of the animals, the only inhabitant of the universe, and enjoyer of a scene so wonderfully grand. Whence, charmed more than ever, I refolved, with the favor of the bleffed God, to ufher into the light of the world what I bore in the darkness of my imagination, both to render it known in fome measure that I know myself, and the infinite obligations that I have to God; and that others, who do not know, may learn the true nature of man, and from the low contemplation of earthly things may raise their mind to things celeftial and divine.

I remained, however, a confiderable time in doubt, if I ought, or if I were able, to undertake a compofition moft difficult to me on many accounts, fince in beginning the facred subject from man's creation to the point where he is driven from the terreftrial paradise (a period of fix hours, as Saint Auguftine relates in his book on the city of God) I did not clearly perceive how an action fo brief could be formed into five acts, especially allowing to every act the number of at least fix or seven scenes; difficult from the dispute that the Devil maintained with Eve, before he could induce her to eat the apple, fince we have only the text that mentions it, in saying "Nequaquam moriemini, & eritis ficut Dii, fcientes bonum & malum;" difficult from the words of Eve, in perfuading Adam (who had indeed the gift of knowledge infused) to taste the apple; but difficult above all from my own infirmity, fince

la mia debolezza, poichè doveva la composizione rimaner priva di quegli ornamenti poetici, cosi cari alle mufe: priva di poter trarre le comparazioni di cofe fabrili, introdotte col volger degli anni, poichè al tempo del primo uomo, non v'era cofa. Priva pur di nominar (mentre però parla Adamo e con lui fi ragiona) per esempio archi, ftrali, bipenni, urne, coltelli, fpade, afte, trombe, tamburri, trofei, veffilli, aringhi, martelli, faci, mantici, roghi, teatri, erarj, e somiglianti cofe, ed infinite, avendole tutte introdotte la neceffità del peccato commeffo; e però come afflittive e di pena, non dovevan paffar per la mente, nè per la bocca d'Adamo, benchè avesse la scienza infufa, come quegli che nell' innocenza feliciffimo fi vivea. E priva eziandio del portare in campo, fatti d' iftorie facre o profane; del raccontare menzogne di favolofi dei; di narrare, amori, furori, armi, caccie, pefcagioni, trionfi, naufragi, incendj, incanti, e fimili cofe, che fono in vero l' ornamento, e lo fpirito della poesía. Difficile per non fapere in che stile doveffe parlare Adamo, perchè risguardando al faper fuo, meritava i verfi intieri, grandi, foftenuti, numerofi: ma confiderandolo poi paftore ed albergatore de' boschi, pare che puro e dolce effer doveffe nel fuo parlare e m' accostai perciò a quefto di renderlo tale più, ch' io potessi con verfi interi, e spezzati, e definenze. E qui preso animo nel maggior mio dubbio, diedi, non

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the compofition must remain deprived of those poetic ornaments fo dear to the muses; deprived of the power to draw comparisons from implements of art, introduced in the courfe of years, fince in the time of the firft man there was no fuch thing; deprived alfo of naming (at least while Adam fpeaks, or difcourfe is held with him) for example, bows, arrows, hatchets, urns, knives fwords, fpears, trumpets, drums, trophies, banners, lifts, hammers, torches bellows, funeral piles, theatres, exchequers, and infinite things) of a like nature, introduced by the neceffities of fin; they ought not to pass through the mind, or through the lips of Adam, although he had knowledge infused into him, as one who lived moft happy in a ftate of innocence; deprived, moreover, of introducing points of hiftory, facred or profane, of relating fictions of fabulous deities, of rehearfing loves, furies, arms, sports of hunting or fishing, triumphs, fhipwrecks, conflagrations, inchantments, and things of a like nature, that are in truth the ornament and the foul of poetry; difficult from not knowing in what style Adam ought to speak, fince, in respect to his knowledge, it might be proper to affign to him verfes of a high, majeftic, and flowing style; but confidering him as a fhepherd, and an inhabitant of the woods, it appears that he should be fimple and fweet in his difcourfe, and I endeavoured, on that account, to render it such, as much as I could, by variety of versification;

1

fo come, principio; andai, per così dire, fenza mezzo feguendo: e giunfi al fine nè me ne avvidi. Onde ho da credere che la bontà di Dio, rifguardando più tofto l' affetto buono che i miei diffetti, (sì come retira spesso il cuor dell' uomo dall' opre male, così l'induce infenfibilmente ancora alle buone) foffe quella che mi moveffe la mano, e che l' opera mia terminaffe. Dunque a lei fola debbo le grazie di quella poca che peravventura fi trova nella prefente fatica: fapendo che l'onnipotenza fua, avvezza a trarre maraviglie dal rozzo ed informe caos, così da quello molto più rozzo ed informe della mia mente, abbia anche tratto quefto partó, fe non per altro, per effer facro, e perchè, per così dire, parlaffe un mutolo in perfona mia, per la povertà dell' ingegno come fuole all'incontro far amutire le più felici lingue quando s' impiegano in cose brutte e profane. Vedafi dunque con l'occhio della difcrezione, nè fi biafimi peravventura la povertà dello ftile, la poca gravità nel portar delle cofe, la fterilità de' concetti, la debolezza degli fpiriti, gli infipidi fali, gli ftravaganti epifodj, come a dire (per lafciare una infinità d'altre cofe) che il mondo, la carne e'l diavolo per tentare Adamo, in forma umana gli s' apprefentino, poich' altro uomo nè altra donna non v' era al mondo, poichè il ferpente

,

and here, taking courage in my greatest doubt, I formed, I know not how, a beginning; I advanced, if I may say so, without any determinate plan, and arrived at the end before I was aware. Whence I am inclined to believe, that the favor of God, regarding rather my good intentions than my defects (for as he often withdraws the heart of man from evil, fo he conducts it infenfibly to good) gave direction to my hand, and completed my work. Wherefore to that alone I am indebted for the little grace that may perhaps be found in the prefent labor; knowing that as omnipotence is accuftomed to produce wonders from the rude and unformed chaos, fo from the ftill ruder chaos of my mind it may have called forth this production, if not for any other purpose, yet to be facred, and to make, as it were, a mute fpeak in my perfon, in despite of poverty of genius, as on the other hand it is accustomed to ftrike mute the most eloquent tongues, when they employ themselves on fubjects low and profane. Let it be furveyed, therefore, with an eye of indulgence, and blame not the poverty of ftyle, the want of dignity in the conduct of the circumftances, fterility of conceits, weakness of fpirit, infipid pleasantries, and extravagant episodes; to mention, without fpeaking of an infinitude of other things, that the world, the flesh, and the devil, prefent themselves in human shapes to tempt Adam, fince there was then in the universe no other man or woman, and the