MANSU S.* Joannes Baptifta Manfus, Marchio Villenfis, vir ingenii laude, tum literarum ftudio, nec non et bellica virtute, apud Italos clarus in primis est. Ad quem Torquati Tafi Dialogus extat de Amicitia fcriptus; erat enim Taffi amiciffimus; ab qua etiam inter Campania principes celebratur, in illo poemate cui titulus GERUSALEMME CONQUISTATA, lib. 20. Fra cavalier magnanimi, è cortefi, Is authorem Neapoli commorantem fumma benevolentia profecutus eft, multaque ei detulit bumanitatis officia. Ad hunc itaque hofpes ille antequam ab ea urbe difcederet, ut ne ingratum fe oftenderet, hoc carmen mifit.† ÆC quoque, Manse, tuæ meditantur carmina laudi HT Pierides, tibi, Manfe, choro notiffime Phoebi; * At Naples Milton was introduced to Giovanni Battista Manfo, marquis of Villa. See PROSE-WORKS, vol. ii. 332. Milton at leaving Naples fent this poem to Manfo. He was a nobleman of diftinguished 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 ambitious of his acquaintance. He is not only complimented by name in the twentieth Canto of the GERUSALEMME, but Taffo addreffed his Dialogue 1 Quandoquidem ille alium haud æquo eft dignatus honore, Poft Galli cineres, et Mecænatis Hetrufci. Tu quoque, fi noftræ tantum valet aura Camoenæ, 5 ΙΟ Dialogue on Friendship to Manfo, "Il MANSO, Overo Dell' Ami"citia. Dialogo del Sig. Torquato TASSO. Al molte illuftre Sig. "Giovanni Battista MANSO. In Napoli, Appreffo Gio. Iacomo "Carlino, et Antonio Pace, 1596." In quarto. Befide a Dedication expreffing the fincereft regard and attachment, five Sonnets from Taffo to Manso are prefixed, and Manfo is one of the interlocutors. Manfo in return wrote the Life of Taffo, published in 1621. And, as it here seems, of Marino, Hence our author, v. 18. Nec fatis hoc vifum eft in UTRUMQUE, et nec pia ceffant Officia in tumulo; cupis integros rapere Orco, Qua potes, atque avidas Parcarum eludere leges : AMBORUM genus, et varia fub forte peractam Describis vitam, morefque, et dona Minervæ, &c. Among Manfo's other works, are, "EROCALLIA, in Ven. 1628." In twelve Dialogues. And "I Paradoffi, 1608." He died in 1645, aged 84. See fupr. Note on EPIGR. Vii i. + Wood calls this "an elegant Latin poem." ATH. OXON. i. F. 263. This judgment undoubtedly came from Edward Philips, Milton's nephew, through Aubrey the antiquary. 1. Hæc quoque, Manfe, tuæ meditantur carmina, &c.] Because he had already been celebrated by many poets. Quadrio says, by more than fifty. 6. See the fame verfe AD PATREM, 102. 10. Ille tuum dici fe gaudet alumnum.] Marino cultivated poetry in the academy of the OTIOSI, of which Manfo was one of the founders. Hither he was fent by the Mufe, who was non in-' fcia, not ignorant of his poetical abilities and inclinations, &c. For at first, against his will, his father had put him to the law. 11. Dum canit Affyrios divum prolixus amores.] The allufion is to Marino's poem IL ADONE, prolix enough if we confider its fubVOL. 1. Yyy ject; 15 Mollis et Aufonias ftupefecit carmine nymphas. •20 ject; and in other respects spun out to an unwarrantable length. Marino's poem, called Strage de gli Innocenti, was published in 1633, about four years before Milton vifited Italy. To this poem Milton is fuppofed to have been indebted in PARADISE LOST. Mr. Hayley thinks it therefore very remarkable, that our author fhould not here have mentioned this poem of Marino, as well as his ADONE. The observation at first fight is pertinent and juft. But it should be remembered, that Milton did not begin his PARADISE LOST till many years after this Epiftle was written, and therefore fuch a poem could now be no object. Milton thought it fufficient to characterise Marino by his great and popular work only, omitting his other and lefs confpicuous performances. See Kippis's BIOGR. BRIT. iv. p. 341. From what is here said, however, it may be inferred, that Milton could be no stranger to the STRAGE, and must have seen it at an early period of his life. .