Thou with fresh hope the lover's heart dost fill, While the jolly hours lead on propitious May. Thy liquid notes that close the eye of day,

First heard before the fhallow cuccoo's bill,

No poet has more frequently celebrated the nightingale than Milton. Where he fays in PARAD. L. B. iv. 603.

-The wakeful nightingale,

She ALL NIGHT LONG her amorous defcant fung, &c.

Perhaps he remembered Petrarch, SONN. X.

El'rofignuol, che dolcemente a l'ombra
TUTTE LE NOTTE fi lamenta e piagne.

See also PARAD. L. vii. 435. Where doctor Newton obferves, "his "fondness for this little bird is very remarkable."

4. While the jolly bours lead on propitious May.] Because the nightingale is fuppofed to begin finging in April. So Sydney, in ENGLAND'S HELICON, Signat. O. edit. 1614.

The nightingale, fo foone as Aprill bringeth

Vnto her reited fenfe a perfect waking,

While late bare earth proud of new clothing fpringeth,
Singes out her woes, &c.

5. Thy liquid notes that close the eye of day.] So in Comus, v.978.

And thofe happy climes that lie

Where day never SHUTS his EYE.

And in LYCIDAS, v. 26.

Under the opening EYELIDS of the MORN.

Compare Browne, BRIT. PAST. B. ii. S. iii. p. 78.

When from a wood, wherein the EYE of DAY

Had long a stranger beene..

6. Firft beard before the shallow cuccoo's bill, &c.] That is, if they happen to be heard before the cuckow, it is lucky for the lover. But Spenfer calls the cuckow the meffenger of fpring, and fuppofes that bis trumpet frill warns all lovers to wait upon Cupid, SoNN. xix. Jonfon gives this appellation to the nightingale, in the SAD SHEPHERD, A. ii. S. vi.

But beft, the dear good angel of the spring,
The nightingale.

ANGEL is meffenger. And the whole expreffion feems to be literally

Portend fuccefs in love; O if Jove's will Have link'd that amorous pow'r to thy foft lay, Now timely fing, ere the rude bird of hate.. Foretel my hopeless doom in some grove nigh;

As thou from year to year haft fung too late II For relief, yet my hadft no reason why:

Whether the Muse, or Love call thee his mate,

Both them I ferve, and of their train am I.

II.

Donna leggiadra il cui bel nome honora

L'herbofa val di Rheno, e il nobil varco,
Bene è colui d'ogni valore scarco

Qual tuo fpirto gentil non innamoro,
Che dolcemente moftra fi di fuora

De fui atti foavi giamai parco,

E i don', che fon d'amor faette ed arco,

La onde l'alta tua virtu s'infiora.

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from a fragment of Sappho, preferved by the fcholiaft on Sophocles, ELECTR. V. 148.

ΗΡΟΣ Δ' ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ, ἱμερόφωνος ἀηδῶν.

Veris nuntia, amabiliter cantans lufcinia.

Or from one of Simonides, of the fwallow. Schol. Aristoph. Av. v. 1410.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ κλυτά ΕΑΡΟΣ άδυόσμο, κυανέα χελιδών.

Nuntia inclyta veris fuaveolentis, fufca birundo.

Milton laments afterwards, that hitherto the nightingale had not preceded the cuckow as he ought: had always fung too late, that is, after the cuckow.

Quando

Quando tu vaga parli, o lieta canti

Che mover poffa duro alpestre legno

Guardi ciafcun a gli occhi, ed a gli orecchi L'entrata, chi di te fi truova indegno;

Gratia fola di fu gli vaglia, inanti

Che'l difio amorofo al cuor s'invecchi.

III.

Qual in colle afpro, al imbrunir di fera
L'avezza giovinetta pastorella

Va bagnando l'herbetta ftrana e bella
Che mal fi fpande a disusata spera
Fuor di fua natia alma primavera,

Cofi Amor meco insù la lingua, fnella
Defta il fior novo di ftrania favella,

IO

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1. Qual in colle afpro, al imbrunir di fera.] To exprefs the approach of evening, the Italians fay, fu l'imbrunir. And thus Petrarch, as Mr. Bowle obferves, "IMBRUNIR veggio la SERA." CANZ. Xxxvii. Milton had this Italian word in his head, where he uses the word IMBROWN, in PARAD. L. B. iv. 246.

Where the unpierc'd shade

IMBROWN'D the noontide bowers.

So alfo, in IL PENS. v. 134.

And fhadows BROWN that Sylvan loves

Of pine and monumental oak.

Compare Taffo, GIER. LIB. C. xiv. 70.

Quinci ella in cima à una montagna afcende
Difhabitata, e d'ombre ofcura, e BRUNA.

3. Va bagnando l' berbetta, &c ] See Petrarch's CANZONE ju

quoted. v. 24.

Da BAGNAR 'HERBE, &C.

Mentre

Mentre io di te, vezzofamente altera,
Canto, dal mio buon popol non intefo

E'l bel Tamigi cangio col bel Arno.
Amor lo volfe, ed io a l'altrui peso
Seppi ch' Amor cofa mai volfe indarno.
Deh! fofs' il mio cuor lento e'l duro feno
A chi pianta dal ciel fi buon terreno.

R

CANZONE *,

Idonfi donne e giovani amorofi

!

M' accoftandofi attorno, e perche scrivi,
Perche tu fcrivi in lingua ignota e straną
Verfeggiando d' amor, e come t'ofi ?
Dinne, se la tua fpema fia mai vana,
E de penfieri lo miglior t' arrivi;
Cofi mi van burlando, altri rivi

Altri lidi t'afpettan, ed altre onde

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*Not to disturb the numbers of the Sonnets, I have placed the CANZONE here, according to the other editions. It is from Petrarch, that Milton mixes the CANZONE with the SONETTO. Dante regarded the CANZONE as the most perfect fpecies of lyric compofition. Della VOLG. ELOQU. c. iv. But for the CANZONE he allows more laxity than for the Sonnet. He fays, when the Song is written on a grave or tragic fubject, it is denominated CANZONE, and when on a comic, CANTILENA, as diminutive.

7.

Altri rivi

Altri lidi t'afpettan, ed altre onde, &c.] See LYCIDAS, V. 174.
Where other groves, and other fhores along, &c.

The Lady implied in the Italian Sonnets is perhaps Leonora, of whom more will be faid hereafter.

Nelle

Nelle cui verdi fponde

Spuntati ad hor, ad hor a la tua chioma
L'immortal guiderdon d'eterne frondi
Perche alle spalle tue foverchia foma ?

Canzon dirotti, e tu per me rispondi

Dice mia Donna, e'l fuo dir, é il mio cuore
Questa e lingua di cui fi vanta Amore.

IV.

Diodati, e te'l dirò con maraviglia,

Quel ritrofo io ch'ampor spreggiar soléa
E de fuoi lacci spesso mi ridéa

Gia caddi, ov'huom dabben talhor s'impiglia. Ne treccie d'oro, ne guancia vermiglia

M' abbaglian sì, ma sotto nova idea
Pellegrina bellezza che'l cuor bea,
Portamenti alti honefti, e nelle ciglia
Quel fereno fulgor d' amabil nero,
Parole adorne di lingua piu d'una,

5. Ne treccie d'oro, ne guancia vermiglia,
M'abbaglian fi, &c.] So in COMUS, V. 752.

What need a VERMIL-tinctur'd lip for that,
Love-darting eyes, and treffes like the morn
And on the DEATH OF A FAIR INFANT, V. 5.
That lovely dye

That did thy CHEEK ENVERMEIL.

Milton's Eve has golden treffes.

IO

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