The Complete Poetry of John Milton (161 page)

AD LEONORAM ROMÆ CANENTEM
Date:
Feb. ? 1639; composed apparently during second visit to Rome.
Texts:
1645*, 1673.

AD EANDEM:
“Another Leonora captured …”
Date:
Feb. ? 1639; composed apparently during second visit to Rome.
Texts:
1645*, 1673.
(5) canentem / canentam
1673, erratum corrects.
(8) desipuisset / desipuiiset
1645
, desipulisset
1673, erratum corrects.

AD EANDEM:
“Why, credulous Naples, …”
Date:
Feb. ? 1639; composed apparently during second visit to Rome.
Texts:
1645*, 1673.

EPITAPHIUM DAMONIS
Date:
autumn 1639; see headnote and ll. 58–61, 64, the notably rainy season of England being Oct.–Nov. and the poem being written around harvest time.
Texts:
1640 (?), 1645*, 1673. At conclusion 1640 has: “Londini”.
Headnote
oriundus, / onundus,
1640.

SONNET 8
Date:
before Nov. 13, 1642, the date on which the Royalist army would have reached London.
Texts:
1645, 1673, TM* (scribe).
Title
On his dore when y
^e
Citty expected an assault
TM, scribe, deleted
, When the assault was intended to y
^e
Citty 1642
TM, Milton, date deleted.
(3) If deed of honour did thee ever please,
1673.

SONNET 9
Date:
1643–45; position in TM.
Texts:
1645, 1673, TM*.
(5) with
Ruth
/ the
Ruth
, 1645. (13) of night,
1645
/ () night
TM.

SONNET 10
Date:
1643–45; position in TM.
Texts:
1645, 1673, TM*.
Title
To y
^e
Lady Margaret Ley
TM.

IN EFFIGIEI EJUS SCULPTOREM
Date:
1645; written to accompany portrait, drawn in 1645 for the first collected edition, though apparently based also on the Onslow portrait of 1629. In
Pro se defensio
(p. 84) Milton indicates the execution of the portrait for the edition of the poems.
Texts:
1645*, 1673. Given under portrait (frontispiece) in 1645, without title. 2
1673.

SONNET 11
Date:
autumn 1645 ?; traditional dating is 1646 ? since the poem follows
Son.
13 in TM; however, its numbering and l. 3 suggest an earlier date of composition.
Texts:
1673, TM* 1 (Milton), TM 2 (scribe).
Numbered eleven by Milton and scribe, but transposed with
Son.
12 by 1673 printer and erroneously titled to achieve topic reference.
Title
On the same.
1673, On the detraction w
^ch
follow’d upon my writing certain treatises
TM 1, deleted; TM 2.
(4) cuckoes,
TM 2
/ buzzards,
TM 1.

SONNET 13
Date:
c. Feb. 9, 1646; from TM.
Texts: Choice Psalmes put into Musick For Three Voices
(1648), 1673, TM 2* (Milton), TM 3 (scribe). A first draft (TM 1) in Milton’s hand, being superseded by TM 2, is not collated except for its title, source of the 1648 title. Present lines 6 and 8 are not found in TM 1.
Title
To my Friend M
^r
.
Henry Lawes.
1648,
To Mr.
H. Lawes,
on his Aires.
1673, TM 3 (as result of deletions), To my friend Mr Hen. Laws Feb. 9. 1645
TM 1
, To M
^r
: Hen: Laws on the publishing of his Aires
TM 2
(
scribe, in reference to 1653 publication
),
TM 3
(
deleted to 1673 form with alteration to
Lawes). (9) lend / send
1673.
(11) story. / *story.
1648, which has four lines in left margin:
“The story of Ariadne set by him in Music.”

SONNET 14
Date:
Dec. 1646; from TM.
Texts:
1673, TM 2* (Milton), TM 3 (scribe). A first draft (TM 1) in Milton’s hand, being superseded by TM 2, is not collated except for its unique title.
Title
On y
^e
religious memorie of M
^rs
Catharine Thomason my christian freind deceas’d 16 Decem. 1646
TM 1, deleted
(16,
separately deleted, apparently was a false start of year
). (1) thee / the
TM 3.
(12) in / on
1673, TM 3.

