THOMAS KEN AND IZAAK WALTON 23 



DEEPEST GULPH of HELL, the 

 TRAMPLE and SPURN of all the other 

 DAMNED, that in the ANGUISH of THEIR 

 TORTURE shall have no OTHER EASE than to 

 EXERCISE a RAVING and BESTIAL 

 PLIGHT for ever, the basest ', the undermost, 

 the most DEJECTED, most UNDERFOOT and 

 DOWN - TRODDEN Vassals of PERDITION ! " 

 (The italics and capitals are not mine. I give 

 them as in Mr. Bowles's book.) 



This is a pretty strong specimen of cursing in 

 defence of the Presbyterians, of whom he afterwards 

 in his " Tetrachordion " said, " New Presbyter is but 

 old priest writ large," and whom he in another place 

 characterised as "Owls, and cuckoos, asses, apes, 

 and dogs." * 



" I did but prompt the age to quit their clogs, 

 By the known rules of ancient liberty, 

 When straight a barbarous noise environs me, 

 Of owls and cuckoos, asses, apes and dogs" 



(Sonnet xii.) 



1 Reading " Cowper's Letters " the other day, I came 

 across this defence of Milton : "Milton's mind could not 

 be narrowed by anything ; and though he quarrelled with 

 Episcopacy in the Church of England idea of it, I am per- 

 suaded that a good Bishop, as well as any other good man, 

 of whatever rank or order, had always a share in his venera- 

 tion." (E.M.) 



