Book v. V. 637. 'They eat, they drink, and with refection sweet were thus enlarged in the second edition: 'They eat, they drink, and in communion sweet Of surfeit, where full measure only bounds Book xi. V. 484, after 'Intestine stone, and ulcer, cholic-pangs,' these three verses were added: 'Dæmoniac phrenzy, moping melancholy, And ver. 551, of the same book (which was originally thus: received this addition: Of rendring up, and patiently attend LETTERS. No. i. ii. Greek letters of C. Deodati to Milton, formerly in the possession of Toland, now in the British Museum, additional MS. No. 5017, f. 71, (see Toland's Life of Milton, p. 23.) No. iii. an Italian letter to Milton, from Florence, without the name of the author affixed. Carlo Dati was the principal correspondent of Milton: and I should have supposed that he had been the writer of this letter; but that he is represented as a nobleman of large fortune, and in this letter the writer speaks of his being appointed to the professorship of Belles Lettres in the academy of Florence, on the death of Doni. If not from Carlo Dati, I should presume it must be from Bonmattei, his other Florentine correspondent. Since writing the above, I have discovered that Carlo Dati succeeded Doni in the professorship. He therefore is the writer. Doni died Dec. 1647, aged fifty-three, he left C. Dati the office of publishing his works. Heinsius says, 'DATIVM, amicissimum mihi juvenem Donius impense diligebat." C. Dati died in Jan. 1675, aged fifty-six. Dati took the name in the Acad. della Crusca of Smarrito. He wrote the Lives of the Antient Painters, 4to. 1667, and other small works. See Salvino Salvino in Fast. Consularibus, p. 536, and Bandini Comm. de vitâ Donii, p. xci. very interesting mention of C. Dati occurs repeatedly in the Epistles of N. Heinsius. Bayle says he was very civil and officious to all learned travellers who went to Florence. Chimentelli thus speaks of him, 'Clarissimus et amicissimus Car. Datius, nostræ flos illibatus urbis, suadæque Etruscæ medulla, quam omni literarum paratu quotidie auget, atque illustrat.' Nic. Heinsius has dedicated a book of his Elegies to Carlo Dati, in which he mentions his acquaintance with Gaddi, Coltellini, Doni, Frescobaldi and other of Milton's friends. Carlo Dati received him with the same hospitality, which he had showed to Milton. He also mentions his reception by Chimentelli at Pisa. No. iv. Letter from Peter Heimbach. To this letter, an answer by Milton is found among his Epistles, p. 65. There is an address to Cromwell in Latin written by Heimbach, printed in London, 1656. This letter was sent after an interval of nine years in their correspondence; and was an affectionate inquiry concerning Milton's safety, during the plague of the preceding year. No. v. Letter from 'Leo ab Aizema,' informing Milton he had printed a Dutch translation of his Book on Divorce. See Milton's Answer, p. 42, Feb. 1654. Leo ab Aizema, was a gentleman of Friesland, born at Doccum, 1600. He printed some Latin poems, and Historia Pacis a fæderat: Belgis ab An. 1621. He was the resident for the Hans Towns, at the Hague, and was a clever, friendly, and liberal man. Saxii Onom. Lit. Vol. iv. p. 216. See No. I. Θεόσδοτος Μίλτωνι ευφραίνεσθαι. (Condoling with him on the bad weather, and anticipating a meeting on the return of the fine.) Ἡ μὲν παροῦσα κατάστασις τοῦ ἄερος