To thee, dear lady, with an humble figh, As fafe from envy and from outrage rude, It was at Rome that Milton was complimented, in Latin verfe, by Selvaggi and Salfilli: his reply to the latter, then fuffering from a fevere malady, is fo remarkable for its elegance, tenderness, and fpirit, that Mr. Warton praises it as one of the finest lyrical compofitions, which the Latin poetry of modern times can exhibit. The circumstances that happened to our author in his travels, and indeed, the moft ftriking particulars of his life, are related by himself, in his "Second Defence." He there tells us, that in paffing from Rome to Naples his fellow-traveller was a hermit, who introduced him to Baptista Manso, Marquis of Villa, an accomplished nobleman, and fingularly diftinguished as the friend and the biographer of two eminent poets, Taffo and Marini; they have both left poetical memorials of their efteem for the Marquis, who acquired his title as a foldier in the service of Spain, but retiring early, with confiderable wealth, to Naples, his native city, he founded there there a literary academy, and lived in fplendor as its prefident. This graceful and venerable hero, whofe politenefs and learning had been fondly celebrated by Taffo, in a dialogue on friendfhip, that bears the name of Manfo, was near eighty when Milton became his gueft: he feems to have been endeared to the imagination of our poet by the liberal and affectionate tribute he had paid to the memory of his illuftrious poetical friends ; a tribute very feelingly defcribed by Milton in the following lines, addreffed to the noble and generous biographer-they speak first of Marini : Ille itidem moriens tibi foli debita vates Nec fatis hoc vifum eft in utrumque; et nec pia ceffant To thee alone the poet would entrust An endless life is alfo thine to give; And And thou haft given it them; and deigned to teach The life of Homer eloquently drew! If the two Latin verfes, in which this amiable old man expreffed his admiration of the young English bard, deserve the name of a "forry diftich," which Johnson bestows upon them, they still present Milton to our fancy in a most favourable light. A traveller, fo little diftinguifhed by birth or opulence, would hardly have, obtained fuch a compliment from a nobleman of Manfo's experience, age, and dignity, had he not been peculiarly formed to engage the good opinion and courtesy of strangers, by the expreffive comelinefs of his perfon, the elegance of his manners, and the charm of his converfation. In Manfo, fays Milton, I found a most friendly guide, who fhewed me himself the curiofities of Naples, and the palace of the Viceroy. He came more than once to vifit me, while I continued in that city; and when I left it, he earnestly excused himself, that although he greatly wifhed to render me more good offices, he was unable to do fo in Naples, because in my religion I had difdained all difguife*. Pleafing *Neapolim perrexi: illic per eremitam quendam, quicum Româ iter feceram, ad Joannem Baptiftam Manfum, Marchionem Villenfem, virum nobiliffimum atque graviffimum (ad quem Torquatus Taffus, infignis poeta Italus, de amicitia fcripfit) fum introductus; eodemque ufus, quamdiu illic fui, fane amiciffimo; qui et ipfe me per urbis loca et proregis aulam circumduxit, et vi fendi Pleafing and honourable as the civilities were that our young countryman received from this Neftor of Italy, he has amply repaid them in a poem, which, to the honour of English gratitude and English genius, we may justly pronounce fuperior to the compliments bestowed on this engaging character by the two celebrated poets, who wrote in his own language, and were peculiarly attached to him. Of the five fonnets, indeed, that Taffo addreffed to his courteous and liberal friend, two are very beautiful; but even these are furpaffed, both in energy and tendernefs, by the following conclufion of a poem, inscribed to Manso, by Milton. Diis delecte fenex, te Jupiter æquus oportet fendi gratiâ haud femel ipfe ad hofpitium venit: difcendenti feriò excufavit fe, tametfi multò plura detuliffe mihi officia maxime cupiebat, non potuiffe illâ in urbe, propterea quod nolebam in religione effe teftior.-Defenfio Secunda. Annorumque Annorumque fatur, cineri fua jura relinquam, Ille meos artus, liventi morte folutos, Well may we think, O dear to all above, The |