At tu, perenne ruris Academi decus,'
(Hæc monstra si tu primus induxti scholis)
Jam jam poetas, urbis exules tuæ,
Revocabis, ipse fabulator maximus;
Aut institutor ipse migrabis foras,

AD PATREM.g

NUNC mea Pierios cupiam per pectora fontes
Irriguas torquere vias, totumque per ora
Volvere laxatum gemino de vertice rivum;
Ut, tenues oblita sonos, audacibus alis
Surgat in officium venerandi Musa parentis.
Hoc utcunque tibi gratum, pater optime, carmen
Exiguum meditatur opus; nec novimus ipsi
Aptius a nobis qua possint munera donis
Respondere tuis, quamvis nec maxima possint
Respondere tuis, nedum ut par gratia donis
Esse queat, vacuis quæ redditur arida verbis.
Sed tamen hæc nostros ostendit pagina census,
Et quod habemus opum charta numeravimus ista,
Quæ mihi sunt nullæ, nisi quas dedit aurea Clio,
Quas mihi semoto somni peperere sub antro,
Et nemoris laureta sacri Parnassides umbræ.
Nec tu vatis opus divinum despice carmen,
Quo nihil æthereos ortus, et semina cœli,

Nil magis humanam commendat origine mentem,
Sancta Promethëæ retinens vestigia flammæ.

Carmen amant superi, tremebundaque Tartara carmen
Ima ciere valet, divosque ligare profundos,
Et triplici duro Manes adamante coercet.
Carmine sepositi retegunt arcana futuri
Phoebades, et tremulæ pallentes ora Sibyllæ :
Carmina sacrificus sollennes pangit ad aras;
Aurea seu sternit motantem cornua taurum;

Warton observes: "Thrice-great Hermes,"-"Il Pens." v. 88. Suidas says he was so called, because he was a philosopher, a priest, and a king.-TODD.

1 At tu, perenne ruris Academi decus, &c.

"You, Plato, who expelled the poets from your republic, must now bid them return," &c. Plato and his followers communicated their notions by emblems, fables, symbols, parables, allegories, and a variety of mystical representations.-T. WARTON.

According to Aubrey's manuscript "Life of Milton," Milton's father, although a scrivener, was not apprenticed to that trade; he says he was bred a scholar, and of Christ-church Oxford, and that he took to trade in consequence of being disinherited: Milton was therefore writing to his father in a language which he understood. Aubrey adds, that he was very ingenious, and delighted in music, in which he instructed his son John: that he died about 1647, and was interred in Cripplegate-church, from his house in Barbican.-T. WArton.

h Phœbades.

The priestesses of Apollo's temple at Delphi, who always delivered their oracles in verse.-T. WARTON.

Such productions of true genius, with a natural and noble consciousness anticipating its own immortality, are seldom found to fail.-T. WARTON.

Seu cum fata sagax fumantibus abdita fibris
Consulit et tepidis Parcam scrutatur in extis.
Nos etiam, patrium tunc cum repetemus Olympum,
Eternæque moræ stabunt immobilis ævi,
Ibimus auratis per cœli templa coronis ;
Dulcia suaviloquo sociantes carmina plectro,
Astra quibus, geminique poli convexa, sonabunt.
Spiritus et rapidos qui circinat igneus orbes,
Nunc quoque sidereis intercinit ipse choreis
Immortale melos, et inenarrabile carmen;
Torrida dum rutilus compescit sibila Serpens,
Demissoque ferox gladio mansuescit Orion;
Stellarum nec sentit onus Maurusius Atlas.
Carmina regales epulas ornare solebant,

Cum nondum luxus, vastæque immensa vorago
Nota gulæ, et modico spumabat coena Lyæo,
Tum, de more sedens festa ad convivia vates,
Esculea intonsos redimitus ab arbore crines,
Heroumque actus imitandaque gesta canebat,
Et chaos, et positi late fundamina mundi,
Reptantesque deos, et alentes numina glandes,
Et nondum Ætnæo quæsitum fulmen ab antro.
Denique quid vocis modulamen inane juvabit,
Verborum sensusque vacans, numerique loquacis?
Silvestres decet iste choros, non Orphea, cantus,
Qui tenuit fluvios, et quercubus addidit aures,
Carmine, non cithara; simulacraque functa canendo
Compulit in lacrymas: habet has a carmine laudes.
Nec tu perge, precor, sacras contemnere Musas,
Nec vanas inopesque puta, quarum ipse peritus
Munere mille sonos numeros componis ad aptos; -
Millibus et vocem modulis variare canoram
Doctus, Arionii merito sis nominis hæres.
Nunc tibi quid mirum, si me genuisse poetam
Contigerit, caro si tam prope sanguine juncti
Cognatas artes, studiumque affine, sequamur?
Ipse volens Phoebus se dispertire duobus,
Altera dona mihi, dedit altera dona parenti;
Dividuumque deum, genitorque puerque, tenemus.
Tu tamen ut simules teneras odisse Camoenas,
Non odisse reor; neque enim, pater, ire jubebas
Qua via lata patet, qua pronior area lucri,
Certaque condendi fulgit spes aurea nummi:
Nec rapis ad leges, male custoditaque gentis
Jura, nec insulsis damnas clamoribus aures;
Sed, magis excultam cupiens ditescere mentem,
Me procul urbano strepitu, secessibus altis
Abductum, Aoniæ jucunda per otia ripa,
Phoebæo lateri comitem sinis ire beatum.
Officium cari taceo commune parentis;