δοκει φθονερώτερον διακεῖσθαι, πρὸς ἃ ἡμεῖς πρωὶ διαλυόμενοι εθέμεθα, χειμά ζοῦσα, καὶ ταρασσομένη δύο ἤδη ὅλας ἡμέρας, ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσοῦ 1 πρωην in Marg. τὸν ἐπιθυμῷ τῆς σῆς συνδιαιτήσεως, ὥσθ' ὑπὸ ἐπιθυμίας ήδη ἐνδίαν, καὶ γαλήνην, καὶ πάντα χρυσᾶ ἐἰς τὸν ἅυριον ὀνειρώτ τειν, καὶ μόνον ου μαντεύεσθαι, ἵνα λόγων φιλοσόφων, καὶ πεπαιδευμένων ευωχώμεθα ἓξ αλλήλων, διὰ τοῦτο οῦν ἥβουλόμην πρὸς σὲ γράφειν, τοῦ προκαλεισθαι, καὶ ἄναθαρσύνειν χάριν, δέισας μὴ πρὸς ἕτερα ἅττα νοῦν προσέχης ἅπέλπισας ἡλιασμούς, καὶ ἥδυπαθείας, ἕις τὸ παρόνγε. "Αλλα σύ θάρσει ὦ φίλε, καὶ ἔμμενε τῷ δόξαντι συναμφοῖν, καὶ ἀναλάμβανε διά θεσιν τῆς ψυχῆς ἑορταστικὴν, καὶ φαιδροτέραν τῆς καθημερι νῆς. καὶ γὰρ ἐσαύριον ἕσταὶ πάντα καλῶς, καὶ ὅ αήρ, καὶ ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ ὅ πόταμος, καὶ δένδρα καὶ ὅρνίθια, καὶ γῆ, καὶ ἄν θρωποι ἑορτάζουσιν ἡμῖν, συνγελασουσιν, καὶ συγχορευσουσι, τὸ δὴ ἀνεμέσητος λελέχθω· μόνον σὺ ἕτοιμος γίνου, ή κληθεις ἐξορμᾶσθαι, ἢ καὶ ἄκλητος ποθοῦντι ἐπέλθειν. Αυτομάτος δὲ οἱ ἦλθε 2 βοὴν ἀγαθος Μενέλαος. Ἔῤῥωσο. No. II. Θεοδοτος Μιλτωνι γαρίεν. (Describes the pleasantness of his situation, and of the season, and exhorts Milton to relax from his studies, and take recreation. This letter was probably sent from Cheshire to Milton at Horton, or in London; it must have been written about May.) Οὐδὲν ἔχω ἐγκάλειν τῇ νῦν διαγωγῆ μοῦ, ἐκτὸς τοὺτου ἑνὸς, ὅτι στερίσκομαι ψυχῆς τίνος γενναίας λόγον ἄιτειν, καὶ διδόναι ἐπισταμένης, τοίην τοι κεφαλὴν ποθέω· τὰ δ' ἄλλα ἄφθονα πάντα ὑπάρχει ἐνταῦθα ἐνἀγρῷ· τί γὰρ ἄν ἔτι λείποι, ὁπόταν ἤματα μακρὰ, τόποι κάλλιστοι ἄνθεσι, καὶ φύλλοις κομῶντες, καὶ βρύοντες, ἐπὶ παντὶ κλάδῳ ἀηδὼν ἤ ἀκανθῖς, ἢ ἄλλο τι ὀρνιθιον ὠδαῖς, καὶ μινυρισμοῖς ἐμφιλοτιμειται, περίπατοι ποικαλώτατοι, τράπεζα οὔτε ἐνδεὴς. οὔτε κατάκορος, ὕπνοι ἀθόρυ βοι; ἐι ἐσθλὸν τίνα ἐταῖρον τούτεστι πεπαιδευομένον, καὶ μεμνημενον ἐπὶ τούτοις, ἐκτώμην, τοῦ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλέως εὐδαιμονέστερος ἄν γενοίμην αλλ' ἐστιν ἄει τί ἐλλιπὲς ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις πράγμασι, πρὸς ὅ δει μετριότητος. Σὺ δὲ ὦ θαυμάσιε, τι καταφρόνεις τῶν τῆς φύσεως δωρημάτων; τι καρτερεῖς ἀπροφασίστως βιβλίοις, καὶ λογιδίοις παννύχιον, παννῆμαρ προσφυόμενος; ζῆ, γέλα, χρῶ τῇ νεότητι, καὶ ταῖς ὥραις, καὶ πανοῦ 4 ἀναγινώσκων τὰς σπουδας, καὶ τὰς ἀνέσεις, καὶ 2 Vide Hom. II. B. 408. 4 άφες, erased in text. 8 εκτωμην-so in MS. ῥαστώνας τῶν πάλαι σοφῶν αὐτὸς κατατριβόμενος τέως. Ἐγὼ μὲν ἐν ἀπασιν ἄλλοις ἥττων σοῦ ὑπαρχων, ἐν τούτῳ τῶ μέτρον πόνων εἰδέναι κρέιττων, καὶ δοκῶ ἐμαυτῶ, καὶ εἴμι.. Έῤῥωσω, καὶ παῖζε, ἄλλ' οὐ κάτα Σαρδανάπαλον τὸν ἐν σόλοις. Note. These two Greek letters are printed in exact conformity with the original MS. Illmo Sig. e Pron Osso. No. III. Fino l'anno passato risposi alla cortesissima ed elegantissima lettera di V. S. Ilma affettuosamente ringraziandola della memoria che per sua grazia sì compiace tenere della mia osservanza. Scrissi, come fo adesso in Toscano, sapendo che la mia lingua è a lei sì cara, e familiare che nella sua bocca non apparisce straniera. Ho di poi ricevuto due copie delle sue eruditissime poesie delle quali non mi poteva arrivare donativo più caro, perchè quantunque piccolo, racchiude in se valore infinito per esser una gemma del tesoro del Signor Giov. Miltoni. E come disse Theocrito; Gran pregio ha picciol dono, e merta onore Le rendo adunque quelle grazie che maggiori per me si possono e prego il Cielo che mi dia fortuna di poterle dimostrare la mia devozione verso il suo merito. Non asconderò alla benevolenza di V. S. Illma, alcune nuove che son certo, le saranno gratissime. Il Serenissimo Granduca mio Signore s'è compiaciuto conferirmi la catedra, e lettura delle lettere umane dell' Academia fiorentina vacata per la morte dell' Eruditissimo Signor Gio. 