day as the foregoing, and was to introduce this Ayscough. "I
send to your Majesty (and cannot send a present of greater worth or
excellence) the truly distinguished and truly noble man, George
Ayscough, Knight, not only famous and esteemed for his knowledge of
war, especially naval war, as proved by his frequent and many brave
performances, but also gifted with probity, modesty, ingenuity, and
learning, dear to all for the sweetness of his manners, and, what
is now the sum of all, eager to serve under the banners of your
Majesty, so renowned over the whole world by your warlike prowess."
A favourable reception is bespoken for Ayscough, who is to bring
certain communications to his Majesty, and who, in any matters that
may arise out of these, is to be taken as speaking for Richard
himself. It was not till the beginning of the following year that
Ayscough did arrive in the Baltic.

These five letters were undoubtedly the most important diplomatic
dispatches of the beginning of Richard's Protectorate. They refer to
the two most momentous foreign interests bequeathed from Oliver: viz.
the French Alliance against Spain, and the entanglement in Northern
Europe round the King of Sweden. Milton, as having written all the
previous state-letters on these great subjects, was naturally
required to be himself the writer of the five in which Richard
announced to France and Sweden his resolution to continue the policy
of his father. Marvell's pen may have been used, then and afterwards,
for minor dispatches.

To the month of October 1658, the month after that of Oliver's death,
belongs also a new edition of Milton's _Defensio Prima_. It was
in octavo size, in close and clear type, and bore this title:
"_Joannis Miltonii, Angli, Pro Populo Anglicano Defensio contra
Claudii Anonymi, alias Salmasii, Defensionem Regiam. Editio
correctior et auctior, ab Autore denuo recognita. Londini, Typis
Newcombianis, Anno Dom. 1658_" (John Milton's Defence, &c.
"_Corrected and Enlarged Edition, newly revised by the Author_"
London: from Newcome's press, &c.).[1] This edition seems to have
escaped the notice to which it is entitled. As far as my examination
has gone, the differences from the original edition through the body
of the work can be but slight. There is, however, a very important
postscript of two pages, which I shall here translate:--

[Footnote 1: Thomason copy in British Museum, with the date
"_Octob._" (no