The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Preface.
• Miscellaneous Poems.
• On the Morning of Christs Nativity.
• The Hymn.
• A Paraphrase On Psalm 114.
• Psalm 136.
• The Passion.
• On Time.
• Upon the Circumcision.
• At a Solemn Musick.
• An Epitaph On the Marchioness of Winchester.
• Song On May Morning
• Another On the Same.
• L’allegro.
• Il Penseroso.
• Sonnets.
• Arcades.
• Lycidas.
• A Maske Presented At Ludlow Castle, 1634: On Michaelmasse Night, Before the Right Honorable, Iohn Earle of Bridgewater, Vicount Brackly, Lord Præsident of Wales, and One of His Maiesties Most Honorable Privie Counsell.
• Poems Added In the 1673 Edition.
• Anno Aetatis 17. On the Death of a Fair Infant Dying of a Cough.
• Anno Aetatis 19. At a Vacation Exercise In the Colledge, Part Latin, Part English. the Latin Speeches Ended, the English Thus Began.
• The Fifth Ode of Horace. Lib. I.
• Sonnets.
• On the New Forcers of Conscience Under the Long Parliament.
• On the Lord Gen. Fairfax At the Seige of Colchester.
• To the Lord Generall Cromwell May 1652.
• To S R Henry Vane the Younger.
• To Mr. Cyriack Skinner Upon His Blindness.
• Psal. I. Done Into Verse, 1653.
• April, 1648. J. M. Nine of the Psalms Done Into Metre, Wherein All But What Is In a Different Character, Are the Very Words of the Text, Translated From the Original.
• Passages From Prose Writings.
• A Collection of Passages Translated In the Prose Writings.
• Joanni Miltoni
• Elegiarum Liber Primus.
• Sylvarum Liber.
• Paradise Lost.
• Book I.
• Book II.
• Book III.
• Book IV.
• Book V.
• Book VI.
• Book VII.
• Book VIII.
• Book IX.
• Book X.
• Book XI.
• Book XII.
• Paradise Regaind. a Poem.
• The First Book.
• The Second Book.
• The Third Book.
• The Fourth Book.
• Samson Agonistes, a Dramatic Poem.
• Appendix.
• ( a ): Specimen of Milton’s Spelling, From the Cambridge Autograph Manuscript.
• ( B ): Note of a Few Readings In the Same Manuscript.
• ( C ) Erratum

A COLLECTION OF PASSAGES TRANSLATED IN THE PROSE WRITINGS.

[From Of Reformation in England, 1641.]

• Ah Constantine, of how much ill was cause
• Not thy Conversion, but those rich demains
• That the first wealthy Pope receiv’d of thee.

• Dante,Inf. xix. 115.

• Founded in chast and humble Poverty,
• ’Gainst them that rais’d thee dost thou lift thy horn,
• Impudent whoore, where hast thou plac’d thy hope?
• In thy Adulterers, or thy ill got wealth?
• Another Constantine comes not in hast.

• Petrarca,Son. 108.

• And to be short, at last his guid him brings
• Into a goodly valley, where he sees
• A mighty mass of things strangely confus’d
• Things that on earth were lost or were abus’d.

• . . . . . .
• Then past he to a flowry Mountain green,
• Which once smelt sweet, now stinks as odiously;
• This was that gift (if you the truth will have)
• That Constantine to good Sylvestro gave.

• Ariosto,Orl. Fur. xxxiv. 80.

[From Reason of Church Government, 1641.]

[From Apology for Smectymnuus, 1642.]

• Laughing to teach the truth
• What hinders? as some teachers give to Boys
• Junkets and knacks, that they may learne apace.

• Horace,Sat. 1. 24.

• Jesting decides great things
• Stronglier, and better oft than earnest can.

• Ibid. i. 10. 14.

• ’Tis you that say it, not I: you do the deeds
• And your ungodly deeds find me the words.

• Sophocles,Elec. 624.

[From Areopagitica, 1644.]

• This is true Liberty, when free-born Men,
• Having to advise the Public, may speak free,
• Which he who can, and will, deserv’s high praise;
• Who neither can nor will, may hold his peace,
• What can be juster in a state then this?

• Euripides,Supp. 438.

[From Tetrachordon, 1645.]

• Whom do we count a good man, whom but he
• Who keeps the laws and statutes of the Senate,
• Who judges in great suits and controversies,
• Whose witness and opinion wins the cause?
• But his own house, and the whole neighbourhood
• See his foul inside through his whited skin.

• Horace,Ep. i. 16. 40.

[From The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates, 1649.]

• There can be slaine
• No sacrifice to God more acceptable
• Than an unjust and wicked king.

• Seneca,Herc. Fur. 922.

[From History of Britain, 1670.]

• Brutus thus addresses Diana in the country of Leogecia.
• Goddess of Shades, and Huntress, who at will
• Walk’st on the rowling Sphear, and through the deep,
• On thy third Reign the Earth look now, and tell
• What Land, what Seat of rest thou bidst me seek,
• What certain Seat, where I may worship thee
• For aye, with Temples vow’d, and Virgin quires.

• To whom sleeping before the altar, Diana in a Vision that night thus answer’d.
• Brutus far to the West, in th’ Ocean wide
• Beyond the Realm of Gaul, a Land there lies,
• Sea-girt it lies, where Giants dwelt of old,
• Now void, it fits thy People; thether bend
• Thy course, there shalt thou find a lasting seat,
• There to thy Sons another Troy shall rise,
• And Kings be born of thee, whose dredded might
• Shall aw the World, and conquer Nations bold.

Joannis Miltoni LONDINENSIS POEMATA. Quorum pleraque intra Annum ætatis Vigesimum Conscripsit.

