n
alone remained, the Samson Agonistes, On him, in the absence of
others, the eyes of the Philistine mob, the worshippers of Dagon, had
been turned from time to time of late as the Hebrew that could make
them most efficient sport; and now it was as if they had all met, by
common consent, to be amused by this single Hebrew's last exertions,
and had sent to bring him on the stage. They laughed, they shouted,
they shrieked, the gathered Philistine thousands:

"He, patient, but undaunted, where they led him
Came to the place."

The first of the feats of strength of Milton, thus alone on the
stage, and knowing himself to be confronted and surrounded by a
jeering multitude, was a somewhat puny and unnecessary one. It was an
onslaught on Dr. Matthew Griffith for his Royalist sermon. He wanted
some object of attack, and the very notoriety given to Dr. Griffith's
performance by the rebuke of the Council of State recommended it for
the purpose despite its intrinsic wretchedness. Accordingly, having
had Dr. Griffith's Sermon and its accompaniments read over to him, he
dictated what appeared some time in April with this title: "_Brief
Notes upon a late Sermon, titled 'The Fear of God and the King';
Preach'd, and since published, by Matthew Griffith, D.D., and
Chaplain to the late King. Wherin many notorious wrestings of
Scripture, and other falsities are observed._"[1]

[Footnote 1: Original copies of this pamphlet of Milton must be very
scarce. I could not find one in the British Museum, and I have
looked in vain elsewhere. Probably, at the date when it was
published, the Council of State had become very alert in
suppressing such things. I take the title and extracts from
Pickering's (1851) collective edition of Milton's Works, "printed
from the original editions."]

The tract, which is very short, opens thus:--

"I affirmed, in the Preface of a late Discourse, entitled _The
Ready Way to establish a Free Commonwealth, and the Dangers of
readmitting Kingship in this Nation_, that 'the humour of
returning to our old bondage was instilled of late by some
deceivers': and, to make good that what I then affirmed was not
without just ground, one of those deceivers I present here to the
people, and, if I prove him not such, refuse not to be so accounted
in his stead."

The greater part of the pamphlet consists of an examination of the
sermon itself, with minute remarks on its wrestings or
misinterpretations o