Notes to Chapter 1112 As Cedric Brown notes in “Milton and the Idolatrous Consort,” Criticism 35 (1993),
429–30, the grim wolf’s devouring points to Catholic worship in the chapel at Somer-
set House and the string of notorious converts in the queen’s circle – most recently the
Countess of Newport in October, 1637. Milton first wrote in the Trinity manuscript,
“And nothing said,” modified it in the manuscript and the university volume to “And
little said” (recognizing a tame royal proclamation on the matter in December), then
reverted to “nothing” in 1645 – since nothing sufficient to stem the abuse had been
said.
113 Cf. Isaiah 56:10–57:1: “His watchmen are blind: they are all dumb dogs, they cannot
bark; sleeping lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can
never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to
their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.... The righteous perisheth,
and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that
the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.”
114 See Variorum II.2, 686–704 for a survey of interpretations of this image, the poem’s
most debated crux.
115 See Lawrence Lipking, “The Genius of the Shore,” PMLA 111 (1995), 205–21.
116 Wittreich, Visionary Poetics, 142–3. Cf. 2 Kings 2:14–15: “And he took from him the
mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters.... And when the sons of
the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah
doth rest on Elisha.”
Chapter 4 “I Became Desirous... of Seeing Foreign Parts, Especially
Italy”1638–16391 He was in Florence by August 20/30. Because the Continent had adopted the Gregorian
or new-style calendar and England had not, he immediately lost ten days upon arrival:
i.e. May 10 in London was May 20 in Paris. Dates are given in both styles, in text and
notes.
2 CPW IV.1, 614–20. The early biographies – Skinner, Phillips and Aubrey – all para-
phrase this account.
3 CPW I, 614–15. Wotton provided a personal introduction to Michael Braithwaite,
who had served with Wotton when he was ambassador to Venice and who was at this
time tutor to Scudamore’s son. John Scudamore, whose name Milton mistakenly records
as Thomas, was Baron Dromore and Viscount of Sligo in the Irish Peerage, and joint-
ambassador to France along with Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester. Milton refers to
other letters of introduction but does not specify the writers.
4 EL 19. As Milton’s student and friend, Skinner had many opportunities to hear Milton
express his feelings about the French.
5 See Richard Tuck, Philosophy and Government, 1572–1651 (Cambridge, 1993), 154–
201.
6 Hugo Grotius, De jure belli ac pacis (Paris, 1625), I.3.12.
7 Adamus Exul (The Hague, 1601) may have contributed something to Paradise Lost;
Christus Patiens, in Poemata Collecta (Leyden, 1617), to Paradise Regained and Samson.
George Sandys produced an English translation of Christus Patiens (London, 1640).Notes to Chapter 3–4