-16. Vidimus arridentem operofo ex ære poetam.] Marino's monumont at Naples erected by Manso. But the Academy of the HuMORISTI are faid, in Marino's epitaph, to have been the chief contributors. Taffo was buried, in 1595, in the church of the monastery of faint Onufrius at Rome; and his remains were covered, by his own defire, only with a plain stone. Cardinal Cynthio whom he made his heir, foon afterwards proposed to build a fplendid tomb to his memory; but the defign never was carried into execution. Manso, to whom he bequeathed only his picture, and to whom he had committed fome directions about his funeral, coming from Naples to Rome about 1605, and finding not so much as his name infcribed on the stone under which he was laid, offered to erect a suitable monument, but was not permitted. However, he procured this fimple but expreffive infcription to be engraved on the ftone, TORQUATI TASSI OSSA. At length the monument which now appears, was given by Cardinal Bevilaqua, of an illuftrious family of Ferrara. For Defcribis vitam, morefque, et dona Minervæ ; For a more particular account of the very fingular attentions and honours which Marino received from Manfo, the reader is referred to the Italian LIFE of Marino, by F. Ferrari, published at Venice in 1633. 4to. At the end of Marino's STRAGE DE GLI INNOCENTI, and other poems. See p. 68. 82.89.90. Marino died at Naples in 1625, aged fifty fix. 22. Mycalen qui natus ad altam, &c.] Plutarch, who wrote the Life of Homer. He was a native of Bæotia, where Mycale is a mountain. It is among those famous hills that blazed in Phaeton's conflagration, Ovid, METAM. ii. 223. The allufion is happy, as it draws with it an implicit comparison between Taffo and Homer. In the epithet facundus, there is much elegance and propriety. Plutarch is the great mafter of ancient biography. 23. See above, EL. i. 23. 28. Qua nuper gelida, &c.] An infinuation, that cold climates are unfriendly to genius. As in PARAD. L. B. ix. 44. Or COLD CLIMATE, or years damp my intended wing, &c. See Note on EL. vi. 6. 30. Nos etiam in noftro modulantes flumine cygnos, &c.] We northern men are not fo unpoetical a race. Even we have the melodious fwan on our Thames, &c. 32. Qua Thamefis, &c.] Spenfer. H. This very probable fuppofition may be further illuftrated. Spenfer was born in London, before defcribed as the "Urbs REFLUA quam Thamefis alluit unda." EL. i. 9. And he is properly Yyy 2 ranked Oceani glaucos perfundit gurgite crines: Sed neque nos genus incultum, nec inutile Phobo, Nos etiam colimus Phœbum, nos munera Phœbo 36 41 45 ranked with Chaucer. And the allufion may be to Spenfer's EPITHALAMIUM Of Thames, a long Episode in the FAIRY QUEEN, iv. xi. 8. See alfo his PROTHALAMIUM. I believe it is an old tradition, that if fwans fing, it is in the darkeft and coldest nights of winter. See Van Trift's LETT.on Iceland, p. 143. 34. Quin et in has quondam pervenit Tityrus oras.] Like me too, Chaucer travelled into Italy. In Spenfer's Paftorals, Chaucer is constantly called TITYRUS. 38. Nos etiam Colimus Phœbum, &c.] He avails himself of a notion fupported by Selden on the POLYOLBION, that Apollo was worshipped in Britain. See his Notes on SONGS, viii. ix. `Selden fuppofes alfo, that the British Druids invoked Apollo. See the next Note. And Spanheim on Callimachus, vol. ii. 492. feq. 53. 41. Mifimus, et lectas Druidum de gente choreas.] He infinuates, that our British Druids were poets. As in LYCIDAS, V. Where your old BARDS the famous Druids lie. The poetical character of the Druids is attested by Cefar, BELL. GALL. VI. 4. Magnum numerum verfuum edifcere dicuntur." 43. Heroum laudes, imitandaque gefta canebant.] See almost the fame verfe AD PATREM, V. 45. 46. -Graia de more puellæ.] Ovid, METAM. i. 711. 46. Our author converts the three Hyperborean Nymphs who fent |