Va bagnando l'herbetta ftrana e bella Cofi Amor meco insù la lingua fnella "higheft wood, impenetrable "To ftar or fun-light, fpread their umbrage broad, 10 Ver. 3. Va bagnando l'herbetta, &c." See Petrarch's Canzone, juft quoted, v. 24. "Da bagnar l'herbe, &c." T. Warton. A CANZONE*. RIDONSI donne e giovani amorofi It is from Petrarch, that Milton mixes the Canzone with the Sonetto. Dante regarded the Canzone as the most perfect species of lyrick 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 tragick fubject, it is denominated Canzone, and when on a comick, cantilena, as diminutive. T. Warton. The abbe Salvini, after pronouncing Filicaja as unquestionablythe bett compofer of the Canzone, proceeds to fpeak of this fpecies of verfe, as follows: "Ma dove mai vale a moftrarfi il Poeta con tutte le ricchezze poetiche, coll' invenzione, colla difpofizione, colla musicale varietà de metri, che l' anima variamente percuotoño, co' lumi delle fentenze, colle figure grandi, e magnifiche, se non nella Canzone?" Profe Tofcane di A. M. Salvini, Firenz. 1715. p. 219. TODD. Ver. 5. Dinne, fe la tua fpeme fia mai vana, E de penfieri lo miglior t'arsivi;] This is obferved to be one of the most elegant forms used in the Italian language; a mode used by the earliest and the best writers. Dante, Infern. C. xxix. "Se la voftra memoria non s'imboli "Ditemi." Petrarch, Trionf. d'Am. C. ii. "Hor dimmi, fe colui in pace di guide”” See Curfory Remarks on fome of the ancient English poets, par ticularly Milton, p. 118. TODD. Cofi mi van burlando, altri rivi Altri lidi t'aspettan, ed altre onde Spuntati ad hor, ad hor a la tua chioma 10 Canzon dirotti, e tu per me rispondi Dice mia Donna, e'l fuo dir, é il mio cuore 15 Altri lidi t'afpettan, ed altre onde &c.] The lines are an echo to a ftauza in Ariofto, where Aftolpho explores the regions of the moon, Orl. Fur. C. xxxiv. ft. 72. "Altri fiumi, altri laghi, altre compagne, "Altri piani, altre valli, altre montagne, &c." See alfo Lycidas, v. 174.-The lady implied in the Italian Sonnets is perhaps Leonora, of whom more will be faid hereafter. See vol. vii. p. 252, and feq. T. WARTON. IV. DIODATI, e te'l dirò con maraviglia, Gia caddi, ov❜ huom dabben talhor s'impiglia. Ne treccie d'oro, ne guancia vermiglia M'abbaglian sì, ma fotto nova idea Ver. 5. Ne treccie d'oro, ne guancia vermiglia M' abbaglian sì, &c.] So, in Comus, v. 752. 5 Pellegrina bellezza che'l cuor bea, And On the Death of a fair Infant, v. 5. "that lovely dye "That did thy check envermeil." T. WARTON. But Milton's expreffion in the text is probably from Taffo's Aminta, A. i. S. ii. "A le guancie di Fillide volando, "A le guancie vermiglie, come rofa." Compare alfo ibid. A. i. S. i. "E così vermigliuzza havea la bocca." TODD. Ver. S. Portamenti alti honefti,] So before, Son. iii. 8. Vezzofamente altera." Portamento expreffes the lofty dignified deportment, by which the Italian poets conftantly defcribe female beauty; and which is ftrikingly characteristick of the compofed majestick carriage of the Italian Ladies, either as contrafted with the liveliness of the French, or the timid delicacy of the Euglifh. Compare Petrarch's firft 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 description of Eve. Milton, as it may be feen from thefe Sonnets, appears to have been struck, on going into Italy, with a new idea of foreign beauty, fotto novo idea pellegrina bellezza. He is now no longer captivated with the treccie d'oro, nor the bloom fo confpicuous in the fair-haired 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, unlefs 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 defcription of the English Fair, he celebrates Cupid's golden nets of hair, L. i. El. i. 60. And, in Comus, beauty is characterised by vermeil-tinctured cheeks, and treffès like the morn. T. WARTON. Quel fereno fulgor d'amabil nero, E degli occhi fuoi auventa fi gran fuoco མ. PER certo i bei voftr'occhi, Donna mia 10 "Si mi percuoton forte,] To the Italian and Latin inftances of this expreffion, cited by Mr. Thyer, and Mr. Bowle in the Note on Par. Loft, B. iv. 244, Mr. Warton adds Shak fpeare, Love's Lab. Loft, A. iv. S. iii. "As thy eyebeams when their fresh rays have smote And Virgil, of light, En. viii. 25. 66 fummíque ferit laquearia tecti." And Statius, Theb. vi. 666. Qualis Bistoniis clypeus Mavortis in agris “Luce mala Pangæa ferit." And a parallel from Prudentius, which illuftrates another paffage of Milton, Hymn ii. 6. He cites alfo Buchanan, Silv. iv. p. 53. Opp. edit. 1715, "Cufpide jucundæ lucis percussu renident |