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Of Brutus, Dardan chief, my song shall be,

How with his barks he plough'd the British sea;
First from Rutupia's tow'ring headland feen,
And of his confort's reign, fair Inogen;
Of Brennus and Belinus, brothers bold,
And of Arviragus; and how of old
Our hardy fires th' Armorican controll'd;
And of the wife of Gorlois who, furpriz'd
By Uther in her husband's form difguis'd,
(Such was the force of Merlin's art) became
Pregnant with Arthur of heroic fame:
These themes I now revolve.

COWPER.

In one of his controverfial works, published in 1641, Milton informs us what poetical ideas were then Auctuating in his mind; particularly "what king or knight be"fore the Conqueft might be chofen, in whom to lay the

pattern of a chriftian hero." This project, of delineating in a hero a model of chriftian perfection, was fuggefted to the English poet, not only by the example, but by the precepts, of Taffo, as they are delivered in his critical difcourses. The epic defigns of Milton were fufpended, we know, for many years, by very different pursuits; and when he escaped from "the troubled fea of noise and hoarse

dispute to the quiet and ftill air of delightful ftudies," Arthur had fo far ceased to be his favourite, that he probably exclaimed, in the words of Taffo:

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Taccia

Taccia Artù quei fuoi

Erranti, che di fogni empion le carte.

Arthur no more thy errant knights rehearse,

Who fill, with idle dreams, delufive verse.

For Adam now reigned in his fancy, not immediately as the subject of an epic poem, but as a capital personage in the plan of a dramatic compofition, that instead of being formed on the narrow ground of Grotius, in his Adamus Exul, allowed a wider range to the fancy, and included allegorical characters, like the Adamo of Andreini.

This composition, first printed at Milan, in 1613, and again in 1617, resembles the mysteries of our early stage; and is denominated in Italian, Rapprefentatione, a name which the writers of Italy apply to dramas founded on the fcripture.-Dr. Pearce has faid, in the preface to his review of Milton's text, that he was informed an Italian tragedy existed, entitled Il Paradifo Perfo, Paradife Loft ; but, in a very extensive research, I can discover no fuch performance. There is indeed another Italian drama on the fubject, which I have not seen, entitled Adamo Caduto, tragedia facra; but this was not printed until 1647, fome years after the return of our poet from the continent *. It seems very probable that Milton, in his colJection

* For the benefit of commentators on our divine bard, let me here infert a brief lift of

fuch Italian compofitions, as may póffibly have afforded him some useful hints :

1. Adamo

lection of Italian books, had brought the Adamo of Andreini to England; and that the perufal of an author, wild indeed, and abounding in grotefque extravagance, yet now and then fhining with pure and united rays of fancy and devotion, first gave a new bias to the imagination of the English poet, or, to use the expreffive phrase of Voltaire, first revealed to him the hidden majesty of the Subject. The apoftate angels of Andreini, though sometimes hideously and abfurdly disgusting, yet occafionally fparkle with fuch fire as might awaken the emulation of Milton.

I fhall not attempt to produce parallel paffages from the two poets, because the chief idea that I mean to inculcate is, not that Milton tamely copied the Adamo of Andreini, but that his fancy caught fire from that spirited, though irregular and fantastic, composition—that it proved in his ardent and fertile mind the feed of Paradife Loft ;this is matter of mere conjecture, whofe probability can

1. Adamo Caduto, tragedia facra, di Serafino della Salandra. Cozenza, 1647. Octavo.

2. La Battaglia Celeste tra Michele e Lucifero, di Antonio Alfani, Palermitano. Palermo, 1568. Quarto.

3. Dell Adamo di Giovanni Soranzo, i due primi libri. Genova 1604. Duodecimo.

Thefe little known productions on the fubject of Milton are not to be found in the royal library, nor in the princely collection of Lord Spencer, who poffeffes that remarkable rarity of Italian literature, the Thefeida of Boccacio; and whofe liberal paffion for books is ennobled by his politenefs and beneficence to men of letters.

The pocts of Italy were certainly favourites with Milton; and perhaps his Sampfon Agoniftes was founded on a facred drama of that country, La Rapprefentatione di Sanfone, per Aleflandro Rofelli. Siena, 1616. Quarto.There is probably confiderable poetical merit in this picce, as I find two fubfequent editions of it recorded in the hiftorians of Italian literature; yet I am unable to fay whether Milton is indebted to it or not, as I have never been fo fortunate as to find a copy of Rofelli's compofition. Yet the mention of it here may be useful to future editors of the English poet.

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only be felt in examining the Adamo-to the lovers of Milton it may prove a source of amusing speculation.

And as the original work of Andreini is feldom to be found, it may be pleafing to the reader, both of English and Italian, to fee in thefe pages a brief analysis of his drama; with a fhort felection from a few of the most remarkable scenes.

THE CHARACTERS.

GOD the FATHER.

CHORUS OF SERAPHIM, CHERUBIM, and ANGELS.
The archangel MICHAEL.

ADAM.

EVE.

A CHERUB, the guardian of ADAM.

LUCIFER.

SATAN.

BEELZEBUB.

The SEVEN mortal SINS.

The WORLD.

The FLESH.

FAMINE.

LABOUR.

DESPAIR.

DEATH.

VAIN GLORY.

SERPENT.

VOLANO, an infernal meffenger.

CHORUS Of PHANTOMS.

CHORUS of fiery, airy, aquatic, and infernal SPIRITS.

ACT I. SCENE I. Chorus of Angels, finging the glory of God. After their hymn, which ferves as a prologue, God the

Father,

Father, Angels, Adam and Eve.-God calls to Lucifer, and bids him furvey with confufion the wonders of his power.-He creates Adam and Eve-their delight and gratitude.

SCENE 2. Lucifer, arifing from hell-he expreffes his enmity against God, the good Angels, and Man.

SCENE 3. Lucifer, Satan, and Beelzebub.-Lucifer excites his affociates to the deftruction of Man, and calls other Demons from the abyss to confpire for that purpose.

SCENES 4, 5, and 6. Lucifer, fummoning feven diftinct Spirits, commiffions them to act under the character of the feven mortal Sins, with the following names:

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ACT II. SCENE I. The Angels, to the number of fifteen, feparately fing the grandeur of God, and his munificence to

Man.

SCENE 2. Adam and Eve, with Lurcone and Guliar watching unfeen.-Adam and Eve exprefs their devotion to God fo fervently, that the evil Spirits, though invifible, are put to flight by their prayer.

SCENE 3. The Serpent, Satan, Spirits.-The Serpent, or Lucifer, announces his design of circumventing Woman.

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