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duced him, from that time, to devote himself prin. cipally to facred poefy, and to felect Urania for his immediate Mufe,

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While I agree with Mr. Dunfter, that Milton has adopted several thoughts and expreffions from Sylvefter, I hope I may be permitted to obferve that, although the poem of Du Bartas treats largely of the Creation of the World and the Fall of Man, the Origin of Paradife Loft may not perhaps be abfolutely attributed to that work. "Smit with the love of facred fong," Milton, I apprehend, might be influenced, in his " long choofing and beginning late," by other effufions of facred poefy, in the language which he loved, and in the epick form, on fimilar fubjects; befides thofe of Dante, of Taffo, and of the Italian poets already mentioned. In the following lift the Mufes of Spain and Portugal alfo will be found to have chofen congenial themes.

i. Difcorfo in verfi della Creazione del Mondo fino alla Venuta di Gesù Cristo, per Antonio Cornazono. 4°. 1472.

ii. Della Creatione del Mondo, Poema Sacro, del Sig. Gafparo Mvrtola. Giorne fette, Canti fedici. 12m3. Venet. 1608.

iii. Epamerone, overo l'opera de fei Giorni, Poema di Don Felice Paffero. 12mo. Venet. 1609.

iv. Creacion del Mundo, Poema Espagnol, por el Doctor Alonzo de Azevedo. 8°. en Roma, 1615.

v. Da Creação et Compolicão do Homem, Cantos tres por Luis de Camoens, em Verfo Portugues. 4°. em Lifboa 1615. Rimas 2da. Parte.-Paris, 12mo. 1759.

The first of these poems is noticed by Baretti in his Italian Library, p. 58; who alfo mentions an

epick poem, first printed in Sicily, and fince at Milan, of which he had forgotten the dates, entitled "L'Adamo del Campailla. It is a philofophical poem, much admired by the followers of the Cartefian fyftem, who were very numerous when the author wrote it." Ib. p. 66. Baretti alfo mentions another epick poem "Le fei Giornate, di Sebaftiano Erizzo. The fix Days, that is, the Creation performed in fix days, &c." Ib. p. 64. But this is a mistake. Le fei Giornate of Erizzo is neither a poem, nor at all connected with the hiftory of the Creation. It is a feries of novels: "Le fei giornate, nelle quali fotto diuerfi fortunati & infelici auenimenti, da fei giouani raccontati, fi contengono ammaeftramenti nobili & utili di morale Filofofia '."

The fecond of the before-mentioned poems is, in my poffeffion; and I have given fome account of it in the Notes on B. iv. 753, and B. v. 689 of Paradife Loft.

The three next are mentioned by Mr. Bowle, together with the preceding poem; as alfo with the Adamos of Andreini, Soranzo, and Serafino della Salandra, and with the Angeleida of Valvafone; in his manufcript Notes on Lauder's Effay. He has added a reference to the following work, which might not be unknown to Milton.

k

vi. Il Cafo di Lucifero, di Amico Aguifilo. Crefcimbeni, 4. 126.

Proemio. p. 1.-This work of Sebastian Erizzo was printed at Venice, in quarto, by Giouan Varifco &c. in 1567.

k Now the property of Richard Gough, Efq; to whom I am much indebted for the ufe of the book.

To which may be fubjoined another poem that might have attracted the great poet's notice, as it is pronounced by Baretti to be little inferiour to Dante himfelf.

vii. Il Quadriregio, fopra i regni d' Amore, di Satanaffo, dei vizi, e delle virtu, di Monf. F. Frezzi Vefcovo di Foligno. fol. Perug. 1481.

I may venture alfo to point out

viii. La Vita & Paffione di Chrifto, &c. compofta per Antonio Cornozano, in terza rima. Venet. 1518. 12mo.

In which the fecond chapter of the first book is entitled "De la creatione del mondo."

ix. La Humanita del Figlivolo di Dio, in ottaua rima, per Theofilo Folengo, Mantoano. Venegia. 1533. 4o.

In ten books: in the fecond of which Adam and

Eve are particularly noticed. Dr. Burney has confidered the facred drama of Il Gran Natale di Chrifto by the elder Cicognini, as fubfervient to Milton's plan. See the Note on Par. Loft, B. x. 249. There is also a poem of 1 P. Antonio Glielmo, Milton's contemporary, entitled Il Diluvio del Mondo; and there are the Mondo Defolato of the

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fhepherd-boy," G. D. Peri, (the author alfo of the epick poem, Ficfole Diftrutta,) and the Giudicio Eftremo of Toldo Coftantini; both publifhed before Milton perhaps had determined the fubject of his fong.

1 He died in 1644. See Elogii d' Huomini Letterati, fcritti da Lorenzo Craffo, parte fec. Venet. 1666. p. 287.

The former in 1637; and I believe there is an earlier edition: the latter in 1648.

The writer of the article of Pona (François) in the Nouveau Dia. Hift. à Caen, edit. 1786, fays that Pona publifhed "L'Adamo, poema, 1664." The Adamo by this writer, (of which I am poffeffed,) is not, however, a poem, although abounding with poetical expreffions, but a hiftory, in three books, of the Creation and of our firft parents. I have made extracts from it in the Notes on Par. Loft, B. ix. 704, 897, &c. Pona was an author not a little admired in Italy: he died in 1652. Loredano, in a letter to him, fays "L'ingegno di V. S. è un giardino di Paradifo, ove non nafcono che fiori immortali. Tale hò riconofciuto l' angelico." Loredano himfelf has alfo written an Italian Life of Adam, printed at Venice in 1640; tranflated into English in 1659; and next in 1779 by Richard Murray, A. M. and J. U. B. with a Dedication to the Reverend Dr. Baldwin, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin in which the tranflator makes the following affertion. "The noble Venetian, who was the author of this performance originally, had no occafion to court the fanction of an illuftrious name for his protection. The novelty of Adam's ftory, in a country where the Scriptures are forbidden, muft have recommended him; but it's the patronage of one eminent for learning muft apologize for the publishing a Divine Romance in the British nation; for fo Milton, the great ornament of English poetry, calls it, and acknowledges to have received fome of his fineft hints from this Work. Though my author is here and there guilty of almost inex

Lettres de Loredano, edit. Bruxelles, 17 08.p. 8s.

cufable puerilities, and impertinent reflections; yet if we confider his virtues, and the many fine pictures which he originally delineated for the mafterly hand of his fucceffor, Milton, to colour and finish; we must forget his faults, and afcribe them to no defect in his genius, but to the mistaken notions of the Italians concerning the true Sublime; a crime, which may, with juftice, be imputed to fome of their best productions." Where Milton has made the preceding acknowledgement, Mr. Murray has not informed us. However, I have examined the work of Loredano with greater eagerness and attention, fince I met with this remarkable affertion; and have been enabled, in confequence, to add, to the brief notices of this Life of Adam in my first edition of Milton's Poetical Works, fome paffages which may perhaps be confidered as affording fuggeftions of fcenery and defcription to the English poet. To the Adamo of Loredano, I may add, as a work which probably did not escape the notice of Milton, "L'Eva di Federico Malipiero, 12mo. Venet. 1640." To fome parts of this obfcure and forgotten production, a trifling refemblance or two may perhaps be traced.

It is probable that Pona and Loredano were acquainted with Milton; that they were among thofe difcerning perfons, who "in the private academies of Italy, whither," the poet tells us, " he was favoured to refort," foftered his blooming genius by their approbation and encouragement.

See the Preface to his Church Government, B. ii. and his Epitaph. Damon. v. 133, &c.

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