Make holy-day: your rye-straw hats put on, And thefe fret nymphs encounter every one In country footing. Where is this ftage-direction, Enter certain Reapers, properly habited's they join with the nymphs in a graceful dance. The TEMPEST probably did not appear before the year 1612. That Milton had his eye on this ancient drama, which might have been the favourite of his early youth, perhaps it may be at leaft affirmed with as much credibility, as that he conceived the PARADISE LOST, from feeing a Myftery at Florence, written by Andreini a Florentine in 1617, entitled ADAMO. § In the mean time it must be confeffed, that Milton's magicianComus, with his cup and wand, is ultimately founded on the fable of Circe. The effects of both characters are much the lame. They are both to be oppofed at firft with force and violence. Circe is fubdued by the virtues of the herb Moly which Mercury gives to Ulyffes, and Comus by the plant Haemony which the Spirit gives to the Two Brothers. About the year 1615, a Mafque called the INNER TEMPLE MASQUE, written by William Browne author of BRITANNIA'S PASTORALS, which I have frequently cited, was prefented by the students of the Inner Temple. See Notes on Coм. v. 252.636.659. It has been lately printed from a manufcript in the Library of Emanuel College: but I have been informed, that a few copies were printed foon after the presenta tion. It was formed on the ftory of Circe, and perhaps might have fuggested some few hints to Milton. I will give fome proofs of Parallelifm as we go along. The genius of the beft poets is often determined, if not directed, by circumstance and accident. It is natural, that even fo original a writer as Milton fhould have been biaffed by the reigning poetry of the day, by the compofition moft in fashion, and by fubjects recently brought forward, but foon giving way to others, and almoft as foon totally neglected and forgotten. WARTON. Doctor Newton had alfo obferved, that Milton formed the & On this fubject the curious reader will be highly gratifled, in referring to Mr. Hayley's Conjectures on the Origin of Paradife Loft," fubjoined to his fécond edition of the LIFE OF MILTON in which an ample account is given of Andreitti's piece with large Extracts from it, and a moft fatisfactory enquiry into Milton's obligations to it. The chief idea that Mr. Hayley means to inculcate is, that Milton did not tamely copy the Adamo of Andreini, but that his fancy caught fire from that fpirited, though irregular and fantaftic, compofition that it proved in his ardent and fertile mind the feed of Paradife Loft. The Adamo was first printed in 1613, and again in 1617. See Mr. Hayley's valuable LIFE OF MILTON, 2d edition. p. 257. EDITOR. The late ingenious Mr. Headley in the Supplement to his Select Beauties of Ancient English Poetry, Lond. 1787, directs the reader of Comus to the 66 Chrift's Victorie of GILES FLETCHER, in which the ftory of Circe is introduced. His acute obfervations will be found in the following Notes on Comus, with his name affixed. EDITORS plan of Coмus very much upon the episode of Circe in the Odyffey. And Doctor Johnson, in his Life of Milton, fays, that the fiction is derived from Homer's Circe. But a learned and ingenious annotator on the Lives of the Poets is of opinion, notwithftanding the great biographer's affertion, that " it is rather taken "from the COMUS of ERYCIUS PUTEANUS, in which, under the "fiction of a dream, the characters of Comus and his attendants "are delineated, and the delights of fenfualifts expofed and re86 probated. This little Tract was published at Louvain in 1611, "and afterwards at Oxford in 1634, the very year in which "MILTON'S COMUS was written." Note figned H. in Johnson's LIVES OF THE POETS. vol. i. p. 134. ed. 1790. and p. 123. ed. 1794. In Remarks on the Arabian Night's Entertainments by RICHARD HOLE, L.L. B. Lond. 1797, this obfervation has been confirmed by various extracts from Puteanus's work. But, before I prefent the reader with the correfpondencies in the Dutch and British COMUS, which this acute and entertaining writer has exhibited, it should be remarked, that the first edition of Puteanus is not that which was printed at Louvain in 1611; although it is faid to be the first by Mr. Hole, p. 232, and implied to be the first in the preceding information of the annotator on Johnfon. Mr. Warton refers to Puteanus, in his note on v. 58. of COMUS, whose work, he says, was written in 1608. It was probably published at Louvain in the fame year. The edition of 1611 has the following title, " ERYCI PUTEANI COMVS SIVE "PHAGESIPOSIA CIMMERIA. SOMNIVM: Secundò jam et ac"curatius editum. LOVANII, Typis GERARDI RIVII. clɔ. "Iɔc. xi." Dan. Heinfius has prefixed a copy of verses to Puteanus in this edition. "Milton certainly read this performance with fuch attention, as led, perhaps imperceptibly, to imitation. His Comus Offers