"or of my own conscience: Signor Arrigo meo, says "he, i pensieri stretti, et il viso sciolto, that is, your "thoughts close, and your countenance loose, will go "safely over the whole world. Of which Delphian "oracle (for so I have found it) your judgment doth "need no commentary; and therefore, Sir, I will "commit you with it to the best of all securities, "God's dear love, remaining your friend, as much at "command as any of longer date.

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"H. WOTTON.

"P. S. Sir, I have expressly sent this by my footboy to prevent your departure, without some ac"knowledgment from me of the receipt of your obliging "letter, having myself through some business, I know "not how, neglected the ordinary conveyance. In any part where I shall understand you fixed, I shall be glad and diligent to entertain you with home-no"velties, even for some fomentation of our friendship, "too soon interrupted in the cradle."

Soon after this he set out upon his travels, being of an age to make the proper improvements, and not barely to see sights and to learn the languages, like most of our modern travellers, who go out boys, and return such as we see, but such as I do not choose to name. He was attended by only one servant, who accompanied him through all his travels; and he went first to France, where he had recommendations to the Lord Scudamore, the English ambassador there at that time; and as soon as he came to Paris, he waited upon his Lordship, and was received with wonderful civility;

and having an earnest desire to visit the learned Hugo Grotius, he was by his Lordship's means introduced to that great man, who was then ambassador at the French court from the famous Christina Queen of Sweden; and the visit was to their mutual satisfaction; they were each of them pleased to see a person, of whom they had heard such commendations. But at Paris he stayed not long; his thoughts and his wishes hastened into Italy; and so after a few days he took leave of the Lord Scudamore, who very kindly gave him letters to the English merchants in the several places through which he was to travel, requesting them to do him all the good offices which lay in their power.

From Paris he went directly to Nice, where he took shipping for Genoa, from whence he went to Leghorn, and thence to Pisa, and so to Florence, in which city he found sufficient inducements to make a stay of two months. For besides the curiosities and other beauties of the place, he took great delight in the company and conversation there, and frequented their academies as they are called, the meetings of the most polite and ingenious persons, which they have in this, as well as in the other principal cities of Italy, for the exercise and improvement of wit and learning among them. And in these conversations he bore so good a part, and produced so many excellent compositions, that he was soon taken notice of, and was very much courted and caressed by several of the nobility and prime wits of Florence. For the manner is, as he says himself in the preface to his second book of the Reason of

* See, respecting Milton's familiarity with the Italian lan

guage, Mr. Warton's note on the verses Ad Patrem, v. 83. E.

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Church-government, "that every one must give some proof of his wit and reading there," and his productions" were received with written encomiums which "the Italian is not forward to bestow on men of this "side the Alps." Jacomo Gaddi, Antonio Francini, Carlo Dati, Beneditto Bonmatthei, Cultellino, Frescobaldi, Clementelli, are reckoned among his particular friends. At Gaddi's house the academies were held, which he constantly frequented. Antonio Francini composed an Italian ode in his commendation. Carlo Dati wrote a Latin eulogium of him, and corresponded with him after his return to England". Bonmatthei was at that time about publishing an Italian grammar; and the eighth of our author's familiar epistles, dated at Florence Sept. 10, 1638, is addressed to him upon that occasion, commending his design, and advising him to add some observations concerning the true pronunciation of that language for the use of foreigners.

So much good acquaintance would probably have detained him longer at Florence, if he had not been going to Rome, which to a curious traveller is certainly the place the most worth seeing of any in the world. And so he took leave of his friends at Florence, and went from thence to Sienna, and from Sienna to

'See Epitaph. Damonis, v. 137. and Mr. Warton's note, respecting Carlo Dati, and the MS. dedicated to Milton at Florence. E. Dennis compliments the discernment of the Italians who discovered, while Milton was among them, his great and glowing genius. See his Original Letters, &c. 1721. vol. i. p. 78,

countrymen's commendations of Milton. Osservissi nelle lodi dagl' Italiani date a questo grand uomo, com' essi fin d'allora scorgevano in lui l'alta forza d'ingegno che lo portava al primo auge di gloria letteraria nel suo secolo e nella sua nazione; e gliene facevano gli avverati prognostici. Vita di Milton, 1735.

80. Rolli also remarks on his Todd.

Rome, where he stayed much about the same time that he had continued at Florence, feasting both his eyes and his mind, and delighted with the fine paintings, and sculptures, and other rarities and antiquities of the city, as well as with the conversation of several learned and ingenious men, and particularly of Lucas Holstenius, keeper of the Vatican library, who received him with the greatest humanity, and showed him all the Greek authors, whether in print or in manuscript, which had passed through his correction; and also presented him to Cardinal Barberini, who at an entertainment of music, performed at his own expence, waited for him at the door, and taking him by the hand brought him into the assembly. The next morning he waited upon the Cardinal to return him thanks for his civilities, and by the means of Holstenius was again introduced to his Eminence, and spent some time in conversation with him. It seems that Holstenius had studied three years at Oxford, and this might dispose him to be more friendly to the English, but he

The description of the Creation in the third book of Paradise Lost, (v. 708-719.) is supposed by Mr. Walker to be copied from the same subject as treated by Raphael in the gallery of the Vatican called la Bibbia di Raffaello. Hist. Mem. on Italian Tragedy, p. 166. Todd.

Milton's own account, in his letter to Holstenius, of his reception by Cardinal Barberini, is this. Tum nec aliter crediderim, quam quæ tu de me verba feceris ad præstantissimum Cardin. Franc. Barberinum, iis factum esse, ut cum ille paucis post diebus axgo

pia illud musicum magnificentia vere Romana publice exhiberet, ipse me tanta in turba quæsitum ad fores expectans, et pene manu prehensum persane honorifice intro admiserit. Epist. Fam. 9. Mr. Todd, (Life of Milton, p. 33. ed. 2.) states on the authority of a MS. of Dr. Bargrave, preserved in the Library of Canterbury Cathedral, that every foreign nation had at this time some Cardinal or other to be their peculiar guardian, and that Barberini was the appointed guardian of the English. E.

took a particular liking and affection to Milton; and Milton, to thank him for all his favours, wrote to him: afterwards from Florence the ninth of his familiar epistles. At Rome too Selvaggi made a Latin distich in honour of Milton, and Salsilli a Latin tetrastich, celebrating him for his Greek and Latin and Italian poetry; and he in return presented to Salsilli in his sickness those fine Scazons, or Iambic verses having a spondee in the last foot, which are inserted among his juvenile poems.

From Rome he went to Naples, in company with a certain hermit; and by his means was introduced to the acquaintance of Giovanni Baptista Manso, Marquis of Villa, a Neapolitan' nobleman, of singular merit and virtue, to whom Tasso addresses his dialogue of friendship, and whom he mentions likewise in his Gierusalemme Liberata with great honour. This nobleman was particularly civil to Milton, frequently visited him at his lodgings, and went with him to show him the Viceroy's palace, and whatever was curious or worth notice in the city: and moreover he honoured him so far as to make a Latin distich in his praise, which is printed before our author's Latin poems, as is likewise the other of Selvaggi, and the Latin tetrastich of Salsilli together with the Italian ode and the Latin eulogium before mentioned. We may suppose that Milton was not a little pleased with the honours conferred upon him by so many persons of distinction, and especially by one of such quality and eminence as the Marquis of Villa; and as a testimony of his gratitude he presented to the Marquis at his departure from Naples his eclogue entitled Mansus, which is well