Nunc primum Edita.

londini,

Typis R. R. Prostant ad Insignia Principis, in Cœmeterio D. Pauli, apud Humphredum Moseley. 1645.

Hæc quæ sequuntur de Authore testimonia, tametsi ipse intelligebat non tam de se quam supra se esse dicta, eo quod præclaro ingenio viri, nec non amici ita fere solent laudare, ut omnia suis potius virtutibus, quam veritati congruentia nimis cupide affingant, noluit tamen horum egregiam in se voluntatem non esse notam; Cum alii præsertim ut id saceret magnopere suaderent. Dum enim nimiæ laudis invidiam totis ab se viribus amolitur, sibique quod plus æquo est non attributum esse mavult, judicium interim hominum cordatorum atque illustrium quin summo sibi honori ducat, negare non potest.

Joannes Baptista Mansus, Marchio Villensis Neapolitanus ad Joannem Miltonium Anglum.

• Ut mens, forma, decor, facies, mos, si pietas sic,
• Non Anglus, verùm herclè Angelus ipse fores.

Ad Joannem Miltonem Anglum triplici poeseos laureâ coronandum Græcâ nimirum, Latinâ, atque Hetruscâ, Epigramma Joannis Salsilli Romani.

• Cede Meles, cedat depressa Mincius urna;
• Sebetus Tassum desinat usque loqui;
• At Thamesis victor cunctis ferat altior undas
• Nam per te Milto par tribus unus erit.

Ad Joannem Miltonum.

• Græcia Mæonidem, jactet sibi Roma Maronem,
• Anglia Miltonum jactat utrique parem.

• Selvaggi.

Al Signor Gio. Miltoni Nobile Inglese.

• ODE.
• • Ergimi all’ Etra ò Clio
  • Perche di stelle intreccierò corona
  • Non più del Biondo Dio
  • La Fronde eterna in Pindo, e in Elicona,
  • Diensi a merto maggior, maggiori i fregi,
  • A’ celeste virtù celesti pregi.
• • Non puo del tempo edace
  • Rimaner preda, eterno alto valore
  • Non puo l’ oblio rapace
  • Furar dalle memorie eccelso onore,10
  • Su l’ arco di mia cetra un dardo forte
  • Virtù m’ adatti, e ferirò la morte.
• • Del Ocean profondo
  • Cinta dagli ampi gorghi Anglia risiede
  • Separata dal mondo,
  • Però che il suo valor l’ umano eccede:
  • Questa feconda sà produrre Eroi,
  • Ch’ hanno a ragion del sovruman tra noi.
• • Alla virtù sbandita
  • Danno ne i petti lor fido ricetto,10
  • Quella gli è sol gradita,
  • Perche in lei san trovar gioia, e diletto;
  • Ridillo tu Giovanni e mostra in tanto
  • Con tuo vera virtù, vero il mio Canto.
• • Lungi dal Patrio lido
  • Spinse Zeusi l’ industre ardente brama;
  • Ch’ udio d’ Helena il grido
  • Con aurea tromba rimbombar la fama,
  • E per poterla effigiare al paro
  • Dalle più belle Idee trasse il priù raro.30
• • Cosi l’ Ape Ingegnosa
  • Trae con industria il suo liquor pregiato
  • Dal giglio e dalla rosa,
  • E quanti vaghi fiori ornano il prato;
  • Formano un dolce suon diverse Chorde,
  • Fan varie voci melodia concorde.
• • Di bella gloria amante
  • Milton dal Ciel natio per varie parti
  • Le peregrine piante
  • Volgesti a ricercar scienze, ed arti;40
  • Del Gallo regnator vedesti i Regni,
  • E dell’ Italia ancor gl’ Eroi piu degni.
• • Fabro quasi divino
  • Sol virtù rintracciando il tuo pensiero
  • Vide in ogni confino
  • Chi di nobil valor calca il sentiero;
  • L’ ottimo dal miglior dopo scegliea
  • Per fabbricar d’ ogni virtu l’ Idea.
• • Quanti nacquero in Flora
  • O in lei del parlar Tosco appreser l’ arte,50
  • La cui memoria onora
  • Il mondo fatta eterna in dotte carte,
  • Volesti ricercar per tuo tesoro,
  • E parlasti con lor nell’ opre loro.
• • Nell’ altera Babelle
  • Per te il parlar confuse Giove in vano,
  • Che per varie favelle
  • Di se stessa trofeo cadde su’l piano:
  • Ch’ Ode oltr’ all Anglia il suo piu degno Idioma
  • Spagna, Francia, Toscana, e Grecia e Roma60
• • I piu profondi arcani
  • Ch’ occulta la natura e in cielo e in terra
  • Ch’ a Ingegni sovrumani
  • Troppo avara tal’ hor gli chiude, e serra,
  • Chiaramente conosci, e giungi al fine
  • Della moral virtude al gran confine.
• • Non batta il Tempo l’ ale,
  • Fermisi immoto, e in un ferminsi gl’ anni,
  • Che di virtù immortale
  • Scorron di troppo ingiuriosi a i danni;70
  • Che s’ opre degne di Poema o storia
  • Furon gia, l’ hai presenti alla memoria.
• • Dammi tua dolce Cetra
  • Se vuoi ch’ io dica del tuo dolce canto,
  • Ch’ inalzandoti all’ Etra
  • Di farti huomo celeste ottiene il vanto,
  • Il Tamigi il dirà che gl’ è concesso
  • Per te suo cigno pareggiar Permesso.
• • Io che in riva del Arno
  • Tento spiegar tuo merto alto, e preclaro80
  • So che fatico indarno,
  • E ad ammirar, non a lodarlo imparo;
  • Freno dunque la lingua, e ascolto il core
  • Che ti prende a lodar con lo stupore.

  • Del sig. Antonio Francini gentilhuomo Fiorentino.