O lungo'l Caspio, o lungo'l ponto Eussino, I shall only solicit the attention of my reader to two other instances. In the first, the poet is describing the Phoenix, preparing materials for its conflagration. No. XXXV, The first five of these verses seem to me to have a wonderful resemblance to the manner of Milton. The latter three are also much in his style, as he often uses the verb wanted, in the way here employed by Tasso. His stature reach'd the sky, and on his crest Nor gentle purpose, nor endearing smiles The following is the other example, to which I would request the reader's at * Giorn. Quinta, vol. V. p. 57. P. Lost, IV. 988. VOL. 11. 30 + Giornata Quinta, vol. V. p. 70. No. XXXV. tention, as I think it can hardly be doubted that Milton had the passage of Tasso in his mind while composing it. -Tralascio di Sfingi, e di Centauri; Di Polifemo e di Ciclopi appresso, Di Satiri, di Fauni, e di Silvani, Ond' egli vinse, e trionfò degl' Indi, E lascio gli Arimaspi, e quei, ch'al Sole Si fan col piè giacendo e scherno, ed ombra, -For never, since created man, Met such embodied force as, nam'd with these, Damasco, or Morocco, or Trebisond; Or whom Biserta sent from, Afric shore, When Charlemain, with all his peerage, fell By Fontarabia. † In some papers of the Rambler, on the subject of Milton's versification, Dr Johnson remarks that poet's custom of heaping up a number of softly sounding proper names, for which he assigns what he considers to be the reason. "Milton," says he, "whose ear had been accustomed, not only to the music of the ancient tongues, which, however vitiated by our pronunciation, excel all that are now in use, but to the softness of the Italian, the most mellifluous of all modern poetry, seems fully convinced of the unfitness of our language for smooth versification, and is therefore pleased with an opportunity of calling in a softer word to his assistance: for this reason, and I believe for this only, he sometimes indulges himself in a long series of proper names, and introduces them, where they add little but music to his poem: -The richer seat Of Atabalipa, and yet unspoil'd Guiana, whose great city Gerion's sons The moon-the Tuscan artist views At evening on the top of Fesolé, Or in Valdarno, to descry new lands."† The critic then proceeds, not very consistently, to blame Milton on account of his roughening his style, by his uncommonly frequent use of elisions. "The great peculiarity of Milton's versification, (says he,) compared with that of later poets, is the elision of one vowel before another, or the suppression of the last syllable of a word ending with a vowel, when a vowel begins the following word. As, Knowledge Oppresses else with surfeit, and soon turns "Milton, (adds Dr Johnson,) therefore seems to have somewhat mistaken the nature of our language, of which the chief defect is ruggedness and asperity, and has left our harsh cadences still harsher." ¶ The same objection was No. XXXV. *Paradise Lost, XI. 408. † Paradise Lost, I. 288. ¶ Rambler, No. 88. No, XXXV. made by the critics to Tasso, and with as little sensibility to true poetical harmony.* The above reflections on the influence of the writings of Tasso, on the genius of Milton, would receive additional evidence, were I to bring together the numerous passages which the commentators of the English poet, have remarked as imitated from the Italian bard. A collection of these, however, although a keen investigation might perhaps add to their number, would lead to a great aud unjustifiable prolixity. I fear that already, I shall be thought, to have fallen into the absurdity, which I have censured, of accusing the divine poet as a compiler of centos. No other epic writer, with the exception perhaps of Homer, has borrowed so little as Milton, and my only object has been, to vindicate to the great master, whose life I have related, the second of his honours the glory of having formed a disciple so renowned. † *See vol. I. p. 218. + The great extent of the last, and of some preceding articles, has prevented me from endeavouring to shew at length, that Milton before he went to Italy, was not unacquainted even with the prose writings of Tasso. In the Messaggiero of the latter, for example, in which the poet represents himself as conversing with a Spirit, there is a discourse on influences, and the Spirit argues that, as the eyes of a beloved female, together with their splendour and graceful motion, have a certain virtue different from the effects that mere light and motion are calculated to produce-as in the mortal eye, rays as it were of mind, mingle with the brilliancy of movement, it is unreasonable to suppose that the bright and eternal Heavens, have only light and motion. "Assai son io pago (says Tasso,) della prova, colla quale tu mi dimostri, che le stelle piovano quaggiu della lor virtù, ma ben molto dubito, se l'uomo possa degl' influssi, e degli aspetti loro aver alcuna scienza." The Spirit's argument is founded on the circumstance, that " mescolata co' raggi, passa dagli occhi della donna amata, nel petto del amatore, alcuna virtù diversa dalla luce non dependente da essa, o dal moto." This cannot fail to suggest the lines of Milton, in his L'Allegro, With store of ladies, whose bright eyes Rain influence, to judge the prize. The whole purport, nearly, of the Spirit, in this long dialogue, is to explain to Tasso, the nature and office of Demons, or good subordinate Spirits. He represents them with much detail, as Messengers of Heaven, who, as in their peculiar and proper element, -live inspher'd In regions mild of calm, and serene air. This is the very account which the Damon in Comus, [in the Cambridge MS. of this Masque, the No. XXXVI.-P. 297. OF THE GERUSALEMME CONQUISTATA. The Gerusalemme Conquistata is a poem of such extent, and Tasso himself seems to have entertained such an opinion of its merit, that it will be proper to enter into some detail upon the subject. The first indistinct plans of the author concerning it, are contained in the following letter to Sig. Lorenzo Malpigli, written at Mantua in 1586.* "I wrote to you yesterday, almost in the dark, but this morning, the new day has enlightened my eyes and my mind, so that I shall now reply to the No. XXXVI. Attendant Spirit is throughout named Damon, and in the stage directions, it is said always, Damon enters― Dæmon sings,] gives of his abode and office, in his prologue. In the same opening speech, the Attendant Spirit speaks of The crown that Virtue gives⚫ As Tasso's Spirit says, |