ed il vifo fciolto; "thoughts clofe, and looks "loofe."

In 1638 he left England, and went first to Paris; where, by the favour of Lord Scudamore, he had the opportunity of vifiting Grotius, then refiding at the French court as ambaffador from Chriftina of Sweden. From Paris he hafted into Italy, of which he had with particular diligence ftudied the language and literature; and, though he seems to have intended a very quick perambulation of the country, ftaid two months at Florence; where he found his way into the academies, and produced his compofitions with fuch applause as appears to have exalted him in his own opinion, and confirmed him in the hope, that, "by labour and intense study, which," fays he, "I take to be my portion in this "life, joined with a strong propensity of na"ture, he might leave fomething fo written "to after-times, as they should not willingly "let it die."

It appears, in all his writings, that he had the ufual concomitant of great abilities, a lofty and steady confidence in himself,

perhaps

perhaps not without fome contempt of others; for scarcely any man ever wrote fo much, and praised fo few. Of his praise he was very frugal; as he fet its value high, and confidered his mention of a name as a fecurity against the waste of time, and a cer¬ tain preservative from oblivion.

At Florence he could not indeed complain that his merit wanted diftinction. Carlo Dati prefented him with an encomiaftick infcription, in the tumid lapidary style; and Francini wrote him an ode, of which the firft ftanza is only empty noife; the rest are perhaps too diffufe on common topicks; but the laft is, natural and beautiful.

From Florence he went to Sienna, and from Sienna to Rome, where he was againreceived with kindness by the Learned and the Great. Holftenius, the keeper of the Vatican Library, who had refided three years at Oxford, introduced him to Cardinal Barberini; and he, at a mufical entertainment, waited for him at the door, and led him by the hand into the affembly. Here Selvaggi praifed him in a diftich, and Sal

filli in a tetraftick; neither of them of much

value. The Italians were gainers by this literary commerce; for the encomiums with which Milton repaid Salfilli, though not secure against a stern grammarian, turn the balance indifputably in Milton's favour.

Of thefe Italian teftimonies, poor as they are, he was proud enough to publish them before his poems; though he fays, he cannot be fufpected but to have known that they were faid non tam de fe, quam fupra fe.

At Rome, as at Florence, he staid only two months; a time indeed fufficient, if he defired only to ramble with an explainer of its antiquities, or to view palaces and count pictures; but certainly too short for the contemplation of learning, policy, or man

ners.

From Rome he paffed on to Naples, in company of a hermit; a companion from whom little could be expected, yet to him Milton owed his introduction to Manfo marquis of Villa, who had been before the patron of Taffo. Manfo was enough delighted with.

his accomplishments to honour him with a forry diftich, in which he commends him for every thing but his religion; and Milton, in return, addreffed him in a Latin poem, which must have raised an high opinion of English elegance and literature.

His purpose was now to have visited Sicily and Greece; but, hearing of the differences. between the king and parliament, he thought it proper to haften home, rather than pass his life in foreign amusements while his countrymen were contending for their rights. He therefore came back to Rome, though the merchants informed him of plots laid against him by the Jefuits, for the liberty of his converfations on religion. He had sense enough to judge that there was no danger, and therefore kept on his way, and acted as before, neither obtruding nor fhunning controverfy. He had perhaps given fome offence by visiting Galileo, then a prifoner in the Inquifition for philofophical herefy; and at Naples he was told by Manfo, that, by his declarations on religious queftions, he had excluded himself from fome diftinctions which he should otherwife have paid him.

But

But fuch conduct, though it did not please, was yet fufficiently fafe; and Milton ftaid two months more at Rome, and went on to Florence without moleftation,

From Florence he vifited Lucca. He af terwards went to Venice; and, having sent away a collection of mufick and other books, travelled to Geneva, which he probably confidered as the metropolis of orthodoxy. Here he reposed, as in a congenial element, and became acquainted with John Diodati and Frederick Spanheim, two learned profeffors of Divinity. From Geneva he paffed through France; and came home, after an absence of a year and three months,

At his return he heard of the death of his friend Charles Diodati; a man whom it is reasonable to fuppofe of great merit, fince he was thought by Milton worthy of a poem, intituled, Epitaphium Damonis, written with the common but childish imitation of paftoral life.

He now hired a lodging at the house of one Ruffel, a taylor in St. Bride's Churchyard,