AD JOANNEM ROÜSIUM
Date:
Jan. 1647; printed date, perhaps of delivery, is Jan. 23.
Texts:
1673; Bodleian Library MS, Lat. misc. d. 77* (scribe, with a one-word correction by Milton).
Title
Ode.
/ Ode. Joannis Miltonj
MS.

THE FIFTH ODE OF HORACE. BOOK 1.
Date:
1646–48 ?; conjectural; appears before
Forcers of Conscience
in 1673, except for incorrectly placed
Vacation Exercise.
Dated by others from 1626 to 1655, but specific Latin text may not have been published before 1636.
Text:
1673*. All variants from 1673.
English Text: Title
Book / Lib.
Latin Text:
Three differences from modern versions are found: “munditie” and “quoties” in l. 5, and “Intentata” in l. 13. The text published by Milton, including these variants and not evidencing differences, is found in
Quinti Horatii Flacci poëmata scholiis siva annotationibus a I. Bond illustrate
(Amsterodami: G. J. Blaeuw, 1636).

SONNET 12
Date:
Jan. 1647 ?; from position in TM.
Texts:
1673, TM 1* (Milton with revisions by scribe), TM 2 (scribe).
Numbered twelve by Milton and scribe, but transposed with
Son.
11 by 1673 printer. (8) is it harder, / is harder
1673, erratum adds
it. (9) Colkitto, / Coliktto,
1673, corrected by erratum.

ON THE FORCERS OF CONSCIENCE
Date:
early 1647 ?; conjectured from intended position in TM. Two notes—one by Milton, one by a scribe—both place the poem between
Son.
12 and
Son.
15.
Texts:
1673, TM* (scribe, revisions by second scribe).
Title
On the new forcers of Conscience under the Long PARLIAMENT.
1673. (1) off / of
1673.
(17) bauk / bank
1673, changed by erratum.

PSALMS 80–88
Date:
Apr. 1648; published note.
Text:
1673*. All variants from 1673.
Ps.
80: (77)
verse number omitted. Ps.
81:
margin
(29)
*Besether / *Be Sether;
(66) flour / flowr.
Ps.
83: (8) high / hie.

SONNET 15
Date:
Aug. 1648; on basis of TM title, before news of capture of Colchester (Aug. 27) reached London.
Texts: Letters of State
(1694), TM*.
No lines are indented in 1694. In l. 8 TM reads “their” but the editor believes Milton’s “her” was altered by an unknown hand; see note to ll. 7–8. “Warrs” in l. 10 has been mistranscribed as “Warr,” in other editions.
Title
To my Lord FAIRFAX. 1694, On y
^e
Lord Gen. Fairfax at y
^e
seige of Colchester
TM, deleted.
(2) Filling each mouth / And fills all Mouths
1694.
(4) that / which
1694.
(5) vertue / Valour
1694.
(6) though / while
1694.
(8) her / their
TM.
(10) Warrs / War,
1694;
endless / Acts of
1694.
(11) Truth, and Right / injur’d Truth
1694.
(12) cleard from the shamefull brand / be rescu’d from the Brand
1694.
(14) share / shares
1694.

VERSE FROM PRO POPULO ANGLICANO DEFENSIO
Date:
1650; ordered to answer Salmasius, Jan. 8, 1650, and
Defensio prima
published in Feb. 1651.
Texts:
Madan #1 (1651)*, p. 154; Madan #2 (1651), p. 202; Madan #9 (1651), p. 249; Madan #13 (1652), p. 212; Madan #14 (1658), p. 127. See F. F. Madan,
The Library
, Ser. 4, IV (1923–24), 119–45, and Ser. 5, IX (1954), 112–21. The poem appears in Chapter 8.

SONNET 16
Date:
May 1652; from TM.
Texts: Letters of State
(1694), TM* (scribe, revisions by second scribe). No lines are indented in 1694.
Title
To Oliver Cromwell.
1694
, To the Lord Generall Cromwell May 1652 On the proposalls of certaine ministers at y
^e
Commtee for Propagation of the Gospell
TM, deleted.
(1) who / that
1694;
cloud / Croud, 1694. (2) detractions / distractions
1694.
(5)
omitted
1694. (6) Hast reard Gods Trophies / And Fought God’s Battels,
1694.
(7) stream / Streams
1694.
(8) resounds / resound
1694.
(11) renown’d then / than those of
1694.
(12) with / in
1694.

