inftructor" Milton was, of all travellers, the moft likely to feize a hint of this kind with avidity, and expreffions in Paradise Loft have led an Italian biographer of the poet to fuppofe, that while he refided at Florence he caught from Galileo, or his difciples, fome ideas approaching towards the Newtonian philofophy. He has informed us himself, that he really faw the illuftrious fcientific prifoner of the inquifition, and it seems not unreasonable to conclude, that he was in fome degree indebted to his conference with Grotius for that mournful gratification, From Paris our author proceeded to Italy, embarking at Nice for Genoa. After a curfory view of Leghorn and Pifa, he fettled for two months at Florence; a city, which he particularly regarded for the elegance of its language, and the men of genius it had produced; here, as he informs us, he, became familiar with many perfons diftinguifhed by their rank and learning; and here, probably, he began to form thofe great, but unfettled, projects of future compofition, which were to prove the sources of his glory, and of which he thus fpeaks himself: ἐσ "In the private academies of Italy, whither I was favoured to refort, perceiving that fome "trifles I had in memory, compofed at under * Senex is, optime de univerfo meritus, morbo fractus, infuper & animi ægritudine, haud multum nobis vitæ fuæ promittit; quare prudentiæ erit arripere tempus, dum tanto doctore uti licet. Grotii Epift. 964. twenty, or thereabout (for the manner is, "that every one must give some proof of his "wit and reading there) met with acceptance above what was looked for, and other things, “which I had fhifted, in scarcity of books and conveniency, to patch up amongst them, were "received with written encomiums, which the "Italian is not forward to beftow on men of "this fide the Alps, I began thus far to affent "both to them, and divers of my friends here ແ at home, and not less to an inward prompting, "which now grew daily upon me, that by la"bour and intent study, (which I take to be my portion in this life) joined with the ftrong propenfity of nature, I might, perhaps, leave fomething fo written to after- times as they "fhould not willingly let it die. These thoughts at once poffeffed me, and these other, that if "I were certain to write as men buy leafes, for "three lives and downward, there ought no re 66 66 gard to be fooner had than to God's glory, by "the honour and inftruction of my country; "for which caufe, and not only for that I knew "it would be hard to arrive at the fecond rank 66 among the Latins, I applied myself to that re"folution, which Ariofto followed against the perfuafions of Bembo, to fix all the induftry and art I could unite to the adorning of my native tongue; not to make verbal curiofities "the end, (that were a toilfome vanity) but to "be an interpreter and relater of the best and 66 the reader may recollect, in a letter, already cited, to his friend Diodati! His prejudiced biographer endeavours to prove, that his spirit was contemptuous, by obferving, that he was frugal of his praife. The argument is particularly defective, as applied to Milton on his travels; fince the praises he bestowed on those accomplished foreigners, who were kind to him, are liberal in the highest degree, and apparently dictated by the heart. After a fhort visit to Sienna, he refided two months in Rome, enjoying the moft refined fociety, which that city could afford. By the favor of Holftenius, the well known librarian of the Vatican (whofe kindness to him he has recorded in a Latin Epiftle equally grateful and elegant) he was recommended to the notice of Cardinal' Barberini, who honored him with the most flattering attention; it was at the concerts of the Cardinal that he was captivated by the charms of Leonora Baroni, whofe extraordinary mufical powers he has celebrated in Latin verse, and whom he is fuppofed to addrefs as a lover in his Italian poetry. The moft eloquent of the paffions, which is faid to convert almost every man who feels it into a poet, induced the imagination of Milton to try its powers in a foreign language, whofe difficulties he feems to have perfectly fubdued by the united aids of genius and of love. His Italian fonnets have been liberally commended by natives of Italy, and one of them contains a fketch of his own character, fo fpirited and fingular as to claim a place in this narrative. Giovane piano, e femplicetto amante Poichè fuggir me fteffo in dubio fono, Madonna a voi del mio cuor l'humil dono L'ebbi fedele, intrepido, coftante, Di Penfieri leggiadri accorto, e buono; Tanto del forfe, e d' invidia ficuro, Di timori, e fperanze, al popol use, E di cetra fonora, e delle muse: Sol troverete in tal parte men duro, Enamour'd, artlefs, young, on foreign ground, To thee, dear lady, with an humble figh, As fafe from envy and from outrage rude, From hopes and fears that vulgar minds abufe, As fond of genius, and fixt folitude, It was at Rome that Milton was complimented, in Latin verfe, by Selvaggi and Salfilli: his reply to the latter, then suffering from a fevere malady, is fu remarkable for its elegance, tenderness, and fpirit, that Mr. Warton praises it as one of the finest lyrical compofitions, which the Latin poetry of modern times can exhibit. The circumstances that happened to our author in his travels, and, indeed, the moft ftriking particulars of his life, are related by himself, in his "Second Defence. He there tells us, that in paffing from Rome to Naples his fellowtraveller was a hermit, who introduced him to Baptifta Manso, Marquis of Villa, an accomplished nobleman, and fingularly distinguished as the friend and the biographer of two eminent poets, Taffo and Marini; they have both left poetical memorials of their efteem for the Marquis, who acquired his title as a foldier in the service of Spain, but retiring early, with confiderable wealth, to Naples, his native city, he founded there a literary academy, and lived in fplendor as its prefident. This graceful and venerable hero, whose politeness and learning had been fondly celebrated by Taffo, in a dialogue on friendship, that bears |