Quando tu vaga parli, o lieta canti
Che mover possa duro alpestre legno
Guardi ciascun agli occhi, ed agli orecchi
L'entrata, chi di te si truova indegno;
Grazia sola di su gli vaglia, inanti
Che'l disio amoroso al cuor s'invecchi.

QUAL in colle aspro, al imbrunir di sera
L'avezza giovinetta pastorella

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

Cosi Amor meco insù la lingua snella Desta il fior novo di strania favella, Mentre io di te, vezzosamente altera, Canto, dal mio buon popol non inteso

E'l bel Tamigi cangio col bel Arno. Amor lo volse, ed io a l'altrui peso Seppi ch' Amor cosa mai volse indarno. Deh! foss' il mio cuor lento e'l duro seno A chi pianta dal ciel si buon terreno.

CANZONE.

RIDONSI donne e giovani amorosi
M'accostandosi attorno, e perche scrivi,
Perche tu scrivi in lingua ignota e strana
Verseggiando d' amor, e come t'osi P
Dinne, se la tua speme sia mai vana,
E de pensieri lo miglior t'arrivi;

Cosi mi van burlando, altri rivi,
Altri lidi t'aspettan, ed altre onde
Nelle cui verdi sponde

Spuntati ad hor, ad hor a la tua chioma

L'immortal guiderdon d' eterne frondi
Perche alle spalle tue soverchia soma?
Canzon dirotti, e tu per me rispondi
Dice mia Donna, e'l suo dir è il mio cuore
Questa è lingua di cui si vanta Amore.

IV.

DIODATI, e te'l dirò con maraviglia,
Quel ritroso io ch'amor spreggiar solea
E de suoi lacci spesso mi ridea

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 honesti, e nelle ciglia
Quel sereno fulgor d'amabil nero,
Parole adorne di lingua piu d'una,
E'l cantar che di mezzo l'hemispero
Traviar ben puo la faticosa luna,

E degli occhi suoi avventa si gran fuoco
Che l'incerar gli orecchi mi fia poco.

PER certo i bei vostr' occhi, Donna mia
Esser non puo che non sian lo mio sole
Si mi percuoton forte, come ei suole
Per l'arene di Libia chi s'invia,
Mentre un caldo vapor (ne sentì pria)
Da quel lato si spinge ove mi duole,
Che forse amanti nelle lor parole
Chiaman sospir; io non so che si sia:
Parte rinchiusa, e turbida si cela

Scosso mi il petto, e poi n'uscendo poco
Quivi d' attorno o s'agghiaccia, o s'ingiela;
Ma quanto agli occhi giunge a trovar loco
Tutte le notti a me suol far piovose
Finche mia alba rivien colma di rose.

VI.

GIOVANE piano, e semplicetto amante
Poi che fuggir me stesso in dubbio sono,
Madonna a voi ael mio cuor l'humil dono
Farò divoto; io certo a prove tante
L'hebbi fedele, intrepido, costante,

De pensieri leggiadro, accorto, e buono;
Quando rugge il gran mondo, e scocca il tuono,
S'arma di se, e d' intero diamante;
Tanto del forse, e d' invidia sicuro,

Di timori, e speranze al popol use
Quanto d'ingegno, e d'alto valor vago,

E di cetra sonora, e delle muse:
Sol troverete in tal parte men duro
Ove Amor mise l'insanabil ago.

VII.

ON HIS BEING ARRIVED TO THE AGE OF

TWENTY-THREE.'

1631.

How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
Stol'n on his wing my three and twentieth year!
My hasting days fly on with full career,
But my late spring no bud or blossom show'th.
Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth,
That I to manhood am arrived so near,

And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
That some more timely-happy spirits indu'th.
Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,

It shall be still in strictest measure even
To that same lot, however mean or high,
Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven,
All is, if I have grace to use it so,

As ever in my great Task-master's eye.

1 This sonnet was written at Cambridge, and sent in a letter to friend.

VIII.

WHEN THE ASSAULT WAS INTENDED TO THE CITY.'

1642.

CAPTAIN or Colonel, or Knight in arms,

Whose chance on these defenceless doors may seize,

If deed of honour did thee ever please,
Guard them, and him within protect from harms.
He can requite thee, for he knows the charms
That call fame on such gentle acts as these
And he can spread thy name o'er lands and seas,
Whatever clime the sun's bright circle warms.
Lift not thy spear against the Muses' bow'r:
The great Emathian conqueror2 bid spare
The house of Pindarus, when temple and tow'r
Went to the ground: and the repeated air
Of sad Electra's poet3 had the pow'r
To save the Athenian walls from ruin bare.

IX.

TO A VIRTUOUS YOUNG LADY.

LADY, that in the prime of earliest youth
Wisely hast shunn'd the broad way and the green,
And with those few art eminently seen,

That labour up the hill of heavenly truth,

1 Written when the King's troops had arrived at Brentford, and London expected an immediate attack.

2 Alexander. He suffered the house of Pindar alone to stand untouched; and honoured the family of the great lyric poet, while making frightful havoc of the Thebans Milton claims the same favour from the royal forces.

3 Euripides. When Lysander had taken Athens, Plutarch tells us that,

"Some say he really did, in the Council of the Allies, propose to reduce the Athenians t slavery; and that Erianthus, a Theban officer, gave it as his opinion that the city should be levelled

•Electra.

The better part with Mary' and with Ruth?
Chosen thou hast; and they that overween,
And at thy growing virtues fret their spleen,
No anger find in thee, but pity and ruth.
Thy care is fix'd, and zealously attends

To fill thy odorous lamp with deeds of light
And hope that reaps not shame.

Therefore be sure

Thou, when the bridegroom with his feastful friends
Passes to bliss at the mid hour of night,

Fast gain'd thy entrance, Virgin wise and pure.

DAUGHTER to that good Earl, once President
Of England's Council, and her Treasury,
Who lived in both, unstain'd with gold or fee,
And left them both, more in himself content,
Till sad the breaking of that Parliament
Broke him, as that dishonest victory

At Charonea, fatal to liberty,

Kill'd with report that old man eloquent."
Though later born than to have known the days
Wherein your father flourish'd, yet by you,
Madam, methinks I see him living yet;
So well your words his noble virtues praise,
That all both judge you to relate them true,
And to possess them, honour'd Margaret.

produced so many great and illustrious men."-PLUTARCH, Life of Lysander.

Thus Athens was spared, but in cruel mockery. The Spartan collected all the musicians in the city; and pulled down the fortifications, and burned the Athenian ships, to the sound of their instruments.

1 Luke x. 42.

2 Ruth i. 14. 3 Matt. xxv. 4 Rom. v. &

Milton used frequently to visit this lady, who married Captain Hobson, o the Isle of Wight.

6 Earl of Marlborough, Lord High Treasurer, and Lord, President of the Council to King James I. Parliament was dissolved the 10th of March, 1628-9; he died on the 14th, but at an advanced age.-NEWTON.

Isocrates, the orator, who could not survive the ruin of his country. Cha ronea was gained by Philip of Macedon