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

First heard before the fhallow cuccoo's bill,
Portend fuccefs in love; O if Jove's will
Have link'd that amorous power to thy foft lay,

5.

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

66

4. While the jolly hours 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 refted 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 Coм. 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.

See Note on IL PENS. V. 141.

ver.

6. First heard before the shallow cuccoo's bill, &c.] That is, if they happen to be heard before the cuckow, it is lucky for the loBut Spenfer calls the cuckow the messenger of spring, and fuppofes that his 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 fpring,

The nightingale.

ANGEL is meffenger. And the whole expreffion feems to be literally from a fragment of Sappho, preferved by the fcholiaft on Sophocles, ELECTR. V. 148.

ΗΡΟΣ Δ' ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ, ἱμερόφωνος ἀηδῶν.

Veris nuntia, amabiliter cantans luscinia.

Or from one of Simonides, of the swallow. Schol. Aristoph. Av.

v. 1410.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ

Now timely fing, ere the rude bird of hate
Foretel my hopeless doom in fome grove nigh;
As thou from year to year haft fung too late
relief, yet hadít no reason why:
Whether the Muse, or Love çall thee his mate,
Both them I ferve, and of their train am I.

For my

II.

Donna leggiadra il qui 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 mostra si 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.

Quando tu vaga parli, o lieta canti

Che mover poffa duro alpeftre legno
Guardi ciascun a gli occhi, ed a gli orecchi
L'entrata, chi di te fi trouva indegno;
Gratia fola di fu gli vaglia, inanti
Chel difio amorofo al cuor s'invecchi.

III.

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

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ κλυτὰ ΕΑΡΟΣ αδυόσμο, κυανέα χελιδών.
Nuntia inclyta veris juaveolentis, fufca birundo.

II

5

ΤΟ

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

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 afes the word IMBROWN, in PARAD. L. B. iv. 246.

Where

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

Cofi Amor meco insù la lingua snella Defta il fior novo di strania favella, Mentre io di te, vezzofamente altera, Canto, dal mio buon popol non intefo

E' 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.*

-Where the unpierc'd fhade
IMBROWN'D the noontide bowers.-

So alfo, in IL PENS. V. 134.

And shadows BROWN that Sylvan loves

Of pine and monumental oak.

5

ΙΟ

And "Alleys BROWN," in PAR. REG. ii. 293. Compare Tafso,
GIER. LIB. C. xiv. 70.

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

And Marino, L'ADON. C. viii. 147.

IMBRUNIR d'oriente il ciel fi vede.

And, to come home to the text, compare PARAD. L. ix. 1088.
-Highest wood, impenetrable

To ftar or fun-light, fpread their umbrage broad,
And BROWN as evening.-

3. Va bagnando l'herbetta, &c.] See Petrarch's CANZONE juft quoted, v. 24.

Da BAGNAR l'HERBE, &C.

* Of Milton's Sonnets only this, the fourth, fifth, and fixteenth, are closed with rhyming couplets.

CANZONE.

R1

CANZONE.†

Idonfi donne e giovani amorofi

M' accoftandofi attorno, e perche fcrivi,
Perche tu fcrivi in lingua ignota e ftrana
Verfeggiando d' amor, e eome t'ofi?
Dinne, fe la tua fpema fia mai vana,
E de penfieri lo miglior t'arrivi;
Cofi mi van burlando, altri rivi
Altri lidi t'aspettan, ed altre onde
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 rifpondi
Dice mia Donna, e'l fuo dir, é il mio cuore
Questa e lingua di cui fi vanta Amore,

5

10

15

+ Not to disturb the numbers of the Sonnets, I have placed the CANZONE here, according to the other editions. It is from Pe. trarch, 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 subject, it is denominated CANZONE, and when on a comic, CANTILENA, as diminutive. See Newton, p. 206.

Altri lidi t'aspettan, ed altre onde, &c.] The lines are an echo to a flanza in Ariofto, where Aftolpho explores the regions of the moon. ORL. FUR. xxxiv. 72.

Altri fiumi, altri laghi, altre compagne, &c.

Altri piani, altre valli altre montagne, &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.

VOL. I.

Tt

IV.

IV.

Diodati, e te'l dirò con maraviglia,

Quel ritrofo io ch'ampor fpreggiar foléa
E de fuoi lacci fpeffo 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

5. Ne treccie d'oro, ne guancia vermiglia M'abbaglian fi, &c.] So in CoмUS, 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 EN VERMEIL.

See the laft Note.

5

8. Portamenti alti honefti.- -] So before, SONN. iii. 8. " Ve. "rozzamenti altiera." Portamento expreffes the lofty dignified deportment, by which the Italian poets conftantly describe female beauty; and which is ftrikingly characteristic of the composed majestic carriage of the Italian Ladies, either as contrafted with the liveliness of the French, or the timid delicacy of the English. Compare Petrarch's first Sonnet on the Death of Laura. SONN.

CCXXIX.

Ohime, il bel vifo! Ohime, il foave fgardo!
Ohime, il portamento leggiadro altiero!

Our author appears to have applied this Italian idea of a graceful folemnity in his defcription of Eve.

Milton, as it may be feen from thefe Sonnets, appears to have been ftruck, on going into Italy, with a new idea of foreign beauty, fotto novo idea" Pellegrina Bellezza." He is now no longer captivated with the breccie d'oro, nor the bloom fo confpicuous in fairhaired complexions, guancia vermiglia; but with the nelle ciglia, Quel fereno d'amabil nero, the degli occhi, fi gran fuoco. I would add the E'l cantar, unless that was a particular compliment to his Leonora. The dark hair and eye of Italy are now become his new favourites. When a youth of nineteen, in his general description of the English Fair, he celebrates Cupid's golden nets of hair. L. i. El. i.