SONNET 17
Date:
June ? 1652; according to a statement in 1662 (p. 93), the sonnet was sent to Vane on July 3.
Texts: Life and Death of Sir Henry Vane
(1662),
Letters of State
(1694), TM* (scribe).
Only l. 9 is indented in 1694.
Title
To Sir
HENRY VANE.
1694, To S
^r
Henry Vane the younger
TM, deleted.
(7) best, / best be
1694.
(8) Move / Mann’d
1694.
(10) power /
omitted
1694. (11) severs / serves
1694.
(13) firm / Right
1694.
(14) And reckons thee in chief her Eldest Son.
1694.

PSALMS 1–8
Dates:
Aug. 7–14, 1653; published note.
Text:
1673*.
Ps.
4; (14)
apart / a part
1673.

VERSE FROM DEFENSIO SECUNDA
Date:
1654 ?;
Defensio secunda
was published in May 1654.
Texts:
Ed. 1* (London, 1654), pp. 38–39; Ed. 2 (Hague, 1654), p. 28; Ed. 3 (Hague, 1654), p. 28.
(2) algentes / algentis
Edd. 2
, 3. (4) amicire / amiciri
Ed. 3.

SONNET 18
Date:
May ? 1655; date of state letters.
Text:
1673*.
Title
On the late Massacher in
Piemont.
1673.
(10) sow / so
1673, erratum corrects.

SONNET 19
Date:
Oct. ? 1655; position in 1673 edition. Date of composition is frequently given as 1652 because of l. 2 and the date of Milton’s blindness; however, see n. to that line.
Text:
1673*.
(12)
indented
1673.

SONNET 20
Date:
Oct.–Nov. 1655; position in 1673 and ll. 2–5.
Text:
1673*.

SONNET 21
Date:
Oct.–Nov. 1655; position in TM and 1673.
Texts:
1673*, TM*, ll. 5–14 (scribe). Lines 1–4 are missing in TM.
(2) with / with with
1673.
(8) intends / intend,
1673.

SONNET 22
Date:
Dec. 1655; position in TM and reference in l. 1 to total blindness (around beginning of 1652).
Texts: Letters of State
(1694), TM* (scribe).
No lines are indented in 1694.
Title
To Mr.
Cyriac Skinner
Upon his Blindness.
1694.
(3) light / Sight,
1694.
(4) sight / day
1694.
(5) Of / Or
1694.
(7) a / one
1694.
(12) talks / rings
1694.
(13) the / this
1694.
(14) better / other
1694.

SONNET 23
Date:
1656–58 ?; date of composition may depend on the wife intended; however, the scribe is not known to have been employed by Milton before Jan. 1658.
Texts:
1673, TM* (scribe).

PARADISE LOST
Date:
1642 ?–1665 ?; early drafts probably date c. 1640, and Edward Phillips (Darbishire, pp. 72–73) read IV, 32–41, c. 1642.
Texts:
1667 (arguments, verse discussion, and errata added in reissues of 1668, 1669), 1674*; MS of I in Morgan Library (scribe, with corrections by various hands). Two different title pages exist for each issue of the first edition, the preliminary material being added with the second title page of 1668. There are two states of the first page of the first printing of this material: “The Printer to the Reader” appears in a four-line form and a six-line form. A second printing of the preliminary material, of sig. Z (VII.1–238), and of sig. Vv (X.1424–1541) was made at the time that the second title page of 1669 was produced. Two or three states exist in a number of signatures of 1667, two in the second printing of the verse, and three in the second printing of sig. Vv. The second edition of 1674 shows two states in sigs. A–D (Books I–II), alterations of three page numbers in later signatures, and a change of one word in the argument to X. A copy of this edition with a 1675 title page is found in the Univ. of Illinois Library; the copy shows a State 2 printing except for the recto of the B sig. in State 1. The MS apparently was the copy text for the first edition.