219. guardian, was "cherub."

231. shell, was "cell."

243. give resounding grace, was "hold a counterpoint." 252. it, was "she."

257. wept, was "would weep.”

258. And chid, was " Chiding."

270. prosperous, was "prospering."

279. Near-ushering guides, was "their ushering hands.”

310. the sure guess, was "sure steerage.'

316. Or shroud within these limits, was "within these shroudy limits.”

326. And yet most pretended, was "And is pretended yet." 352. Amongst rude burs and thistles, was "in this dead solitude."

355-366 was:

"She leans her thoughtful head, musing at our unkindness;

Or, lost in wild amazement and affright,

So fares as did forsaken Proserpine,

When the big rolling flakes of pitchy clouds

And darkness wound her in.

1 Br. Peace, brother, peace!

I do not think my sister," etc.

376. sweet retired solitude, was "solitary sweet retire." 384, 385:

"Walks in black vapours, though noon-tide brand

Blaze in the summer solstice."

390. weeds, was "beads."

391. His few books, or his beads, was "His books, or his hair gown."

403. wild surrounding waste, was (1) "wide surrounding waste," and (2) "vast and hideous wild."

409, 410. For these lines there was the following:

"Secure without all doubt or question. No:

I could be willing, though now i' the dark, to try
A tough encounter with the shaggiest ruffian

That lurks by hedge or lane of this dead circuit,
To have her by my side, though I were sure

She might be free from peril where she is ;
But, where an equal poise," etc.

422, 423. For these lines we have:

"And may, on every needful accident,

Be it not done in pride or wilful tempting,

Walk through huge forests," etc.

425. rays was "awe."

After 429 was the following:

"And yawning dens, where glaring monsters house."

434. meagre, was "wrinkled."

465. lewd and lavish, was "the lascivious."

471. sepulchres, was monuments."

66

472. Lingering, was

66

Hovering.

"curled man of the sword,”

485. roving robber, was (1)

and (2) "hedger."

490. "Had best look to his forehead: here be brambles."

496. dale, was "valley."

497. swain, was "shepherd."

498. Slipped from the fold, was "Leap't o'er the pen."

513. ye, was "you."

531. hilly crofts, was "pastured lawns."

555, 556:

"At last a soft [still, sweet] and solemn breathing sound Rose like the soft steam of distilled perfumes.” 605. monstrous forms, was 66 monstrous bugs." 607-609:

"And force him to release his new-got prey,
Or drag him by the curls and cleave his scalp
Down to the hips."

614. unthread, was "unquilt."

627. names, was "hues."

636. That Hermes once, was

"Which Mercury."

650. dauntless hardihood, was "sudden violence." 658. "And good Heaven cast his best regard upon us. 661. or as Daphne, was "fixed as Daphne."

After 678 there was:

"Poor Lady, thou hast need of some refreshing."

707. fur, was "gown."

713. Thronging, was " Cramming." After 713 there was:

"The fields with cattle, and the air with fowl."

732-734. For these there were five lines:

"The sea o'erfraught would heave her waters up
Above the stars, and the unsought diamonds
Would so bestud the centre with their star-light
And so emblaze the forehead of the deep,

Were they not taken thence, that they below."

744. with languished head, was "and fades away." 749. complexions, was "beetle brows."

806. Come, no more, "Come, y'are too moral."

807-809. Here we have only two lines:

"This is mere moral stuff, the very lees

And settlings."

816. rod, was "art."

821. Some other means I have, was "There is another way that."

834. pearled, was "white," and took, was "received." After 846 was: "And often takes our cattle with strange pinches.'

851. "Of pansies and of bonnie daffodils."

853. "Each clasping charm and secret holding spell."

860. Art sitting, was "sit'st."

895. That in the channel stays, was "That my rich wheels inlays."

910. Brightest, was "Virtuous."

921. To wait on Amphitrite in her bower." 957. sits, was "reigns."

962, 963:

"Of nimbler toes, and courtly guise,

Such as Hermes did devise."

979. broad, was "plain."

983. There was first here:

"Where grows the high-borne gold upon his native tree,"

but it was struck out.

990, 991:

"About the myrtle alleys fling

Balm and cassia's fragrant smells."

After 995 is the following, crossed for erasure :

996. Elysian, was "Sabæan.”

999. young Adonis oft, was "many a cherub soft."
1012. Task is smoothly, was " message well is."
1014. green Earth's end, was "Earth's green end."
1015. Slow, was (1) "low," (2) “clear.”
1023. stoop, was "bow."

1637-1638-1645

LYCIDAS

(In Milton's hand in the Cambridge MSS.)

For three years after the composition of Comus Milton lived a quiet life at Horton with books and Nature, but the year 1637 brought him his first great grief. His mother, who had been an embodiment of woman nobly planned, passed away on the third of April. She was of sweet and tender disposition, of gracious household ways, and we must believe that she had much to do in opening the mind of her son to beautiful thoughts. We believe he had her in mind when he wrote the following:

"Yet when I approach

Her loveliness, so absolute she seems
And in herself complete, so well to know
Her own, that what she wills to do or say
Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best.
All higher knowledge in her presence falls
Degraded; Wisdom in discourse with her
Loses discountenanced, and like Folly shows;
Authority and Reason on her wait,

As one intended first, not after made
Occasionally; and to consummate all,
Greatness of mind and nobleness their seats
Build in her loveliest, and create an army
About her, as a guard angelic, placed."

Paradise Lost, viii. 546-559.

She was buried in the Parish Church of Horton. On the plain slab in the floor of the chancel may be read—"Heare lyeth the Body of Sara Milton, the wife of John Milton, who died the 3rd of April, 1637.”

It is worth while here to refer to those other noble tributes to mothers in the works of Wordsworth and Tennyson :

"Early died my honoured mother, she who was the heart And hinge of all our learnings and our lives:

She, not falsely taught,

Fetching her goodness rather from times past,
Than shaping novelties for times to come,
Had no presumption, no such jealousy,
Nor did by habit of her thoughts mistrust
Our nature, but had virtual faith that He
Who fills the mother's breast with innocent milk,
Doth also for our nobler part provide

Under His great correction and control,

As innocent instincts, and as innocent food: