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written about two months before his Lycidas, he lays open to his friend Deodati the lofty hopes and the daring projects of his heart.

"Cæterum jam curiositali tuæ vis essę satisfactum scio. Multa solicitè quæris,

etiam quid cogitem. Audi, Theodote, verûm in aurem ne rubeam; et sinito paulisper apud te grandia loquar. Quid cogitem quæris?-ità me bonus Deus, immortalitatem! Quid agam verò? epoque, et volare meditor: sed tenellis admodum adhuc pennis evehit se noster Pegasus; humilè sapiamus."-"But you are now anxious, as I know, to have your curiosity gratified. You solicitously enquire even about my thoughts. Attend then, Deodati, but let me spare myself a blush by speaking in your ear; and for a moment let me talk proudly to you. Do you ask me what is in my thought? So may God prosper me, as it is nothing less than immortality. But how shall I accomplish it? My wings are sprouting, and I meditate to fly but while my Pegasus yet lifts himself on very tender pinions, let me be prudent and humble." *

* For the amusement of my readers I insert the whole letter from which I have made this extract, with a translation by my friend Mr. Wrangham. We find in it that Milton had just accomplished a very rugged journey through some of the most

poem would extend our digression beyond its just length, and would not be consistent with our plan.-We have observed that the Comus came into the world unacknowledged by its author, and it is remarkable that the writer of the Lycidas was intimated only by the initials J. M. This great man seems to have felt an awe of the public, by which the herd of small writers are seldom depressed

For fools rush in, where Angels fear to tread.

But if he published with diffidence, he wrote with boldness, and with the persuasion, resulting from the consciousness of power, of literary immortality. "After I had (he tells us) from my first years, by the ceaseless diligence of my father, (whom God recompense!) been exercised in the tongues, and some sciences as my age would suffer, by sundry masters and teachers, both at home and at the schools, it was found that whether ought was imposed on me by them, that had the overlooking, or betaken to of my own choice, in English or other tongue, prosing or versing, but chiefly this latter, the style by certain vital symptoms it had, was likely to live." In a letter, which from its date was

"Reasons of C. Govern. B. 2d. P.W. vol. i. 118.

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written about two months before his Lycidas, he lays open to his friend Deodati the lofty hopes and the daring projects of his heart.

"Cæterum jam curiositali tuæ vis essę satisfactum scio. Multa solicitè quæris, etiam quid cogitem. Audi, Theodote, verûm in aurem 'ne rubeam; et sinito paulisper apud te grandia loquar. Quid cogitem quæris?-ità me bonus Deus, immortalitatem! Quid agam verò? epoque, et volare meditor: sed tenellis admodum adhuc pennis evehit se noster Pegasus; humilè sapiamus.' "But you are now anxious, as I know, to have your curiosity gratified. You solicitously enquire even about my thoughts. Attend then, Deodati, but let me spare myself a blush by speaking in your ear; and for a moment let me talk proudly to you. Do ask me what is in my thought? So may prosper me, as it is nothing less than immortality. But how shall I accomplish it? My wings are sprouting, and I meditate to fly but while my Pegasus yet lifts himself on very tender pinions, let me be prudent and humble.” *

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* For the amusement of my readers I insert the whole letter from which I have made this extract, with a translation by my friend Mr. Wrangham. We find in it that Milton had just accomplished a very rugged journey through some of the most

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We shall again have occasion to remark

barren and unsightly tracts of history. Of all the productions of the pen, familiar letters give us the most insight into the sanctuary of the writer's bosom.

CAROLO DIODATO.

