recommended him to the famous GROTIUS, then ambaffador alfo from queen CHRISTINA of Sweden at the French court: for we may easily imagin that MILTON was not a little defirous to be known to the first perfon then in the world for reading and latitude of judgment, to speak nothing of his other meritorious characters. From hence he parted for Italy, where, after paffing thro feveral noted places, he came at length to Florence; a city for the politenefs of the language, and the civility of the inhabitants, he always infinitly admir'd. In this place he ftaid about two months, and was daily affifting at thofe learned conferences which they hold in their privat academys, according to the laudable custom of Italy, both for the improvement of letters, and the begetting or maintaining of friendship. During this time he contracted an intimat acquaintance with feveral ingenious men, most of which have fince made a noise in the world, and deserve a mention in this place: I mean GADDI, DATI, FRESCOBALDE, FRANCINI, BONMATTEI, COLTELLINO, CHIMENTELLI, and feveral others. With these he kept a conftant correspondence, particularly with CAROLO DATI, a nobleman of Florence, to whom he wrote the tenth of his familiar epiftles, and who gave him the following teftimonial of his esteem.

JOANNI MILTONI Londinenfi,

Juveni patria, virtutibus eximio,

VIR

IRO qui multa peregrinatione, ftudio cuncta orbis terrarum perfpexit, ut novus Ulyffes omnia ubique ab omnibus apprehenderet: Polyglotto, in cujus

ore

ore linguæ jam deperdita fic revivifcunt, ut idiomata omnia fint in ejus laudibus infacunda ; & jure ea percallet, ut admirationes & plaufus populorum ab propria fapientia excitatos intelligat. Illi, cujus animi dotes corporifque fenfus ad admirationem commovent, & per ipfam motum cuique auferunt: cujus opera ad plaufus bortantur, fed venuftate vocem auditoribus adimunt. Cui in memoria totus orbis: in intellettu fapientia: in voluntate ardor gloriæ : in ore eloquentia. Harmonicos cæleftium Sphærarum fonitus, Aftronomia duce, audienti; chara&eres mirabilium natura, per quos Dei magnitudo defcribitur, magiftra Philofopbia legenti; antiquitatum latebras, vetuftatis excidia, eruditionis ambages, comite affidua autorum lectione, exquirenti, reftauranti, percurrenti. At cur nitor in arduum? Illi in cujus virtutibus evulgandis ora Fame non fufficiant, nec bominum ftupor in laudandis fatis eft, reverentiæ & amoris ergo boc ejus meritis debitum admirationis tributum offert Carolus Datus Patricius Florentinus,

Tanto bomini fervus, tante virtutis amator.

I don't think the Italian flourishes were ever carry'd further than in this elogy, which notwithstanding is fincere, and pen'd by an honest man. FRANCINI is not lefs liberal of his praises in the long Italian ode be compos'd in his honor, which, because it dos juftice to the English nation, and foretold the future greatness of MILTON, I have annex'd to this difcourfe. That he correfponded afterwards with BONMATTEI, appears from the eighth of his familiar letters, which he wrote to him on his defign of publishing an Italian Grammar, and is not more elegant than pertinent.

tinent. But he attain'd that perfection himself in the Italian language, as to make fom fongs on a real or feign'd mistress, in one of which he gives a handfom account of his writing in this tongue.

Qual in colle afpro, al imbrunir di sera,
L'avezza giovinetta paftorella

Va bagnando l'herbetta ftrana e bella,
Che mal fi fpande a difufata fpera
Fruor di fua natia alma prima vera :
Cofi amor meco infu la lingua fnella
Defta il fior nuovo di strania favella:
Mentre io di te, vezzozamente altera,
Canto dal mio buon popol non intefo,

E'l bel Tamigi cangio col bel arno :
Amor lo volfe, ed io a l'altrui pefo;
Seppi ch'amor cofa mai volfe indarno.
Deb! fofs'il mio cuor lento, e'l duro fens
A chi pianta dal ciel fi buon terreno.

From his belov❜d Florence he took his journy next to Rome, where he ftay'd two other months to fee the miferable remains of that famous city, once the glorious mistress of the world, and defervedly fo, as being then not only the fairest thing under beaven; but that, till the ambition of a few perfons corrupted ber equal government, fhe extended liberty and learning as far as the glory of her name, or the terror of ber arms. Here, no doubt, all the examples be bad bitherto read of the virtue, eloquence, wisdom, or valor of her antient citizens, occur'd to his mind; and could not but opprefs with grief his generous foul, when with bis own eys be faw Rome now the chief feat of the oft exquifit tyranny exercis'd by effeminat priests, not

reigning

reigning in the world thro any conceiv'd opinion of their justice, or dread of their courage (for to these qualities they are known and fworn enemys) but deluding men with unaccountable fables, and difarming 'em by ima ginary fears, they fill their beads firft with fuperftition, and then their own pockets with their mony. Here he became acquainted with the celebrated LUCAS HOLSTENIUS the Vatican librarian, who us'd him with great humanity, and readily fhew'd him all the Greec authors, whether publish'd or otherwise, that past his care and emendations: He also presented him to cardinal BARBERINI, who at an entertain→ ment of mufic, perform'd at his own expence, look'd for him in the croud, and gave him a kind invitation. To thank HOLSTENIUS for all thefe favors, MILTON wrote afterwards from Florence the ninth of his familiar letters. At Rome he likewife commenc'd a friendship with the poet GIOVANNI SALSILLI, who in the following tetraftich extols him for writing fo correctly in Greec, Latin, and Italian.

Cede Meles, cedat depreffa Mincius urna,
Sebetus Taffum definat ufque loqui:
At Thamefis victor cunctis ferat altior undas,
Nam per te, Milto, par tribus unus erit.

MILTON in return fent to SALSILLI, fhortly after lying fick, thofe fine fcazons which may be read among his juvenil poems. And here too did SELVAGGI adorn him with this diftich.

Gracia Meonidem, ja&et fibi Roma Maronem :
Anglia Miltonum jaltat utrique parem.

Having departed from Rome to Naples, he was introduc'd by his fellow traveller to GIOVANNI BATTISTA MANSO, marquifs of Villa, a perfon most nobly defcended, of great authority, renown'd for his military atchievments, and a patron of learned men. To him the famous TASSO infcrib'd his poem of friendship, and makes honorable mention of him among the princes of Campania in the twentieth book of his Gierufalemme conquistata. He went himself to fhew him all the remarkable places of that city, vifited him often at his lodging, and made this distich in his commendation, which he addreffes to himself.

Ut mens, forma, decor, facies, mos; fi pietas fic, Non Anglus, verum berclè Angelus ipfe fores. This exception of his piety relates to his being a proteftant; and the marquifs told him he would have don him feveral other good offices, had he bin more referv'd in matters of religion. But our author out of gratitude for all thefe fingular favors from one of his high quality, prefented him at his departure with an incomparable Latin eclog, intitul'd Manfus, which is extant among his occasional pieces and that I may mention it by the way, I don't queftion but it was from MANSO's converfation and their difcourfes about TASSO, that he first form'd his defign of writing an epic poem, tho he was not fo foon determin'd about the fubject.

He was now preparing to pass over into Sicily and Greece, when he was recal'd by the fad news of