Introduction. Milton wrote Sonnet 13 in February 1646 to praise his friend Henry Lawes (1596-1661) for completing Ayres and Dialogues, a musical dramatization of William Cartwright's Complaint of Ariadne. The sonnet first appeared as the introduction for Choice Psalms by William and Henry Lawes (1648), a volume dedicated by lawes to the imprisoned King Charles I and in memory of his recently deceased father. In 1630, Charles I selected Lawes to join his "Private Musicke." During the 1630s, Lawes and Milton cultivated their relationship, both professionally and personally. They collaborated on A Mask at Ludlow with Lawes composing the music. In addition to his work with Milton, Lawes prided himself on his ability to compose music that captured the essence of lyric poems. This reputation encouraged Jonson, Donne, Herrick, Phillips, Cartwright, Carew and others to seek out his talents. In contrast to the final title, "To Mr. H. Lawes, on his Aires," the Trinity MS has Sonnet 13 twice on the same leaf and again two leaves following, each with a different title. The first instance carries the following title:
13
To my freind Mr Hen. Laws Feb. 9. 1645
The second has the following title:
13
To Mr: Hen: Laws on the publishing of his Aires
The third has the following title:
13
To Mr: Hen. Lawes on the publishing of his Aires
Mr. H. Lawes. Milton praises the musical talent of Henry Lawes in A Mask 86-87.
span. Give words the correct measure of length and stress.
scan. Count.
Midas Ears. When Pan competed with Apollo in song, only Midas, King of Phrygia, preferred Pan's music, and Apollo punished him by changing his ears to those of an ass. See Ovid's Metamorphoses 11.146-80.
committing. Joining together. See OED2.
short and long. The metrical value of notes and syllables.
Envy to look wan. Described by Shakespeare in Henry V 5. 2. 378-9: "look pale/ With envy."
aire. Melody.
humor. Fit, suit.
lend. 1673 has "send" here; I have chosen the Trinity MS's "lend."
Phoebus. Apollo's title as god of music.
Quire. Apollo's choir.
Story. Refers to William Cartwright's Complaint of Ariadne, which Lawes set to music in his Ayres and Dialogues (1653).
Casella. For Dante's description of his own meeting with the musician Casella, look up Purgatorio 2. 76-117.