Loredano was the founder of the Accademia degl Incogniti. His houfe at Venice was the conftant refort of learned men. Gaddi, an Italian friend whom Milton names, and who has celebrated the foundation of the academy, would hardly fail to introduce the young Englishman to the founder of it, if by no other means he had become known to him.

Italy then, will probably be thought to have confirmed, if not to have excited, the defign of Milton to fing "Man's difobedience, and the mortal taste of the forbidden fruit."

Yet a very learned and interefting writer has queftioned the propriety of afcribing fuch honour to Italy. "If we are to refer Milton's work," fays Mr. Turner, "to any other suggestion than to his own piety and to the Scriptures, there feems much more reafon to give the honour to our venerable Cedmon, than to the heterogeneous comedy of Andreini, which there is no proof that Milton ever read, and the beginning of which could only difguft his correct tafte. Indeed, if we recollect our old myfteries on the fame fubjects, there appears still lefs occafion to go to Italy in fearch of that which we may find at home." Whether the reader will fubfcribe entirely to this opinion, I greatly doubt; but I am certain he will be highly gratified by the extracts drawn with tafte and ingenuity, by Mr. Turner, from the venerable Anglo-Saxon poetical narration. "Various fpe

P See Jacobi Gaddii Adlocutiones, et Elogia &c. Florentiæ, 1636. 4to, p. 38.

Hift. of the Anglo-Saxons, 2d edit. 4to. 1807. Preface, and Vol. ii. 309, feq.

culations," he obferves, "have been made on the fources to which Milton has been indebted for the fubject of his great poem. The extracts, cited from our Cedmon, Thew that this ancient poet has anticipated fomewhat of the Miltonick character and agency of Satan. It is alfo remarkable that both Cedmon and Milton begin their poems with stating the fall of Satan, and his expulfion from Heaven. Cedmon's paraphrafe was printed by Junius, who lived much in England in 1655. Milton is faid by Aubrey to have begun his Paradife Loft two years before the restoration, or in 1658. It is prefumed to have been finished in 1665, and its first edition appeared in 1667. As our immortal poet wrote the hiftory of the Anglo-Saxon times, and in that quotes a Saxon document, the Saxon Chronicle, we may believe him to have been interested by such an important part of their literature as Cedmon's paraphrase, which, though printed at Amfterdam, muft, from the connections of Junius, who had the MSS. from Archbishop Ufher, have been much known in England. Cedmon's poem is, in the first part, a Paradife Loft, in rude miniature. It contains the fall of the angels, the creation, the temptation of Eve, and the expulfion from Paradife. In its first topick, the fall of the angels, it exhibits much of a Miltonick fpirit; and if it were clear that our illuftrious bard had been familiar with Saxon, we should be induced to think that he owed fomething to the paraphrafe of Cedmon. No one at least can read Cedmon without feeling the idea intruding upon his mind. As the fubject is curious, VOL. II. S

I fhall make no apology for very copious extracts from Cedmon, tranflated as literally as poffible:

"On the Fall of the Angels.

There was not to him ever be except right and truth,

bright blifs was their great to weave and wake.

I ufe the term in the original, becaufe fuch expreffions as bave any allution to ancient manners fhould always be preferved.

would poffefs.

Then was God angry,

and with the hoft wrath
that he before esteemed
illuftrious and glorious.
He made for thofe perfidious
an exiled home,

a work of retribution,
Hell's groans and hard hatreds.
Our Lord commanded the pu-
nifhment-house

for the exiles to abide,
deep, joyless,

the rulers of fpirits.

When he it ready knew
with perpetual night foul,
fulphur including,
over it full fire

and extenfive cold,
with fmoke and red flame,
he commanded them over
the manfion, void of council,
to increase the terror-punish-

ment.

They had provoked accufation;

vile against their Maker,
enjoy might.

Their loftinefs of mind departed, their pride was diminished.

Then was he angry;

he ftruck his enemies
with victory and power,
with judgement and virtue,
and took away joy :
peace from his enemies,
and all pleasure:
Illuftrious Lord!
and his anger wreaked
on the enemies greatly,
in their own power
deprived of ftrength.

He had a stern mind,
grimly provoked;

he feized in his wrath
on the limbs of his enemics,
and them in pieces broke,
wrathful in mind.
He deprived of their country
his adverfaries,

from the stations of glory
he made and cut off,

grim against God gathered to our Creator!

gether,

to them was grim retribution

come.

the proud race of angels from. heav'n;

the faithlefs hoft.

They faid, that they the king- The Governor fent the hated army

dom

with fierce mind would poffefs, on a long journey,

and fo easily might.

Them the hope deceived,

after the Governor,

the high King of Heaven, his hands upreared.

He purfued against the crowd; nor might the void of mind,

with mourning speech.
To them was glory loft,
their threats broken,
their majefty curtailed,
ftained in fplendor;
they in exile afterwards
preffed on their black way.

"But that part of Cedmon which is the moft original product of his own fancy, is his account of Satan's hoftility. To us, the Paradife Loft of Milton has made this fubject peculiarly interefting; and as it will be curious to fee how an old Saxon poet has previously treated it, we shall give another copious extract. Some of the touches bring to mind a few of Milton's conceptions. But in Cedmon the finest thoughts are abruptly introduced, and very roughly and imperfectly expreffed. In Milton the fame ideas are detailed in all the majefty of his diction, and are fully difplayed with that vigour of intellect in which he has no fuperior.

"The univerfal Ruler had of the angelic race,

through his hand-power, the holy Lord!

a fortrefs eftablished.

To them he well trusted

that they his fervice

would follow,

would do his will.

fo mighty

in his mind's thought;

he let him rule fo much;
the highest in heaven's king-
dom;

he had made him

fo fplendid;

fo beautiful

was his fruit in heaven,

For this he gave them under- which to him came

standing,

from the Lord of Hofts;

and with his hands made them. that he was like

The Holy Lord

had fiationed them

to happily.

One he had fo

ftrongly made,

the brilliant stars.

Praise ought he

to have made to his Lord;
he fhould have valued dear
his joys in hoaven ;