MILTON AND VONDEL. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. THE "Paradise Lost" of Milton is now, by universal consent, numbered among those few productions of rare poetical genius whose supreme merit assures them an immortality of renown. Yet its record has not been one of unbroken triumph. The poem, when published, did not take public opinion by storm. Its popularity was at first of slow growth, and when at length it had won its way to that position of acknowledged pre-eminence, which it has since retained, its very originality and inspiration began to be vehemently questioned. In the eighetenth century a perfect storm of controversy arose as to the supposed sources from whence its author derived not merely the rudimentary ideas, but even the very details both in plot and imagery of that "adventurous song," which, in the poet's own words, was "to pursue things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme." Voltaire was the first who threw out the suggestion that the conceptions of Milton might not be entirely original. In an essay on Epic Poetry, written in English and published in the year 1727, he remarks A "that Milton during his year's sojourn in Italy saw at Florence the performance of a Scriptural drama by an Italian writer named Andreini, entitled 'Adamo,' and dealing with the subject of the Fall of Man, and that he (Milton), piercing through the absurdity of the representation to the hidden majesty of the subject, took from that ridiculous trifle the first hint of the noblest work the human imagination has ever attempted." The careless suggestion did not fall to the ground; it was seized upon by critics and commentators with the avidity peculiar to their kind. The question, "Was Milton a plagiarist?" opened out a field for curious research too tempting to be neglected. Bookshelves and catalogues were ransacked, and the dust shaken from many a forgotten volume in the laborious search that was instituted in quest of the prima stamina of the Paradise Lost. It is not necessary to enter into any detailed account of this curious episode of literary history; the more curious because its result, so far from detracting from Milton's fame, has rather served to establish his reputation as being one of the most learned and well-read men of his time. It will be sufficient for our purpose to mention the malicious attempt made by William Lauder, who undertook to prove that Milton in writing his poem had made the freest use without acknowledgment of the works (principally in Latin) of a number of poets and poetasters, English, Scotch, Dutch, and German. Lauder published in 1750 a series of essays upon the subject in the pages of the Gentleman's Magazine, supporting his argument by copious quotations. These essays were afterwards collected in a volume under the title of "Milton's Use and Imitation of the |