'Doni gentilhuomo Fiorentino., Questa e carica onorevolissima, e sempre esercitata da gentilhuomini e literati di questa Patria, come già dal Poliziano, da '1 due Vettori, e due 2Adriani lumi delle Lettere. La passata Settimana, per la morte del Serenissimo Principe Lorenzo di Toscana, Zio del Granduca Regnante, feci l' orazione funerale; come ella sia publicata, sarà mia cura invia ne copia a V. S. Illma. Ho alle mani diverse opere, quali a Dio pia 1 Petrus, and, I believe, Franciscus Victorius. See the Life of the latter by Bandini. 2 The two Adriani were Marcello, and his son Giambattista, both professors of literature at Florence, and both Secretaries of State. The father died in 1521, the son in 1570. Giambattista wrote the Storia dé suoi Tempi, a work highly praised by De Thou. cendo tirerò avanti per farne quello giudicheranno meglio i mie' dotti e amorevoli amici. Il Signor Valerio Chimentelli è stato eletto da S. Altezza per Professore delle lettere Greche in Pisa, con grande espettazione del suo valore. I Signori Frescobaldi, Coltellini, Francini, Galilei,2 et altri infiniti unitamente le inviano affettuosi saluti, ed io, come più d'ogn' altro obbligato, con ricordarle il desiderio de' suoi comandi mi ratifico per sempre vivere. Di V. S. Illma. Firenze, 4 xbre 1648. Extra.-All' Illmo Signor e Pron Osso. Il Sigr. No. IV. Viro supra laudem Jaño Miltonio suo salutem p. d. Petrus Heim bachius. Si citius constitisset nobis, te, Jane Miltoni, vir omni ex parte summe, mortalium cœtui interesse adhuc, citius quoque Londinum reversus, nostrum amicissimum animum testatus fuissem. Ferebant enim te nostris nugis exemptum, patrio cœlo redonatum esse, terrisque sublimiorem quavis nostra despicere. Ad hoc regnum, ut non datur aditus, sic calamum meum satis ad tui similes scripturientem hactenus cohibere, ac reprimere debui. Ego certe qui non tam virtutes ipsas quam virtutum diversarum conjugium in te admirabar, cum alia multa in te suspicio, tum quod gravitatis quam præ se fert dignissima viro facies, curn serenissima humanitate, charitatis cum prudentia, pietatis cum politica, politicæ cum immensa eruditione, sed, addo, generosi, nec minime timidi spiritus, etiam ubi juniores animos 3 laberentur, cum solicito pacis amore, raram omnino, et præter fas sæculi mixturam feceris. Hinc Deum veneror, tibi ut omnia ex voto, et animi sententia rursum eveniant, sed uno excepto. Nam tu quidem 4 saturus annis, plenus honoribus, iis etiam quos recusasti nihil ultra exoptas quam quietis præmium, ac justitiæ coro 2 The great Galileo died at Arcetri, 9 Jan. 1642, aged seventy-eight; he is said to have been born at Pisa, the very day that M. Angelo died at Rome. The Galilei mentioned above was 'Vincenzo,' his natural son. There is strong evidence that he was the first to apply the pendule to the clock. He seems to have done so in 1649, while Huygens' invention was of later date. 3 Animi. 4 Satur. |