"Quod cæteri in literis suis plerunque faciunt amici, ut unicam tantum salutem dicere sat habeant, tu illud jam video quid sit quod toties impertias; ad ea enim quæ tute prius, et alii adhuc sola afferre possunt vota, jam nunc artem insuper tuam, vimque omnem medicam quasi cumulum accedere vis me scilicet intelligere. Jubes enim salvere sexcenties, quantum volo, quantum possum, vel etiam amplius. Næ ipsum te nuper salutis condum promum esse factum oportet, ita totum salubritatis penum dilapidas, aut ipsa proculdubio sanitas jam tua parasità esse debet, sic pro rege te geris atque imperas ut dicto sit audiens; itaque gratulor tibi, et duplici proinde nomine gratias tibi agam necesse est, cum amicitiæ tum artis eximia. Literas quidem tuas, quoniam ita convenerat, diu expectabam; verum acceptis neque dum ullis, si quid mihi credis, non idcirco veterem meam ergo te benevolentiam tantillum refrigescere sum passus; immo vero qua tarditatis excusatione usus literarum initio es, ipsam illam te allaturum esse jam animo præsenseram, idque recte, nostræque necessitudini convenienter. Non enim in epistolarum ac salutationum momentis veram verti amicitiam volo, quæ omnia ficta esse possunt; sed altis animi radicibus niti utrinque et sustinere se; cœptamque sinceris, et sanctis rationibus, etiamsi mutua cessarent officia, per omnem tamen vitam suspicione et culpa vacare: ad quam fovendam non tam scripto sit opus, quam viva invicem virtutum recordatione. Nec continuò, ut tu non scripseris, non erit quo illud suppleri officium possit, scribit vicem tuam apud me tua probitas, verasqué literas intimis sensibus meis exarat, scribit morum simplicitas, et recti amor; scribit ingenium etiam tuum, haudquaquàm quotidianum, et majorem in modum te mihi commendat. Quare noli mihi, arcem illam medicinæ tyrannicam nactus,

these aspirings of his mind to the high pro

terrores istos ostentare, ac si salutes tuas sexcentas velles, subducta minutim ratiuncula, ad unum omnes a me reposcere, si forte ego, quod ne siverit unquam Deus, amicitiæ desertor fierem; atque amove terribile illud Taxioua quod cervicibus nostris videris imposuisse, ut sine tua bona venia ne liceat ægrotare. Ego enim ne nimis minitere, tui similes impossibile est quin amem, nam de cætero quidem quid de me statuerit Deus nescio, illud certe; δεινόν μοι ἔρωτα, εἰπέρ τω αλλω, τα 28 vérra. Nec tanto Ceres labore, ut in fabulis est, Liberam fertur quæsivisse filiam, quanto ego hanc ra xxx ideay, veluti pulcherrimam quandam imaginem, per omnes rerum formas et facies: (πολλαί γὰρ μορφαὶ τών Δαιμονίων) dies noctesque indagare soleo, et quasi certis quibusdam vestigiis ducentem sector. Unde fit, ut qui, spretis quæ vulgus prava rerum æstimatione opinatur, id sentire et loqui et esse audet; quod summa per omne ævum sapientia optimum esse docuit, illi me protinus, sicubi reperiam, necessitate quadam adjungam. Quod si ego sive natura, sive meo fato ita sum comparatus, ut nulla contentione, et laboribus meis ad tale decus et fastigium laudis ipse valeam emergere; tamen quo minus qui eam gloríam assecuti sunt, ant eo feliciter aspirant, illos semper colam, et suspiciam, nec dii puto, nec homines prohibuerint. Cæterum jam curiositati tuæ vis esse satisfactum scio. Multa solicite quæris, etiam quid cogitem. Audi, Theodote, verum in aurem ut ne rubeam, et sinito paulisper apud te grandia loquar; quid cogitem quæris? ita me bonus Deus, immortalitatem. Quid agam vero? lepoque, et volare meditor: sed tenellis admodum adhuc pennis evehit se noster Pegasus, humile sapiamus. Dicam jam nunc serio quid cogitem, in hospitium juridicorum aliquod immigrare, sicubi amœna et umbrosa ambulatio est, quod et inter aliquot sodales, commodior illic habitatio, si domi manere, et ὁρμητήριον ευπρεπέστερον quocunque libitum erit excurrere; ubi nunc sum, ut nosti, obscure, et anguste sum; de studiis etiam nostris fies certior. Græcorum res continuata lectione deduximus usquequo illi Græci esse sunt desiti: Italorum in obscura re diu versati sumus sub Longobar

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