded Passages in the Life of John Milton, by Edward Taylor, Gresham Professor of Music, in the Christian Reformer for January, 1846. Mr. Taylor further observes, as a proof of Milton's freedom from party rancour, that the "Choice Psalmes" to which this sonnet was prefixed was dedicated to "His most Sacred Majestie, Charles, by the grace of God," etc. volution, by Phillips, in his Life of Milton, in 1694. It appears from the poet's MS. that this sonnet was addressed to Fairfax, at the siege of Colchester in 1648. It respires the dignity of virtue and public spirit, and was admired by Wordsworth. SONNET XIX. (XVI.) Cromwell, our chief of men, who through a cloud. In Milton's MS. this sonnet is inscribed "To the Lord General Cromwell, May, 1652. On the Proposals of certain Ministers at the Committee for Propagation of the Gospel." Like the preceding, it is directed against the Presbyterians, whom Milton hated. Warton, with all his prejudices, owns that "there is great dignity both of sentiment and expression in this sonnet." Wordsworth also admired it. SONNET XX. (XVII.) Vane, young in years, but in sage counsel old. In the MS. there is neither date nor title to this sonnet. As it seems to be directed against the Presbyterians, Warton thinks it was written about the same time as that to Cromwell. SONNET XXI. (XIX.) When I consider how my light is spent. 2 Milton, as we have seen, became totally blind in 165$, or early in 1654. It is probable therefore that it was soon after that event, while the calamity was fresh on him, that he composed this noble sonnet, replete with pious humility and resignation. It is remarkable that this and the following sonnet, and that addressed to Lawrence, do not appear in the Cambridge MS. |
