the biographer of Taflo.55 To him Milton addreffed a beautiful Latin poem, in which he expreffes his hope, if he could find fuch a friend and patron as Manfo, of celebrating in verfe the exploits of King Arthur and his Knights. Si quando indigenas revocabo in carmina reges Frangam Saxonicas Britonum fub Marte Phalanges. Dr. Johnson very juftly fays, that this poem must have raised a high opinion of English elegance and literature among the scholars of Italy. From Naples he intended to visit Sicily and Greece; but he now heard of the commencement of the quarrel between the king and the parliament: and he thought it his duty to haften home where his countrymen were contending for their rights, rather than to pursue the enjoyments of more extended travel. Turpe enim existimabam, dum mei cives de libertate dimicarent, me animi caufâ, otiofe peregrinari.' He returned by way of Rome, though some merchants had informed him of the enmity of the Jesuits on account of his freedom of conversation; and Manfo was withheld from showing him fome favours by the opinions which Milton had too openly expreffed 55 Taffo mentions Manfo in the twentieth book of his Gierufal. Liberata, among other princes of Italy. Fra Cavalieri Magnanimi e cortefe He addreffed to him five fonnets. Manfo was also the patron of Marino; and was the biographer of both these illuftrious poets. Mr. Walker, when at Naples, endeavoured to discover the villa where Manfo received the vifits of Milton and Taffo. See Hift. Mem. 1799. App. p. xxvi. xxxi. cr on religious questions. Sir Henry Wotton's advice (a Delphian Oracle, for fo I have found it") though neglected, was now feen to be prudent and wife; but we may conceive, that in those times, it was difficult to withhold opinions on fubjects fo much agitated, affecting the temporal interests of fome, and awakening the fpiritual alarm of others. The fchifm between the churches was comparatively fresh; the Church of Rome reluctantly beheld a great and growing kingdom refcued from her avarice and power.56 In the freedom of opinion, and by the difcuffion of rights, she saw her fafety endangered, or her splendour diminished. She had foftered for her protection a body of men the most politic, and deep in worldly wisdom, whose existence depended on her profperity we shall not therefore be surprised if a young and zealous Proteftant, who could not well endure the ecclefiaftical establishment of his own country, fimple and moderate as it was, fhould give offence when expreffing his feelings in the inmoft bofom of the Papal Church, in the verge of the Vatican, and under the very chair of St. Peter himself. He says, speaking of his conduct whilst in Italy," I laid it down as a rule for myself, never to begin a conversation on religion in these parts, but if interrogated concerning my faith, whatever might be the confequence, to diffemble nothing. If any one attacked me, I defended in the most open manner, as before, the orthodox faith for nearly two months more, in the city even of the fovereign Pontiff.' 58 56 Dum Cathedram, venerande tuam, diademaque triplex Dumque pharetrati fpernunt tua jura Britanni.' Miltoni Sylv. Quint. Nov. v. 94. 57 See Second Defence of the People, p. 384, ed. Burnet. 58 In the Hora Subcefiva, 1620, of Lord Chandos, (or of the Earl of Devonshire's eldest son), remarks are made on this fubject, p. 206, on In an album of a Neapolitan nobleman, Camillo Cerdogni, refiding at Genoa from 1608 to 1640, among other inscriptions of Englishmen as well as of foreigners, is the following of Milton, written in his own ftrong clear hand. "If virtue feeble were, Heaven itself would ftoope to her." Cælum non animum muto, qui trans mare curro. Jan. 10, 1639. Joannes Miltonius, Anglus. Presuming that the distich from Comus, as well as the Latin verse from Horace, applies to himself, and that they bear reference to the fame subject, we may suppose that fubject to be his religion which he here affirms to be unalterable, and that if it were attacked, Heaven would lend its fupport to those who defended it. This autograph is not only an interesting memorial of the Poet, but a confirmation of his decifion and resolution in matters connected with the religion of the reformed Church, if we have rightly interpreted the intent of the lines. In the fame volume is the autograph of Thomas Wentworth, afterwards Lord Strafford, both then in the brilliant morning of their lives: both pursuing in youthful emula a Difcourfe of Rome. "I do not thinke it unneceffary