CHAPTER II.

Second Section.

MILTON’S LIFE AND SECRETARYSHIP THROUGH THE ANARCHY:  MAY 1659—­FEB. 1659-60.

FIRST STAGE OF THE ANARCHY, OR THE RESTORED RUMP (MAY—­OCT. 1659):—­FEELINGS AND POSITION OF MILTON IN THE NEW STATE OF THINGS:  HIS SATISFACTION ON THE WHOLE, AND THE REASONS FOR IT:  LETTER OF MOSES WALL TO MILTON:  RENEWED AGITATION AGAINST TITHES AND CHURCH-ESTABLISHMENT:  VOTES ON THAT SUBJECT IN THE RUMP:  MILTON’S CONSIDERATIONS TOUCHING THE LIKELIEST MEANS TO REMOVE HIRELINGS OUT OF THE CHURCH:  ACCOUNT OF THE PAMPHLET, WITH EXTRACTS:  ITS THOROUGH-GOING VOLUNTARYISM:  CHURCH-DISESTABLISHMENT DEMANDED ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT COMPENSATION FOR VESTED INTERESTS:  THE APPEAL FRUITLESS, AND THE SUBJECT IGNORED BY THE RUMP:  DISPERSION OF THAT BODY BY LAMBERT.

SECOND STAGE OF THE ANARCHY, OR THE WALLINGFORD-HOUSE INTERRUPTION (OCT.—­DEC. 1659):—­MILTON’S THOUGHTS ON LAMBERT’S COUP D’ETAT IN HIS LETTER TO A FRIEND CONCERNING THE RUPTURES OF THE COMMONWEALTH:  THE LETTER IN THE MAIN AGAINST LAMBERT AND IN DEFENCE OF THE RUMP:  ITS EXTRAORDINARY PRACTICAL PROPOSAL OF A GOVERNMENT BY TWO PERMANENT CENTRAL BODIES:  THE PROPOSAL COMPARED WITH THE ACTUAL ADMINISTRATION BY THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY AND THE WALLINGFORD-HOUSE COUNCIL OF OFFICERS:  MILTON STILL NOMINALLY IN THE LATIN SECRETARYSHIP:  MONEY WARRANT OF OCT. 25, 1659, RELATING TO MILTON, MARVELL, AND EIGHTY-FOUR OTHER OFFICIALS:  NO TRACE OF ACTUAL SERVICE BY MILTON FOR THE NEW COMMITTEE OF SAFETY:  HIS MEDITATIONS THROUGH THE TREATY BETWEEN THE WALLINGFORD-HOUSE GOVERNMENT AND MONK IN SCOTLAND:  HIS MEDITATIONS THROUGH THE COMMITTEE-DISCUSSIONS AS TO THE FUTURE MODEL OF GOVERNMENT:  HIS INTEREST IN THIS AS NOW THE PARAMOUNT QUESTION, AND HIS COGNISANCE OF THE MODELS OF HARRINGTON AND THE ROTA CLUB:  WHITLOCKE’S NEW CONSTITUTION DISAPPOINTING TO MILTON:  TWO MORE LETTERS TO OLDENBURG AND YOUNG RANELAGH:  GOSSIP FROM ABROAD IN CONNECTION WITH THESE LETTERS:  MORUS AGAIN, AND THE COUNCIL OF FRENCH PROTESTANTS AT LOUDUN:  END OF THE WALLINGFORD-HOUSE INTERRUPTION.

THIRD STAGE OF THE ANARCHY, OR THE SECOND RESTORATION OF THE RUMP (DEC. 1659-FEB. 1659-60):—­MILTON’S DESPONDENCY AT THIS PERIOD:  ABATEMENT OF HIS FAITH IN THE RUMP:  HIS THOUGHTS DURING THE MARCH OF MONK FROM SCOTLAND AND AFTER MONK’S ARRIVAL IN LONDON:  HIS STUDY OF MONK NEAR AT HAND AND MISTRUST OF THE OMENS:  HIS INTEREST FOR A WHILE IN THE QUESTION OF THE PRECONSTITUTION OF THE NEW PARLIAMENT PROMISED BY THE RUMP:  HIS ANXIETY THAT IT SHOULD BE A REPUBLICAN PARLIAMENT BY MERE SELF-ENLARGEMENT OF THE RUMP:  HIS PREPARATION OF A NEW REPUBLICAN PAMPHLET:  THE PUBLICATION POSTPONED BY MONK’S SUDDEN DEFECTION FROM THE RUMP, THE ROASTING OF THE RUMP IN THE CITY, AND THE RESTORATION OF THE SECLUDED MEMBERS TO THEIR PLACES IN THE PARLIAMENT:  MILTON’S DESPONDENCY COMPLETE.