From Florence he went to Sienna, and from Sienna to Rome, where he was again received with kindness by the Learned and the Great. Holftenius, the keeper of the Vatican library, who had refided three years at Oxford, introduced him to cardinal Barberini, and he, at a mufical entertainment, waited for him at the door, and led him by the hand into the affembly. Here Selvaggi praised him in a diftich, and Salfilli in a tetraftick; neither of them of much value. The Italians were gainers by this literary commerce; for the encomiums with which Milton repaid Salfilli, though not fecure against a stern grammarian, turn the balance indifputably in Milton's favour,

Of

Of these Italian teftimonies, poor as they are, he was proud enough to publifh them before his poems; though he fays, he cannot be suspected but to have known that they were faid non tam de fe, quam fupra fc.

At Rome, as at Florence, he ftaid only two months; a time indeed fufficient, if he defired only to ramble with an explainer of its antiquities, or to view palaces and count pictures; but certainly too fhort for the contemplation of learning, policy, or manners.

From Rome he paffed on to Naples, in company of a hermit; a companion from whom little could be expected, yet to him Milton owed his introduction to Manfo marquis of Villa, who had

c 3

had been before the patron of Taffo. Manfo was enough delighted with his accomplishments to honour him with a forry diftich, in which he commends him for every thing but his religion; and Milton, in return, addreffed him in a Latin poem, which must have raised an high opinion of English elegance and literature.

His purpose was now to have vifited Sicily and Greece; but, hearing of the differences between the king and parliament, he thought it proper to haften home, rather than pafs his life in foreign amufements while his countrymen were contending for their rights. 'He therefore came back to Rome, tho? the merchants informed him of plots. laid

I

laid against him by the Jefuits, for the liberty of his converfations on religion. He had fenfe enough to judge that there was no danger, and therefore kept on his way, and acted as before, neither obtruding nor fhunning controverfy. He had perhaps given fome offence by vifiting Galileo, then a prisoner in the Inquifition for philofophical herefy; and at Naples he was told by Manfo, that, by his declarations on religious questions, he had excluded himself from fome diftinctions which he fhould otherwife have paid him. But fuch conduct, though it did not pleafe, was yet fufficiently fafe; and Milton ftaid two months more at Rome, and went on to Florence without moleftation.

From Florence he vifited Lucca. He afterwards went to Venice; and, having fent away a collection of mufick and other books, travelled to Geneva, which he probably confidered as the metropolis of orthodoxy. Here he repofed, as in a congenial element, and became acquainted with John Diodati and Frederick Spanheim, two learned profeffors of Divinity. From Geneva he paffed through France; and came home, after an absence of a year and three months.

At his return he heard of the death of his friend Charles Diodati; a man whom it is reasonable to fuppofe of great merit, fince he was thought by Milton worthy of a poem, intituled, Epitaphium Damonis, written with the

com