Notes to Chapter 1and powerful hands of some man, or more, who in that particular must be, more than
Heroes” – leaving little question that the leader in question is Monk.
88 Plaine English to his Excellencie the Lord Monk and the Officers of the Army: Or, A Word in
season, not onely to them, but to all Impartial Englishmen (London, 1660, March 23), 1, 7.
89 [Roger L’Estrange], Treason Arraigned, in Answer to Plain English: Being a Traiterous and
Phanatique Pamphlet, which was Condemned by the Council of State (London, 1660, c. April
3), 2–3, ascribed that tract to either Milton or Nedham or both – “a Blot of the same Pen
that wrote ICONOKLASTES.”
90 Page 394. Though the grammar leaves it somewhat unclear whether elections to the
Grand Council are to be by the well-affected populace or the local councils, Milton
would hardly have called for creation of the local councils first, given the urgency of
settling the central government, had he not intended that they be the choosers.
91 [Roger L’Estrange], Be Merry and Wise, Or, A Seasonable Word to the Nation, shewing the
Cause, the Growth, the State, and the Cure of our Present Distemper (London, 1660, c.
March 13).
92 [Samuel Butler?], The Character of the Rump (London, 1660, March 19), 2–3. For a
plausible argument assigning this tract and also The Censure of the Rota (see note 94) to
Samuel Butler, see Nicholas von Maltzahn, “Samuel Butler’s Milton,” Studies in Philol-
ogy 92 (1955), 482–95. Cf. William Colline, The Spirit of the Phanatiques Dissected and the
Solemne League and Covenant solemnly discussed in 30 Queries (London, 1660, c. March
24), 7–8, who perceptively suggests that Milton’s federalist model is borrowed from the
United Provinces and offers to send him, as well as Harrington, to terra incognita, or
More’s Utopia, to frame a free state there.
93 [George Starkey], The Dignity of Kingship Asserted in Answer to Mr. Milton’s Ready and
Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth (London, 1660), xx, xix, ix, 5, xi. It was
corrected in print by the author on March 29 and registered on March 31 (SR 1640–
1708 , II, 255), so it probably appeared early in April. It was republished as Monarchy
Triumphing over Traiterous Republicans (London, 1661); see chapter 12, p. 405.
94 [Samuel Butler?], The Censure of the Rota upon Mr. Milton’s Book, Entituled, The Ready
and Easie Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth (London, 1660, March 20), 4, 11–12.
See note 92.
95 Ibid., 4–10.
96 Robert Ayers (CPW VII, 398–400) argues that the revised Readie & Easie Way was
completed and published during the first week of April and before Brief Notes, since
Milton stated his intention to publish “in the midst of our Elections to a free Parlament,
or their sitting to consider freely of the Government.” I do not find convincing his
reading of “or” in this statement as “ere” (indicating publication before the parliament
assembled). I also find somewhat strained his attributing to Milton such a careful calcu-
lation that the “midst” of the elections would have occurred in the first week of April.
The scenario I describe here seems more probable: much of the tract finished during
the elections, as Milton’s retention of a passage charging the people to return “able
men, and according to the just and necessarie qualifications” makes clear (431–2); but
the preface and some other additions and revisions added after publication of Brief
Notes, reflecting Milton’s sense (as the “or” indicates) that the revised tract in fact might
not appear until after the parliament convenes. That is the body, after all, that would
have to put its provisions into practice.
Notes to Chapter 11