SONNET S.

I.

TO THE NIGHTINGALE.

O Nightingale, that on yon bloomy fpray

Warbleft at eve, when all the woods are still ; Thou with fresh hope the lover's heart doft fill, While the jolly Hours lead on propitious May.

Ver. 1. 0 Nightingale, &c.] See the Note on Par. Loft, B. vii. 435, where Milton's frequent mention of this bird is noticed. Marino, I fhould add, delights to dwell upon the Nightingale he addreffes three pleafing Sonnets to her, in his Rime Bofcherecce, Ven. 1602, pp. 70, and 100. See also ibid. p. 69. TODD.

Ver. 3. Thou with fresh hope &c.] This addrefs to the nightingale is founded upon the fame notion or tradition as Chaucer's verfes of the Cuccoo and the Nightingale :

"But as I lay this othir night waking,
"I thought howe lovirs had a tokining,

And amonge 'hem it was a commune tale,
"That it were gode to here the nightingale

"Moche rathir than the luedè cuccoo fing." NEWTON: Ver. 4. While the jolly Hours lead on propitious May.] Becaufe the nightingale is fuppofed to begin finging in April. So Sidney, in England's Helicon, edit. 1614.

Thy liquid notes that close the

eye

of day,

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

"The nightingale, fo foon as Aprill bringeth
"Vnto her refted fenfe a perfect waking,

"While late bare earth proud of new clothing springeth,
"Singes out her woes, &c." T. Warton.

The application of jolly to the hours might be fuggested by Spenfer's epithet, Faer. Qu. Canto of Mutabilitie, vii. 29. "Then came the iolly Sommer." Again, ib. 35. "And after her came iolly June." And thus Crafhaw, Poems, ed. 1670, p. 107.

"An everlasting fpring the jolly year
"Led round in his great circle." TODD.

Ver. 5.

that close the eye of day,] So, in

Fairfax's Taffo, edit. 1600, p. 21.

"When Phebus next vnclos'd his wakefull eie.”

"Does day

And in Crafhaw's Weeper, Poems, 1648, ft. xxiii.
clofe his eyes?" Compare alfo a beautiful couplet, in his verfes
addreffed To the Morning:

"And the fame rofie-finger'd hand of thine,
"That huts night's dying eyes, fhall open mine."

It is the fame phrafe in Comus, v. 978.

"Where day never shuts his eye." TODD.

Ver. 6. First heard before the shallow cuckoo's bill, &c.] That is, if they happen to be heard before the cuckoo, it is lucky for the lover. But Spenfer calls the cuckoo the meffenger of fpring, and supposes that his trumpet shrill 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 Spring,

"The nightingale."

Angel is messenger. And the whole expreffion feems to be lite

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 11 For my relief, yet hadft no reason why:

Whether the Mufe, or Love, call thee his mate, Both them I serve, and of their train am I.

rally from a fragment of Sappho, preferved by the scholiaft on Sophocles, Electr. v. 148.

ΗΡΟΣ Δ' ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ, ἱμερόφωνος ἀηδῶν.

Or from one of Simonides, of the fwallow. Schol. Ariftoph. Av. v. 1410.

ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ κλυτά ΕΑΡΟΣ ἁδυόσμο, κυανέα χελιδών.

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

II.

DONNA leggiadra, il cui bel nome honora
L'herbofa val di Rheno, e il nobil varco;
Bene è colui d'ogni valore scarco,
Qual tuo fpirto gentil non innamora ;
Che dolcemente moftra fi 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

Ver. 9. Quando tu vaga parli, o lieta canti

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Che mover poffa duro alpestre legno,] A fine compliment. Ariofto, with exquifite elegance, thus fpeaks of Alcina's beauteous mouth, Orl. Fur. C. vii. st. 13.

Che mover poffa duro alpestre 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

Che'l difio amorofo al cuor s'invecchi.

"Quindi efcon le cortefi parolette,

"Da render molle ogni cor rozzo, e scabro ;

"Quivi fi forma quel foave rifo,

"Ch' apre a fua pofta in terra il Paradifo," TODD.

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III.

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

Ver. 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 fera," Canz. xxxvii. Milton had this Italian word in his head, where he uses the word imbrown, in Par. Loft, B. iv. 246. "where the unpierc'd shade

"Imbrown'd the noon-tide bowers."

So alfo, in Il Pens. v. 134.

And fhadows brown, that Sylvan loves,

"Of pine and monumental oak."

And "alleys brown," in Par. Reg. B. ii. 293. Compare Taffo,

Gier. Lib. C. xiv. ft. 70.

Quinci ella in cima à una montagna afcende

“Dishabitata, e d'ombre ofcitra, e bruna.”

And Marino. L'Adon. C. viii. 147.

"Imbrunir d'oriente il ciel fi vede."

And, to come home to the text, Par. Loft, B. ix. 1088.