"O people of an implicit faith, no better than Romish if these be your prime teachers!" he once exclaims, as if Dr.Griffith were a man of some distinction.
The only portions of the _Notes_ of interest now are those that bear on the historical situation at the moment.

Thus, in the notice of the Dedicatory Epistle to Monk prefixed to Dr.Griffith's sermon, there is an evident struggle on Milton's part to speak as if one might still have faith in the General.

It is possible that the censure of Dr.Griffith by the Council of State, intended as it was "to please and blind the fanatical party," may have had some such temporary effect on Milton.

At all events, he refers to Monk as one "who hath so eminently borne his part in the whole action," and he characterizes one portion of the Dedicatory Epistle, where Monk is prayed "to carry on what he had so happily begun," as nothing less than "an impudent calumny and affront to his Excellence." It charges him, says Milton, "most audaciously and falsely, with the renouncing of his own public promises and declarations both to the Parliament and the Army; and we trust his actions ere long will deter such insinuating slanderers from thus approaching him for the future." Throughout the _Notes_, however, one sees that even this small lingering of confidence in Monk is forced, and that Milton is too sadly convinced of the probable predetermination of all now in power to fulfil the general expectation and bring in Charles.

In the following passage there is a half-veiled intimation that, rather than see that ignominious conclusion, Milton would reconcile himself to Monk's own assumption of the Crown:-- "Free Commonwealths have been ever counted fittest and properest for civil, virtuous, and industrious nations, abounding with prudent men worthy to govern; Monarchy fittest to curb degenerate, corrupt, idle, proud, luxurious people.