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Hei mihi

quam Omnes unanimi fecum fibi lege fodales,

fimiles ludunt per prata juvenci,

95

Nec magis hunc alio quifquam fecernit amicum
De grege, fic denfi veniunt ad pabula thoes,
Inque vicem hirfuti paribus junguntur onagri;
Lex eadem pelagi, deferto in littore Proteus
Agmina Phocarum numerat, vilifque volucrum 100
Paffer habet femper quicum fit, et omnia circum
Farra libens volitat, fero fua tecta revisens,
Quem fi fors letho objecit, feu milvus adunco
Fata tulit roftro, feu ftravit arundine foffor,
Protinus ille alium focio petit inde volatu.
Nos durum genus, et diris exercita fatis
Gens homines, aliena animis, et pectore difcors;
Vix fibi quifque parem de millibus invenit unum;
Aut fi fors dederit tandem non afpera votis,
Illum inopina dies qua non fperaveris hora
Surripit, æternum linquens in fæcula damnum.
Ite domum impafti, domino jam non vacat, agni.
Heu quis me ignotas traxit vagus error in oras
Ire per aëreas rupes, Alpemque nivosam!

105

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113. Heu quis me ignotas, &c.] He has parodied a verse in Virgil's Eclogues, into a very natural and pathetic complaint, Et que tantà fuit Romam, &c. i. 27. And there is much addrefs in the parenthefis introducing Virgil, which points out that verse.

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Ecquid erat tanti Romam vidiffe fepultam,
(Quamvis illa foret, qualem dum viferet olim,
Tityrus ipfe fuas et oves et rura reliquit;)
Ut te tam dulci poffem caruiffe fodale,

115

Poffem tot maria alta, tot interponere montes,
Tot fylvas, tot faxa tibi, fluviosque fonantes! 120
Ah certe extremum licuiffet tangere dextram,
Et bene compofitos placide morientis ocellos,
Et dixiffe," Vale, noftri memor ibis ad aftra".

Ite domum impafti, domino jam non vacat, agni.
Quamquam etiam veftri nunquam meminiffe pigebit,
Paftores Thufci, Mufis operata juventus,
Hic Charis, atque Lepos; et Thufcus tu quoque

Damon,

126

Antiqua genus unde petis Lucumonis ab urbe. O ego quantus eram, gelidi cum ftratus ad Arni

Murmura, populeumque nemus, qua mollior herba, Carpere nunc violas, nunc fummas carpere myrtos, Et potui Lycidæ certantem audire Menalcam. 132 Ipfe etiam tentare aufus fum, nec puto multum

116. Quamvis illa foret, &c.] Although Rome was as fine a city at prefent, as when vifited by Tityrus or Virgil, ECL. i. ut fupr. 119. He addreffes the fame fentiment to Deodate while living, EL. iv. 21. Milton, while in Italy, vifited Rome twice.

128.

Lucumonis ab urbe.] Luca, or Lucca, an antient city of Tuscany, was founded by Lucumon or Leumon, an Hetrufcan king..

See the first Note on EL.i.

4 C

Difplicui,

Difplicui, nam funt et apud me munera veftra Fifcellæ, calathique, et cerea vincla cicuta; 135 Quin et nostra fuas docuerunt nomina fagos

Et Datis, et Francinus, erant et vocibus àmbo

137. Et Datis, et Francinus.] Carlo Dati of Florence, with whom Milton corresponded after his return to England. In a Latin Letter to Dati, dated at London, Apr. 21, 1647, Milton speaks of having fent this poem to Dati, and also mentions his intention of fend. ing his book of Latin poems published two years before, 1645. PROSE-WORKS, vol. ii. 572. Dati has a Latin eulogy prefixed to the POEMATA, edit. 1673. So has Antonio Francini an Italian ode, of confiderable merit.

In Burman's SYLLOGE, in a Letter from Cuperus to Heinfius, dated 1672, a Carolus Datus is mentioned, “ cujus eruditionis fponforem habeo librum de VITA PICTORUM." vol. ii. 671. Again in another from the fame, dated 1676, his death is mentioned with much regret, where he is called vir in Etrufcis præftantiffimus, and one whose lofs would be deeply felt by the learned. ibid. 693. In another, from N. Heinfius, dated 1647, he is called "amiciffimum mihi juvenem,” iii.193. Again, ibid. 806, 820, 826,827. In another from the fame, dated 1652, "Scribit ad me Datus Florentiæ in Medicco codice ex"tare, &c." ibid. 294. He correfponds with J. Voffius in 1647. ibid. 573. Voffius, and others, wish him to publish Doni's book of InIcriptions. ibid. 574. feq. Spanheim, in 1661, writes to N. Heinfius to introduce him to Carlo Dati and other learned men at Florence. ibid. 817. In a Letter from N. Heinfius dated 1676, "Mors repen"tina Caroli Dati quanto mærore me confecerit, vix eft ut verbis ex"primatur. Ne nunc quidem, cum virum cogito, a lacrymis temperare poffum, &c." vol. iv. 409. See alfo vol. v. 577-578. In a Letter to Chriftina queen of Sweden dated 1652, from Florence, N. Heinfius fends her an Italian epigram by Dati, which had been much applauded, on her late accident. ibid. 757. Again from the fame, to the fame, 1652, "Habes et hic Caroli Dati Epigramma Etrufcum. "Eft autem ille, quod et alia monui occafione, magni inter Floren"tinos Poetas nominis: laudes tuas fingulari parat poemate." Ibid. 758. See alfo p. 744. 742. 472.

