XV. TO THE LORD GENERAL FAIRFAX.1 FAIRFAX, whose name in arms through Europe rings, Victory home, though new rebellions raise (For what can war but endless war still breed?) XVI. TO THE LORD GENERAL CROMWELL. CROMWELL, our chief of men, who through a cloud To peace and truth thy glorious way hast ploughed, And on the neck of crownéd fortune proud Hast reared God's trophies, and his work pursued, No less renowned than war: new foes arise 1 The three following poems are not, for obvious reasons, found in the editions of Milton published during the reign of Charles II. 2 Near Preston, in Lancashire. XVI. TO SIR HENRY VANE THE YOUNGER. VANE, young in years, but in sage counsel old, The helm of Rome, when gowns not arms repelled The drift of hollow states hard to be spelled, In all her equipage; besides to know Both spiritual power and civil, what each means, What severs each, thou hast learned, which few have The bounds of either sword to thee we owe; Therefore, on thy firm hand religion leans [done : XVII. ON THE LATE MASSACRE IN PIEMONT.1 AVENGE, O Lord! thy slaughtered saints, whose bones Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans 1 Probably written in 1655. Newton observes: "This prayer, in behalf of the persecuted Protestants, was not entirely without effect. For Cromwell exerted himself in their favour, and his behaviour in this whole transaction is greatly to his honour, even as it is related by an historian, who was far from being partial to his memory. 'Nor would the Protector be backward in such a work, which might give the world a particular opinion of his piety and zeal for the Protestant religion; but he proclaimed a solemn fast, and caused large contributions to be gathered for them throughout the kingdom of England and Wales. Nor did he rest here, but sent his agents to the Duke of Savoy, a prince with whom he had no correspondence or commerce, and the next year so engaged the Cardinal of France, and even terrified the Pope himself, without so much as doing any favour to the English The vales redoubled to the hills, and they To Heaven. Their martyred blood and ashes sow XIX. ON HIS BLINDNESS. WHEN I consider how my light is spent XX. TO MR. LAWRENCE.? LAWRENCE, of virtuous father virtuous son, Roman Catholics, that that Duke thought it necessary to restore all that he had taken from them, and renewed all those privileges they had formerly enjoyed-so great was the terror of his name; nothing being more usual than his saying that his ships in the Mediterranean should visit Civita Vecchia, and the sound of his cannon should be heard in Rome.'-See Echard, vol. 2." 1 An allusion to the parable in Matthew xxv. 2 Son of the president of Cromwell's council. From the hard season gaining? Time will run The frozen earth, and clothe in fresh attire XXI. TO CYRIAC SKINNER.2 CYRIAC, whose grandsire on the royal bench And what the Swede intends,3 and what the French.1 XXII. TO THE SAME. CYRIAC, this three years' day these eyes, though clear, i. e., Zephyr, the spring western wind. 2 Son of William Skinner, by Bridget, daughter of Lord C oke,and a distinguished member of Harrington's political club. 3 i. e., Charles Gustavus, who was then waging war with Poland. 4 The French were then at war in the Netherlands. Of sun, or moon, or star throughout the year, Against Heaven's hand or will, nor bate a jot Of which all Europe talks from side to side. [mask This thought might lead me through the world's vain Content, though blind, had I no better guide. XXIII ON HIS DECEASED WIFE. METHOUGHT I Saw my late espouséd saint And such, as yet once more I trust to have But oh! as to embrace me she inclined, I waked, she fled, and day brought back my night. |