gerit, Condit aromatica prohibetque putefcere laude. Again, where Aliquid is perfonified, Monogramma exordia mundi. It may be faid, that Cowley is here tranflating from his own English DAVIDEIS. But I will bring examples from his original Latin poems. In praise of the spring. Et refonet toto mufica verna libro; Undique laudis odor dulciffimus habet, &c. And in the fame poem in a party worthy of the pastoral pencil of Watteau. Hauferunt avide Chocolatam Flora Venusque. Of the Fraxinella. Tu tres metropoles humani corporis armis Propugnas, uterum, cor, cerebrumque, tuis.* He calls the Lychnis, Candelabrum ingens, Cupid is Arbiter formæ criticus. Ovid is Antiquarius ingens. An ill smell is shunned Olfactus tetricitate fui. And in the fame page, is nugatoria peftis. But all his faults are confpicuously and collectively exemplified in these ftanzas, among others, of his Hymn on Light.' ? POEMATA LATINA, p. 386. 397. 399. 400. b PLANTAR. Lib. iii. L. iv. p. 207. L. ii. p. 126. P. 137. eSee L. iv. p. 210. f See p. 407. feq. C 2 L. iv. p. 254. Pulchra Pulchra de nigro foboles parente, Rifus O terræ facer et polorum, Te bibens arcus Jovis ebriofus And afterwards, of the waves of the fea, perpe tually in motion. Lucidum trudis properanter agmen ; At mare immenfum oceanufque Lucis Hinc inexhaufto per utrumque mundum Milton's Latin poems may be justly confidered * as legitimate claffical compofitions, and are never difgraced with fuch language and fuch imagery. Cowley's Latinity, dictated by an irregular and unrestrained imagination, prefents a mode of dic Standing ftill, tion half Latin and half English. It is not fo much that Cowley wanted a knowledge of the Latin ftyle, but that he fuffered that knowledge to be perverted and corrupted by false and extravagant thoughts. Milton was a more perfect fcholar than Cowley, and his mind was more deeply tinctured with the excellencies of antient literature. He was a more just thinker, and therefore a more juft writer. In a word, he had more taste, and more poetry, and confequently more propriety. If a fondness for the Italian writers has fometimes infected his English poetry with falfe ornaments, his Latin verfes, both in diction and fentiment, are at least free from those depravation. Some of Milton's Latin poems were written in his first year at Cambridge, when he was only seventeen: they must be allowed to be very correct and manly performances for a youth of that age. And confidered in that view, they difcover an extraordinary copiousness and command of ancient fable and history. I cannot but add, that Gray resembles Milton in many inftances. Among others, in their youth they were both ftrongly attached to the cultivation of Latin poetry. But I haften to give the reader an account of my defign and conduct, and of what he is to expect, in this edition. My This volume exhibits thofe poems of Milton, of which a second editon, with fome flender additions, appeared in 1673, while the author was yet living, under the title, " Poems upon feve"ral occafions, by Mr. John Milton. Both En glish and Latin, &c. Compofed at several "times." In this collection our author did not include his PARADISE REGAINED and SAMSON AGONISTES, as fome later editors have done. Thofe two pieces, forming a fingle volume by themselves, had juft before been printed together, in 1671, for Milton here intended only an edition of his Juvenile Poems, The chief purpose of the Notes is to explain our author's allufions, to illuftrate or to vindicate his beauties, to point out his imitations both of others and of himself, to elucidate his obfolete diction, and by the adduction and juxtapofition of parallels univerfally gleaned both from his poetry and profe, to afcertain his favourite words, and to fhew the peculiaries of his phrafeology. And thus fome of the Notes, thofe I mean which relate to his imitations of himfelf, and to his language, have a more general effect, and are applicable to all Milton's writings. Among the English poets, thofe readers who trust to the late commentators will be led to believe, believe, that our author imitated Spenfer and Shakespeare only. But his ftyle, expreffion, and more extenfive combinations of diction, together with many of his thoughts, are also to be traced in other English poets, who were either contem→ poraries or predeceffors, and of whom many are now not commonly known. Of this it has been a part of my task to produce proofs. Nor have his imitations from Spenfer and Shakespeare been hitherto fufficiently noted. When Milton wrote these poems, many tra ditionary fuperftitions, not yet worn out in the popular belief, adhered to the poetry of the times. Romances and fabulous narratives were ftill in fashion, and not yet driven away by puritans and ufurpers. To ideas of this fort, and they correfponded with the complexion of his genius, allufions often appear even in Milton's elder poetry: but it was natural that they should be found at least as largely in his early pieces, which were profeffedly written in a lighter strain, at a period when they more universally prevailed, and were more likely to be caught by a young poet. Much imagery in these poems is founded on this fource of fiction. Hence arofe obfcurities, which have been overlooked or mifinterpreted: and thus the force of many ftrikingly poetical paffages has been weakened or unperceived, because their origin was unknown, unexplored, |