to say something of the fafety and danger for an Englishman to travell thither. . . . It is true that for fome Persons there can be no place in the world so dangerous for them to come in as this; and they are fuch, as have been noted either to have been Perfecutors of them, violently addicted against them, or fuch has have oppofed them by public difputation, or writing in manner of controverfie; for that it is certain, if they be found, they shall be either brought into the Inquifition or forced to be reconciled to their Church; and yet I do not think it is impoffible for any of this fort to make a voyage thither, and never be furprised. But then they must neither publish their purpose nor time, &c." "If a man in his going thither, converse with Italians and difcufs or difpute his religion, he is fure, unless he fly, to be complained on, and brought within the Inquifition," &c. tion the arts of peace; both wandering in the enchanted Land of Song, enriching their minds with all the ancient or modern muse could beftow; one as yet guiltless of trampling on the liberties of his afflicted country, and one who had not then earned the noble pre-eminence of standing forth as the unbought champion of her injured rights. Perhaps the following paffage may be confidered as a just commentary on the Poetry :-" In all the places in which vice meets with fo little difcouragement, and is protected with so little shame, I never once turned from the path of integrity and virtue, and perpetually reflected that though my conduct might escape the notice of men, it could not elude the inspection of God." Milton ftaid about two months at Rome, and pursued his journey without molestation to Florence. He then visited Lucca, and spent a month at Venice. There he shipped for England the collection of books and mufic 59 which he had formed, and travelled to Geneva, which, Johnson obferves, he probably confidered as the metropolis of orthodoxy. At Geneva he became acquainted with John Deodati,60 and Frederick Spanheim, the father of the eminently 59 As regards Milton's attention to painting, Mr. Walker fays, "Several of the immortal works of Guido, Raffaelle, and M. Angelo, may be traced in the Paradife Loft, and he inftances 708-719 of the third book, taken from Raffaelle in the Vatican, called La Biblia de Raffaelle." v. Mem. of Italian Tragedy, p. 166. But Mr. Coleridge fays, on the other hand, "It is very remarkable, that in no part of his writings does Milton take any notice of the great painters of Italy, nor indeed of painting as an art, while every other page breathes his love and tafte for mufic. Yet in one paffage in P. Loft he has certainly copied the fresco of the Creation in the Sistine Chapel at Rome." v. P. L. vii. 263. v. Table Talk, vol. ii. p. 83. 60 See fome account of this Giov. Deodati, of his preaching at Venice in a trooper's drefs, and converting a Venetian courtefan, in Warton's Milton, p. 548. He was uncle of Charles,' mentioned below. d learned scholar and antiquary, whom Milton subsequently knew. He now paffed through France, and returned home after an absence of fifteen months. Of his habitual purity of morals, and sanctity of character, when abroad, he has himself informed us in the words I lately quoted. 'Deum hic rurfus teftem in vocem, me his omnibus in locis ubi tum multa licent, ab omni flagitio ac Probro, integrum atque intactum vixiffe, illud perpetuo cogitantem, fi hominum latere oculos poffem, Dei certe non poffe.' On his return he heard of the death of Charles Deodati,62 and he has recorded the affection which he felt for his friend, in the Epithalamium Damonis. Nec dum aderat Thyrfis, paftorem fcilicet illum Tum vero amiffum, tum denique fentit amicum.63 Some paffages in this poem are borrowed from the Aminta of Taffo; a few more lines, alluding to his recent travels, I fhall quote. neva. Heu quis me ignotas traxit vagus error in oras, Ecquid erat tanti Romam vidisse sepultam ? 62 C. Deodati was a native of England, but of an Italian family, which came originally from Lucca; but in its laft generation established at GeHis father, Theodore, came early in life to England, married a lady of family and fortune, and practised as a phyfician. The fon was bred to the fame profeffion, and fettled in Cheshire. See fome further account in Todd's Milton, vol. vi. p. 173. 360. The two Greek letters of Deodati, poffeffed by Toland, are now in the British Museum, (MS. Add. No. 5017. f. 71,) and will be found in the Appendix to this Memoir. |