Me poscunt majora: tuo, pater optime, sumtu,

Cum mihi Romulea patuit facundia linguæ,
Et Latii veneres, et quæ Jovis ora decebant
Grandia magniloquis elata vocabula Graiis,
Addere suasisti quos jactat Gallia flores;
Et quam degeneri novus Italus ore loquelam
Fundit, barbaricos testatus voce tumultus;
Quæque Palæstinus loquitur mysteria vates.
Denique quicquid habet coelum, subjectaque colo
Terra parens, terræque et cœlo interfiuus aer,
Quicquid et unda tegit, pontique agitabile marmor,
Per te nosse licet, per te, si nosse libebit :
Dimotaque venit spectanda scientia nube,
Nudaque conspicuos inclinat ad oscula vultus,
Ni fugisse velim, ni sit libasse molestum.

I nunc, confer opes, quisquis malesanus avitas
Austriaci gazas, Peruanaque regna, præoptas.
Quæ potuit majora pater tribuisse, vel ipse
Jupiter, excepto, donasset ut omnia, cœlo?
Non potiora dedit, quamvis et tuta fuissent,
Publica qui juveni commisit lumina nato,
Atque Hyperionios currus, et fræna diei,"
Et circum undantem radiata luce tiaram.
Ergo ego, jam doctæ pars quamlibet ima catervæ,
Victrices hederas inter laurosque sedebo;
Jamque nec obscurus populo miscebor inerti,
Vitabuntque oculos vestigia nostra profanos.
Est procul, vigiles curæ; procul este, querelæ ;
Invidiæque acies transverso tortilis hirquo;
Sæva nec anguiferos extende, calumnia, rictus:
In me triste nihil, foedissima turba, potestis,
Nec vestri sum juris ego; securaque tutus
Pectora, vipereo gradiar sublimus ab ictu.

At tibi, care pater, postquam non æqua merenti
Posse referre datur, nec dona rependere factis,
Sit memorasse satis, repetitaque munera gratu
Percensere animo fidæque reponere menti.

Et vos, O nostri, juvenilia carmina, lusus,
Si modo perpetuos sperare audebitis annos,
Et domini superesse rogo, lucemque tueri,
Nec spisso rapient oblivia nigra sub Orco;
Forsitan has laudes, decantatumque parentis
Nomen, ad exemplum, sero servabitis ævo.

AD SALSILLUM, POETAM ROMANUM, ÆGROTANTEM.

SCAZONTES.

O MUSA, gressum quæ volens trahis claudum,
Vulcanioque tarda gaudes incessu,

i Giovanni Salsilli had complimented Milton at Rome in a Latin tetrastich, for his Greek, Latin, and Italian poetry: Milton, in return, sent these elegant Scazontes to Salsilli when indisposed.-T. WARTON.

Nec sentis illud in loco minus gratum,
Quam cum decentes flava Deiope suras
Alternat aureum ante Junonis lectum;
Adesdum, et hæc s'is verba pauca Salsillo
Refer, Camoena nostra cui tantum est cordi,
Quamque ille magnis prætulit immerito divis.
Hæc ergo alumnus ille Londini Milto,
Diebus hisce qui suum linquens nidum,
Polique tractum, pessimus ubi ventorum,
Insanientis impotensque pulmonis,
Pernix anhela sub Jove exercet flabra,
Venit feraces Itali soli ad glebas,
Visum superba cognitas urbes fama,
Virosque, doctæque indolem juventutis.
Tibi optat idem hic fausta multa, Salsille,
Habitumque fesso corpori penitus sanum;
Cui nunc profunda bilis infestat renes,
Præcordiisque fixa damnosum spirat;
Nec id pepercit impia, quod tu Romano
Tam cultus ore Lesbium condis melos.

