PRELIMINARY NOTES ON L'ALLEGRO AND IL PENSEROSO. T will be no detraction from the powers of Milton's original genius and invention to remark, that he seems to have borrowed the fubject of L'Allegro and Il Penferofo, together with fome particular thoughts, expreffions, and rhymes, more especially the idea of a contrast between these two difpofitions, from a forgotten poem prefixed to the first edition of Burton's Anatomie of Melancholy, entitled "The Author's Abstract of Melancholy, or a Dialogue between Pleasure and Pain." Here Pain is Melancholy. It was written, as I conjecture, about the year 1600. (I will make no apology for abstracting and citing as much of this poem, as will be fufficient to prove to a difcerning reader, how far it had taken poffeffion of Milton's mind. The measure will appear to be the fame; and, that our author was at least an attentive reader of Burton's book, will be perhaps concluded from the traces of refemblance which I shall incidentally notice in paffing through the L'Allegro and Il Penferofo. "When I goe mufing all alone, "Thinking of diuerfe thinges foreknown; ayre, "Voide of forrow, voide of feare: "Pleafing myfelfe with phantafmes sweet, VOL. VI. "A thousand pleasures do me bleffe, &c. "All other joyes to this are folly, "Nought fo damnde as Melancholy!" As to the very elaborate work to which these visionary verfes are no unsuitable introduction, the writer's variety of learning, his quotations from scarce and curious books, his pedantry sparkling with rude wit and shapeless elegance, miscellaneous matter, intermixture of agreeable tales and illustrations, and perhaps, above all, the fingularities of his feelings clothed in an uncom mon quaintnefs of ftyle, have contributed to render it, even to modern readers, a valuable repository of amusement and information. But I am here tempted to add a part of Burton's profe, not fo much for the purpofe of exhibiting a fpecimen of his manner, as for the fake of showing, at one view, how nearly Milton has fometimes purfued his train of thought, and felection, of objects, in various paffages of L'Allegro and Il Penferofo. It is in the chapter entitled, Exercife rectified both of Body and Minde. "But the most pleafing of all outward paftimes, is Deambulatio per amana loca, to make a pretty progreffe, to fee citties, caftles, townes: as Fracaftorius, "Vifere fæpe amnes nitidos, peramanaque Tempe, "Et placidas fummis fectari in montibus auras. "To walke amongft orchards, gardens, bowres, and artificiall wilderneffes, green thickets, arches, groves, rillets, fountains, and fuch like pleafant places, like that Antiochian Daphne, pooles,-betwixt wood and water, in a faire meadow by a riuer fide, to difport in fome pleasant plaine, to run vp a steepe hill, or fit in a fhadie seat, must needes be a delectable recreation.— To fee fome pageant or fight go by, as at coronations, weddings and fuch like folemnities; to fee an ambassadour, or prince, met, receiued, entertained with Mafkes, fhewes, &c.-The country has its recreations, may-games, feafts, wakes, and merry-meetings. All seasons, almost all places, haue their feuerall pastimes, fome in fummer, fome in winter, fome abroad, fome within.The ordinary recreations which we haue in winter, and in most folitary times busy our mindes with, are cardes, tables,―musicke, Maskes, vlegames, catches, purposes, questions *, merry tales of errant knights, kings, queenes, louers, lordes, ladies, dwarfes, theeues, fayries, &c. - Dancing, finging, masking, mumming, ftage-playes, how foeuer they bee heauily cenfured by fome feuere Catos, yet if opportunely and foberly vfed, may justly be approved. To read, walke, and fee mappes and pictures, statues, old coynes of feuerall fortes, in a fayre gallerie, artificiall workes, &c. Whofoeuer he is therefore, that is overrunne with folitarineffe, or carried away with a pleafing melancholy and vaine conceits, I can prefcribe him no better remedie than this of study." He winds up his system of studious recreation, with a recommendation of the fciences of morality, aftronomy, botany, &c. "To fee a well-cut herball, all hearbs, trees, flowers, plants, expreffed in their proper colours to the life, &c." P. ii. §. 2. p. 224-234. edit. 1624.-In Beaumont and Fletcher's Nice Valour or Paffionate Madman, there is a beauiful Song on Melancholy, fome of the fentiments of which, as Sympfon long fince obferved, appear to have been dilated and heightened in the Il Penferofo. Milton has more frequently and openly copied the plays of Beaumont and Fletcher, than of Shakspeare. One is therefore furprised, that, in his panegyrick on the stage, he did not mention the twin-bards, when he celebrates the learned fock of Jonfon, and the wood-notes wild of Shakspeare. But he concealed his love. T. WARTON. I will add the Song from Nice Valour, together with the remarks of an ingenious critick on its application to Il Penferofo : * Cross-purposes, Questions and commands, fuch as Milton calls "Quips, and Cranks, and wanton Wiles," L' Alleg. v. 27. |