fo candid as to exprefs his difbelief of a tradition unfupported by evidence.”

I have been unable to difcover whether there is any edition of Clarke's book, prior to that which is mentioned.

VI. We are now to be again gratified with the very curious refearches, and ingenious deductions, of Mr. Hayley. Having obferved it to be highly probable, that Andreini turned the thoughts of Milton from Alfred to Adam, as the fubject of a dramatick compofition, he thinks it poffible that an Italian writer, less known than Andreini, first threw into the mind of Milton the idea of converting Adam into an epick perfonage. "I have now before me," he proceeds,

a literary curiofity, which my accomplished friend, Mr. Walker, to whom the literature of Ireland has many obligations, very kindly fent me, on his return from an excurfion to Italy, where it happened to ftrike a traveller, whofe mind is peculiarly awakened to elegant purfuits. The book I am fpeaking of is entitled La Scena Tragica d'Adamo ed Eva, Fratta dalli primi tre capi della Sacra Genefi, e ridotta a fignificato Morale da Troilo Lancetta, Benacenfe. Venetia 1644. This little work is dedicated to Maria

Conjectures on the Origin of Paradife Loft, at the end of the Life of Milton, 2d edit. 1796, p. 264, &c.

Gonzaga, Dutchefs of Mantua, and is nothing more than a drama in profe, of the ancient form, entitled a morality, on the expulfion of our first parents from Paradife. The author does not mention Andreini, nor has he any mixture of verse in his compofition; but, in his address to the reader, he has the following very remarkable paffage: after suggesting that the Mosaick history of Adam and Eve is purely allegorical, and defigned as an incentive to virtue, he says,

• Una notte fognai, che Moisè mi porse gratiosa espositione, e mifteriofo fignificato con parole tali apunto :

Dio fà parte all' Huom di fe fteffo con l'intervento della ragione, e difpone con infallibile fentenza, che fignoreggiando in lui la medefma fopra le fenfuali voglie, prefervato il pomo del proprio core dalli appetiti difordinati, per guiderdone di giufta obbedienza li trasforma il mondo in Paradifo.-Di quefto s'io parlaffi, al ficuro formarei heroico poema convenevole a femidei."

• One night I dreamt that Mofes explained to me the myftery, almost in these words:

• God reveals himself to Man by the intervention of reafon, and thus infallibly ordains that reafon, while fhe fupports her fovereignty over the fenfual inclinations in Man, and preferves the apple of his heart from licentious appetites, in reward of his juft obedience transforms the world into Paradise.-Of this were I to speak, affuredly I might form an heroick poem worthy of demi-gods.'

"It strikes me as poffible that these last words, affigned to Mofes in his vifion by Troilo Lancetta, might operate on the mind of Milton like the queftion of Ellwood, and prove, in his pro

lifick fancy, a kind of rich graft on the idea he derived from Andreini, and the germ of his greatest production.

"A fceptical critick, inclined to discountenance this conjecture, might indeed obferve, it is more probable that Milton never faw a little volume not published until after his return from Italy, and written by an author fo obfcure, that his name does not occur in Tirabofchi's elaborate hiftory of Italian literature; nor in the patient Italian chronicler of poets, Quadrio, though he bestows a chapter on early dramatick compofitions in profe. But the mind, that has once started a conjecture of this nature, must be weak indeed, if it cannot produce new shadows of argument in aid of a favourite hypothefis. Let me therefore be allowed to advance, as a prefumptive proof of Milton's having feen the work of Lancetta, that he makes a fimilar ufe of Mofes, and introduces him to fpeak a prologue in the sketch of his various plans for an allegorical drama. It is indeed poffible that Milton might never fee the performances either of Lancetta or Andreini; yet conjecture has ground enough to conclude very fairly, that he was acquainted with both; for Andreini wrote a long allegorical drama on Paradife, and we know that the fancy of Milton first began to play with the subject according to that peculiar form of composition.

Lancetta treated it also in the shape of a dramatick allegory; but said, at the fame time, under the character of Mofes, that the fubject might form an incomparable epick poem; and Milton, quitting his own hafty sketches of allegorical dramas, accomplished a work which answers to that intimation."

The following Analysis of this drama has been made by Mr. Hayley.

ACT I. SCENE 1. "GOD commemorates his creation of the heavens, the earth, and the water-determines to make. Man-gives him vital spirit, and admonishes him to revere his Maker, and live innocent.

SCENE II. "RAPHAEL, MICHAEL, GABRIEL, and ANGELS. Raphael praises the works of God—the other Angels follow his example, particularly in regard to Man.

SCENE III. "GOD and ADAM, God gives Paradise to Adam to hold as a fief-forbids him to touch the appleAdam promifes obedience.

SCENE IV. "ADAM. Acknowledges the beneficence of God, and retires to repofe in the shade.

ACT II. SCENE 1. "GOD and ADAM, GOD refolves to form a companion for Adam, and does fo while Adam is fleeping-he then awakes Adam, and, prefenting to him his new affociate, bleffes them both; then leaves them, recommending obedience to his commands.

SCENE II. "ADAM and EVE. Adam receives Eve as his wife-praises her, and entreats her to join with him in revering and obeying God-fhe promises fubmiffion to his will, and intreats his inftruction-he tells her the prohibition, and enlarges on the beauties of Paradife-on his speaking of flocks, fhe defires to fee them, and he departs to fhow her the various animals.

SCENE III. "LUCIFER, BELIAL, SATAN. Lucifer laments his expulfion from heaven, and meditates revenge against Man -the other Demons relate the caufe of their expulfion, and ftimulate Lucifer to the revenge he meditates-he refolves to employ the Serpent.

SCENE IV. "The SERPENT, EVE, LUCIFER. The Serpent queftions Eve-derides her fear and her obedience-tempts her to taste the apple-fhe expreffes her eagerness to do fo― the Serpent exults in the profpect of her perdition-Lucifer (who feems to remain as a separate person from the Serpent) expreffes alfo his exultation, and steps afide to listen to a dialogue between Adam and Eve.

SCENE V. "EVE, ADAM. Eve declares her refolution to tafte the apple, and prefent it to her hufband-fhe tastes it, and expreffes unusual hope and animation-she says the Serpent has not deceived her-fhe feels no fign of death, and prefents the fruit to her husband-he reproves her-she perfifts in preffing him to eat-he complies-declares the fruit fweet, but begins to tremble at his own nakedness-he repents, and expreffes his remorfe and terrour-Eve proposes to form a covering of leaves-they retire to hide themselves in foliage.

ACT III." SCENE 1. LUCIFER, BELIAL, SATAN. LUCIFER exults in his fuccefs, and the other Demons applaud him.

SCENE II. "RAPHAEL, MICHAEL, GABRIEL. These good Spirits lament the fall, and retire with awe on the appearance of God.

SCENE 111. "GOD, EVE, ADAM. God calls on Adam-he appears and laments his nakednefs-God interrogates him concerning the tree-he confeffes his offence, and accufes Eve-fhe blames the Serpent-God pronounces his malediction, and fends them from his prefence.

SCENE IV. "RAPHAEL, EVE, and ADAM. Raphael bids them depart from Paradife-Adam laments his destiny-Raphael perfifts in driving them rather harshly from the garden

Adam begs that his innocent children may not fuffer for