O dulce divum munus,* O Salus, Hebes
Germana! Tuque, Phoebe, morborum terror,
Pythone cæso, sive tu magis Pæan
Libenter audis, hic tuus sacerdos est.
Querceta Fauni, vosque rore vinoso
Colles benigni, mitis Evandri sedes,
Siquid salubre vallibus frondet vestris,
Levamen ægro
ferte certatim vati.

Sic ille, caris redditus rursum Musis,
Vicina dulci prata mulcebit cantu.
Ipse inter atros emirabitur lucos

Numa, ubi beatum degit otium æternum,
Suam reclivis semper Ægeriam spectans.
Tumidusque et ipse Tibris, hinc delinitus,
Spei favebit annuæ colonorum;
Nec in sepulcris ibit obsessum reges,
Nimium sinistro laxus irruens loro;
Sed fræna melius temperabit undarum,
Adusque curvi salsa regna Portumni.

i Quam cum decentes flava Dëiope, &c.

As the Muses sung about the altar of Jupiter, in "Il Penseroso," v. 47. —T. WARTON.

O dulce divium munus, &c.

I know not any finer modern Latin lyric poetry, than from this verse to the end. The close, which is digressional, but naturally rises from the subject, is perfectly antique.-T. WARTON.

MANSUS.

Joannes Baptista Mansus, Marchio Villensis, vir ingenii laude, tum literarum studio, necnon et bellica virtute, apud Italos clarus in primis est; ad quem Torquati Tassi Dialogus extat de Amicitia scriptus ; erat enim Tassi amicissimus; ab quo etiam inter Campaniæ principes celebratur, in illo poemate cui titulus 'Gerusalemme Conquistata,' lib. 20.

Fra cavalier magnanimi, e cortesi,
Risplende il Manso.

Is auctorem Neapoli commorantem summa benevolentia prosecutus est, multaque ei detulit humanitatis officia: ad hunc itaque hospes ille, antequam ab ea urbe discederet, ut ne ingratum se ostenderet, hoc carmen misit:

HEC quoque, Manse, tuæ meditantur carmina laudi
Pierides, tibi, Manse, choro notissime Phoebi;

Quandoquidem ille alium haud æquo est dignatus honore,
Post Galli cineres, et Mecænatis Hetrusci.

Tu quoque, si nostræ tantum valet aura Camoenæ,
Victrices hederas inter laurosque sedebis.
Te pridem magno felix concordia Tasso
Junxit, et æternis incripsit nomina chartis:
Mox tibi dulciloquum non inscia Musa Marimum
Tradidit; ille tuum dici se gaudet alumnum,"
Dum canit Assyrios divum prolixus amores;
Mollis et Ausonias stupefecit carmine nymphas.
Ille itidem moriens tibi soli debita vates
Ossa, tibi soli, supremaque vota reliquit :
Nec manes pietas tua cara fefellit amici:
Vidimus arridentem operoso ex ære poetam."

Nec satis hoc visum est in utrumque, et nec pia cessant
Officia in tumulo; cupis integros rapere Orco,
Qua potes, atque avidas Parcarum eludere leges:
Amborum genus, et varia sub sorte peractam
Describis vitam, moresque, et dona Minervæ;
Emulus illius, Mycalen qui natus ad altam

5

10

15

20

20

1 At Naples Milton was introduced to Giovanni Battista Manso, marquis of Villa, and at leaving Naples sent him this poem. He was a nobleman of distinguished rank and fortune, had supported a military character with high reputation, of unblemished morals, a polite scholar, a celebrated writer, and a universal patron. It was among his chief honours, that he had been the friend of Tasso: and this circumstance, above all others, must have made Milton ambitious of his acquaintance. He is not only complimented by name in the twentieth canto of the " Gerusalemme," but Tasso addressed his "Dialogue on Friendship" to Manso. He died in 1645, aged eighty-four.-T. WARTON.

m Ille tuum dici se gaudet alumnum.

Marino cultivated poetry in the academy of the Otiosi, of which Manso was one of the founders. Hither he was sent by the Muse, who was "non inscia," not ignorant of his poetical abilities and inclinations, &c., for at first, against his will, his father had put him to the law.-T. WARTON.

Dum canit, &c.

The allusion is to Marino's poem "Il Adone."-T. WARTON.

• Vidimus arridentem operoso ex ære poetam.

Marino's monument at Naples, erected by Manso. Marino died at Naples in 1625, aged fifty-six.-T. WARTON.