your drift, and that you charge the royal interest and party through the Doctor’s sides.  I am not bold enough to be his champion in all particulars, nor yet so rude as to take an office most properly to him belonging out of his hand.  Let him acquit himself in what concerns the divine; and I’ll adventure upon the most material parts of the rest.” [Extracts from Milton’s Notes on Dr. Griffith’s Sermon follow, with brief comments, of no interest, and showing no ability.]

Almost immediately there followed “The Dignity of Kingship Asserted:  in answer to Mr. Milton’s ’Ready and Easie Way to establish a Free Commonwealth.’  Proving that Kinqship is both in itself and in reference to these nations farre the most Excellent Government, and the returning to our former Loyalty or Obedience thereto is the only way under God to restore and settle these three once flourishing, now languishing, broken, and almost ruined nations.  By G. S., a Lover of Loyalty.  Humbly Dedicated and Presented to his most Excellent Majesty Charles the Second, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, true Hereditary King.  London, Printed by E.C. for H. Seile, over against St. Dunstan’s Church in Fleet-street, and for W. Palmer at the Palm-Tree over against Fetter-lane end in Fleet Street. 1660.”  It is a duodecimo volume, the dedication to Charles occupying twenty-one pages, and the main body of the text 177 pages, with a peroration in thirty-nine additional pages addressed to Monk and his Officers and to the two Houses of Parliament about to meet, and then three pages more of concluding address to his Majesty.  Though the author does not give his name, he hints in the course of the volume that he may “be inquired after and perhaps soon found out.”  He says also that his profession “much differs from politics.”  Hence it may be doubted whether the conjecture is right which assigns the book to a George Searle, who had been an original member of the Long Parliament for Taunton, and had been one of the Secluded.  One might venture rather on the query whether the author may not have been Dr. Gilbert Sheldon, soon to be Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury, but for the present waiting with anxiety for the certainty of Charles’s recall, and doing all he could, with other divines, to hasten it.[1]

[Footnote 1:  The Thomason copy gives “May,” without any day, as the date of publication; but I find the book entered in the Stationers’ Registers as early as March 31, 1660.  The writing had been then begun, and the printing of the book had been going on through April.  There is internal evidence that the new Parliament had not met, or at least that the Restoration was not positively resolved on, when the book was finished.  Both in the dedication and in the peroration, the parts last written, the event is spoken of as only in near prospect.—­Sheldon, though a man of public distinction in his time, has left hardly any writings by which his style could be