Mr. Brand accidentally difcovered on a book-ftall a manufcript which he purchased, intitled, LA TINA, by Antonio Malatesti not yet enumerated among Milton's Italian friends. It is dedicated by the author to John Milton while at Florence. Mr. Brand gave it to Mr. Hollis, who, in 1758, fent it together with Milton's works,

both

1

Et ftudiis noti, Lydorum fanguinis ambo.

140

Ite domum impasti, domino jam non vacat, agni.
Hæc mihi tum læto dictabat rofcida luna,
Dum folus teneros claudebam cratibus hædos.
Ah quoties dixi, cum te cinis ater habebat,
Nunc canit, aut lepori nunc tendit retia Damon,
Vimina nunc texit, varios fibi quod fit in ufus!

both in poetry and profe, and his Life by Toland, to the academy
della Crufca.

As a recommendation and a fpecimen of his abilities, Milton 1 fhewed in Italy, his juvenile Latin Poems, yet unprinted, about 1639. CH. GOVERN. B. ii. PREF. "In the private academies of

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Italy, whither I was favoured to refort, perceiving that fome trifles " which I had in memory, composed at under twenty or thereabout (for the manner is, that every one must give a proof of his wit and "reading there) met with acceptance above what was looked for, and "other things which I had shifted in scarcity of books and conveniences "to patch up among them, were received with written encomiums, "&c." PROSE-WORKS, vol. i. 54. See the pieces prefixed to the Latin Poems.

138. -Lydorum fanguinis ambo.] Of the most antient Tufcan families. The Lydians brought a colony into Italy, whence came the Tufcans. On this origin of the Tufcans from the Lydians, Horace founds the claim of the Tufcan Mecenas to a high and illuftrious ancestry. SAT. i. vi. I.

Non quia, Mæcenas, LYDORUM quicquid ETRUSCOS
Incoluit fines, nemo GENEROSIOR eft te.

See alfo Propert. iii.ix.1. It is for this reason, Virgil says, Æn.ii.782.
Ubi Lydius arva

Inter opima virum leni fluit agmine TYBRIS.

LYDIAN, that is Tufcan: and Tufcany is washed by the Tyber. Virgil, GEORG. ii. 499. "Qui TUSCUM Tiberim." And by Ovid it is frequently called the Tuscan river. See Ovid, METAM.iii.375.583. 140. Hæc mihi tum læto di&abat roscida luna,

v. 29.

Dum folus teneros claudebam cratibus bados.] As in LYCIDAS,

Battening our flocks with the fresh DEWS of NIGHT.
The Crates are the wattled cotes in Comus, v. 345:

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Et quæ tum facili sperabam mente futura
Arripui voto levis, et præfentia finxi,

145

Heus bone numquid agis? nifi te quid forte retardat, Imus et arguta paulum recubamus in umbra, Aut ad aquas Colni, aut ubi jugera Caffibelauni? Tu mihi percurres medicos, tua gramina, fuccos, Helleborumque, humilefque crocos, foliumque hyacinthi,

151

Quafque habet ista palus herbas, artefque meden

tum.

Ah pereant herbæ, pereant artefque medentum, Gramina, poftquam ipfi nil profecere magistro. Ipfe etiam, nam nefcio quid mihi grande fonabat

149. Aut ad aquas Colni, aut ubi jugera Caffibelauni?] The river Colne flows through Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, in Milton's neighbourhood. Our author's father's houfe and lands at Horton, were held under the earl of Bridgewater, before whom Coмus was acted at Ludlow-Caftle.

By jugera Caffibelauni, we are to understand Verulam or Saint Alban's, called the town of Caffibelan, an antient British king. See Camd. BRIT. 1.321. edit. Gibf. 1772. Milton's appellations are often conveyed by the poetry of antient fable.

1

150. Tu mihi percurres medicos, tua gramina, fuccos.] Deodate is the Shepherd-lad in CoмUS, V. 619.

A certain fhepherd lad,

Of small regard to fee to, yet well skill'd

In every virtuous plant and healing herb,

That fpreads her verdant leaf to th' morning ray:

He lov'd me well, and oft would beg me fing,

And in requital ope his leathern fcrip,

And fhow me fimples of a thousand names,
Telling their ftrange and vigorous faculties, &c.

See Note on EL. vi. 90.

155. He hints his design of quitting pastoral, and the lighter kinds

of

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