to every weary traveller His orient liquor in a crystal glass. In Puteanus, one of his attendants difcharges that office. Hic [in limine] adolefcens cum amphorâ et cyatho ftabat et intrantibus propinabat vinum. [p. 35. ed. 1611.] From the following I ERYCIUS PUTEANUS (whofe real name, according to Mr. Hole, was Henri du Puy) was born at Venloo in Gelderland. He was Profeflor of Eloquence at Milan, and afterwards at Louvain. He was very much efteemed in the Low Countries, and enjoyed the titles of Hiftoriographer to the King of Spain, and Counfellor to the Arch-Duke Albert. He was even appointed Governor of the Castle of Louvain. He died in 1646, in the 72d year of his age. He was author of an immenfe number of books. Scaliger calls him a trifler, but he was certainly both learned and eloquent, although he did not apply himself fo much to correct and comment upon authors, as in compofing little pieces upon Eloquence, letters, and fmall tracts upon Mifcellaneous fub jects. See BAILLET, and GEN. DICT. Art. Puteanus. EDITOR. k Vid. Auctoris Præfat. p. 8. et. p. 204, ed 1611. EDITOR. h paffage Milton feems to have derived his idea of the mode, in which he first introduces the voluptuous enchanter. Interea COMVS, luxu lafciviâque ftipatus, ingreditur: et quid attinet pompam explicare? Horæ fuaviffimos Veris odores, omnemque florum purpuram fpargebant. Amorem Gratiæ, Delicia, Lepores, ceteraeque Hilaritatis illices fequebantur: Voluptatem Rifus, Locufque. Cum Saturitate foror Ebrietas erat, crine fluxo, rubentis Auroræ vultu: manu thyrfum quatiebat; ac breviter, totum Bacchum exprefferat. [p. 30. ed. fupr.] These figurative perfonages recall to our minds Meanwhile welcome Joy and Feaft, Midnight Shout and Revelry, In the fame fpeech our Poet evidently has in view a lively Anacreontic Ode, which the Comus of Puteanus likewise addreffes to his diffipated Votaries." Hole's REMARKS &c. pp. 233, 234. The lines, which Mr Hole has extracted from this Ode, are given as "refemblances which can hardly be confidered accidental;" and he adds, "whoever chooses to compare farther the poetical addrefs of Comus in each author, will find a fimilar Ipirit and congeniality of thought, though the Dutch Muse in point of chastity is very inferior to the British." REMARKS &C. p. 236. From the comparison which I have made, I venture to join a refemblance or two with thofe that have been displayed by an abler pen. The Ode opens thus: Fadum putet: latere ? Quod turpe, quodque fœdum. Te Coмvs, atque COMI Rifum, Iocumque prome Hic Fervor, et Juventas, Come, let us our rights begin, 'Tis only day-light that makes fin, Which thefe dun fhades will ne'er report. To the lines marked with Italics, the opening of the following paflage might have contributed. An tu nefcis, inquit [Comus], Sacris meis pervigilium deberi? Necdum Solis Occafus eft, et fomnum ordiris? Si numen meum nefcis, inter mortales immortalis ago, &c. Δαίμων ὁ Κῶμος, παρ ̓ ὁν τὸ κωμάζειν τοῖς Apo-Iam Sacra mea PHAGESIA, five PHAGESIPOSIA funt, Scriptoribus nominata, et Luxu Lafciviâque peraguntur. Paucis: totum Voluptatis regnum meum eft ; nec felix quisquam, nifi qui meus. [p. 20. ed. 1611.] HOLE. n Coм. v. 109. Strict Age and four Severity. EDITOR. • COM. v. 667. Here dwell no frowns, nor anger; from thefe gates That fancy can beget on youthful thoughts-EDITOR. · Lubentiæque funt hic.- Serto caput rofarum, Micantiumque florum. pp. 55. et feq. ed. fupr. There is a remarkable paffage in the Dutch Comus, where Aderba, Puteanus's friend, expresses the horror he feels, on finding himself overtaken by night at the very entrance of Comus's portentous palace. Puteanus diffipates his apprehenfions by an argument, not diffimilar to that, with which the Elder Brother, in the British Comus, combats the fears of the Younger respecting his Sifter. Ego in numeros refponfionem acuens, fortiori coacta fententiæ fpiritu difpellere inanem metum conatus fum. Quid innocentis ergò candor pectoris, Mentem manu, fi candor atque puritas, Animo pavor; caligo teda fternitur. p.26. et feq. ed. fupr. The addrefs of Comus to the Lady, his fpecious argumentation and licentious language, There was another meaning in these gifts, Think what, and be advis'd, might have been fuggefted, in fome degree, by the following P COM. V. 105. Braid your locks with rofy twine, Dropping odours, dropping wine.. Holz, 9 COM. Y. 366. I do not think my Sifter fo to feek, Or fo unprincipled in virtue's book, And the fweet peace that goodness bofoms ever, As that the fingle want of light and noise (Not being in danger, as I truft fhe is not) Could ftir the conftant mood of her calm thoughts, And put them into mifbecoming plight. Virtue could fee to do what Virtue would By her own radiant light Compare alfo the Lady's foliloquy, v. 205. A thoufand fantafies Begin to throng into my memory, Of calling fhapes, and beck'ning fhadows dire, &c. |