Ad Salfillum, Poetam Romanum, ægrotantem *.

SCAZONTES.

O MUSA, greffum quæ volens trahis claudum,
Vulcanióque tarda gaudes inceffu,

Nec fentis illud in loco minus gratum,
Quàm cùm decentes flava Deiope furas
Alternat aureum ante Junonis lectum;
Adefdum, et hæc s'is verba pauca Salfillo
Refer, Camoena noftra cui tantum eft cordi,
Quámque ille magnis prætulit immeritò divis.

* Giovanni Salfilli had complimented Milton at Rome in a Latin tetraftich, for his Greek, Latin, and Italian, poetry. Milton, in return, fent these elegant Scazontes to Salfilli when indifpofed. WArton.

Ver. I. O Mufa, greffum quæ volens trahis claudum,] Mr. Bowle here cites Angelinus Gazæus, a Dutch poet, in Pia Hilaria. Antv. 1629. p. 79.

"Subclaudicante tibiâ redi, Scazon."

It is an indifpenfable rule, which Milton has not here always obferved, that the Scazon is to close with a spondee preceded by an iambus. WARTON.

Mr. Bowle adds from the Affanie of Ch. Fitz-Geoffrey, L. ii. F. 3. b. 1601. Scazontes.

"Adefte Scazon, melleum genus metri,

"Suavè claudicans Iambicum carmen.

Ver. 4. Quàm cùm decentes flava Deiope &c.] As the Mufes fing about the altar of Jupiter, in Il. Penf. v. 47.

This pagan

theology is applied in Paradife Loft; of the angels, B. v. 161.

"and with fongs,

"And choral fymphonies, day without night,

"Circle his throne rejoycing." WARTON.

Hæc ergo alumnus ille Londini Milto,
Diebus hifce qui fuum linquens nidum,
Polique tractum, peffimus ubi ventorum,
Infanientis impoténfque pulmonis,
Pernix anhela fub Jove exercet flabra,
Venit feraces Itali foli ad glebas,
Vifum fuperbâ cognitas urbes famâ,
Virófque, doctaque indolem juventutis.
Tibi optat idem hic faufta multa, Salfille,
Habitúmque feffo corpori penitùs fanum
Cui nunc profunda bilis infeftat renes,
Præcordiifque fixa damnosùm fpirat ;
Nec id pepercit impia, quòd tu Romano
Tam cultus ore Lefbium condis melos.

;

O dulce divûm munus, O Salus, Hebes
Germana! Tuque, Phœbe, morborum terror,
Pythone cæfo, five tu magis Pæan
Libentèr audis, hic tuus facerdos eft.
Querceta Fauni, vófque rore vinofo

Ver. 23. O dulce divûm munus, &c.] I know not any finer modern Latin lyrick poetry, than from this verse to the end, The close which is digreffional, but naturally rifes from the fubject, is perfectly antique. WARTON.

Ver. 25.

five tu magis Pean

Libenter audis,] So, in Epitaph. Damon. 209. "Sive quior audis Diodatus." He has transferred this claffical expreffion into Par. Loft, B. iii. 7. Where see the Note.

Ver. 27. Querceta Fauni, &c.] Faunus was one of the deities. brought by Evander into Latium, according to Ovid, Fast, B. v. 99. This is a poetical address to Rome. WARTON.

Colles benigni, mitis Evandri fedes,
Siquid falubre vallibus frondet veftris,
Levamen ægro ferte certatim vati.
Sic ille, charis redditus rursùm Mufis,
Vicina dulci prata mulcebit cantu.
Ipfe inter atros emirabitur lucos
Numa, ubi, beatum degit otium æternum,
Suam reclinis femper Ægeriam fpectans.
Tumidúfque et ipfe Tibris, hinc delinitus,
Spei favebit annuæ colonorum;
Nec in fepulchris ibit obfeffum reges,
Nimiùm finiftro laxus irruens loro:

Ver. 28.

30

35

mitis Evandri fedes,] The epithet mitis is finely characteristick of Evander. WARTON.

Ver. 33. Ipfe inter atros emirabitur lucos &c.] Very near the city of Rome, in the middle of a gloomy grove, is a romantick cavern with a spring, where Numa is fabled to have received the Roman laws from his wife Egeria, one of Diana's Nymphs. The grove was called nemus Aricinum, and fometimes Lucus Egeriæ et Camanarum, and the spring Fons Egeria. See Ovid's Faft. iii. 275. And, when Numa died, Egeria is said to have retired hither, to lament his death. See Ovid, Metam. xv. 487. On thefe grounds Milton builds the prefent beautiful fiction, that Numa, ftill living in this dark grove in the perpetual contemplative enjoyment of his Egeria, from thence will liften with wonder to the poetry of the neighbouring bard. This place is much frequented in fultry weather by the people of Rome, as a cool retreat. See Montfauc. Diar. Ital. c. xi. p. 152. edit. 1702. Milton might have visited it while at Rome. WARTON.

Yer. 38. Nec in fepulchris ibit obfeffum reges,

Nimiùm finiftro laxus irruens loro:] This was Ho. race's inundation of the Tiber, Od. i. ii. 18.

Sed fræna meliùs temperabit undarum,
Adufque curvi falfa regna Portumni.

vagus et finiftra

"Labitur ripa."

40

For the left fide, being on a declivity, was foon overflowed. See ibid. v. 15.

"Ire dejectum monumenta regis," WARTON.

MANSUS*.

Joannes Baptifta Manfus, Marchio Villenfis, vir ingenii laude, tum literarum ftudio, nec non et bellica virtute, apud Italos clarus in primis eft. Ad quem Torquati Taff Dialogus extat De Amicitia fcriptus; erat enim Tafi amiciffimus; quo etiam inter Campania principes celebratur, in illo poemate cui titulus GERUSALEMME CONQUISTATA, lib. 20.

ab

"Fra cavalier magnanimi, è cortefi,
Rifplende il MANSO."

Is authorem Neapoli commorantem fummâ benevolentiá profecutus eft, multaque ei detulit humanitatis officia. Ad hunc itaque hofpes ille, antequam ab eâ urbe difcederet, ut ne ingratum fe oftenderet, hoc carmen mifit.

HÆC quoque, Manfe, tuæ meditantur carmina laudi

Pierides, tibi, Manfe, choro notiffime Phoebi;

* At Naples Milton was introduced to Giovanni Battista Manfo, marquis of Villa. See Profe-works, vol. ii. 332. Milton at leaving Naples fent this poem to Manfo. He was a nobleman of distinguished rank and fortune, had fupported a military character with high reputation, of unblemished morals, a polite fcholar, a celebrated writer, and an univerfal patron. It was among his chief honours, that he had been the friend of Taffo: and this circumftance, above all others, muft have made Milton