and are
cast into a land which they know not? O Earth, Earth, Earth, hear the
word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord: Write ye this man childless, a
man that shall not prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall
prosper, sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in
Judah."

A curious supplement to Milton's _Ready and Easy Way to establish a
Free Commonwealth_ exists in the shape of a private letter which
he addressed to General Monk. It was not published at the time, and
bears no date, but must have been written immediately after the
publication of the pamphlet, while the Parliament of the Secluded
Members and Residuary Rumpers was still sitting. Milton, it would
seem, had sent Monk a copy of the pamphlet; and this private letter
is nothing but a brief summary of the suggestions of the pamphlet for
the General's easier reading, should he think fit. It is entitled, in
our present copies, "_The Present Means and Brief Delineation of a
Free Commonwealth, easy to be put in practice and without delay: In a
Letter to General Monk_."[1] The whole consists of less than three
of the present pages. Believing that all endeavours must now be used
"that the ensuing election be of such, as are already firm or
inclinable to constitute a Free Commonwealth," Milton appeals to Monk
to be himself the man to lead in these endeavours. "The speediest
way," he says, "will be to call up forthwith [to London] the chief
gentlemen out of every county, [and] to lay before them (as your
Excellency hath already, both in your published Letters to the Army
and your Declaration recited to the Members of Parliament), the
danger and confusion of readmitting kingship in this land." Then let
the gentlemen so charged return at once to their counties, and elect
or cause to be elected, "by such at least of the people as are
rightly qualified," a STANDING COUNCIL in every city and great town,
all great towns henceforth to be called _Cities_. Let it be
understood that these councils are to be permanent seats of district
and local judicature and of political deliberation; but, while
setting up such councils, let the gentlemen also see to the election
of "the usual number of ablest knights and burgesses, engaged for a
Commonwealth, to make up the PARLIAMENT, or, as it will from
henceforth be better called, THE GRAND OR GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE
NATION." The local or city councils having meanwhile been set up, and
it having been intimated that on g