=94 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 152 



Street during the time of Milton's rustication from 



Cambridge : 



" Sed neque sub tecto semper nee In urbe latemus, 



Irrita nee nobis tempora veris eunt. 

 [. Nos quoque lucus habet vicina consitus ulmo, 



Atque suburbani nobilis umbra loci. 

 I Sappius hie, blandas Spirantia sidera flammas, 

 Virgineos videas praeteriisse choros. 

 Ah quoties dignae stupui miracula formae, 

 Quae possit senium vel reparare Jovis! 

 Ah quoties vidi superantia lumina gemmas, 



Atque faces, quotquot volvit uterque polus; 

 Et decus eximium fiontis, tremulosque capillos, 

 Aurea quae fallax retia tendit Amor." 



Eleg. i. 47. &c. 



The same elegy contains a great deal more to a 

 similar effect; but lest we might suppose him ac- 

 tuated merely by Christian charity or by chival- 

 rous feelings of admiration for the London ladies 

 in general, he devotes the seventh of his Elegies to 

 a downright love-tale, of which he himself was the 

 hero. We thus have in full the pleasing sorrows 

 of "love at first sight," and first love of which 

 the sedate and stately Milton furnished " a decided 

 case." In some of his suburban rambles he had 

 accidentally met a young lady of surpassing 

 beauty, whom he never could discover again, even 

 though buoyed up in his earnest endeavours to do 

 so by the self-flattering hope that, could he only 

 find an opportunity of declaring his love, the 

 damsel's heart would be found composed of more 

 tender materials than adamant. 



*' Haec ego non fugi speetacula grata severus, 



Impetus et quo me fert juvenilis agor, 

 Liimina luminibus male providus obvia misi 



Neve oculos potui continuisse meos. 

 Unam forte aliis supereminuisse notabam, 



Priticlpium nostri lux erat ilia mail. 

 Sic Venus optaret mortalibus ipsa videri, 



Sic Regiiia Deum conspicienda fuit. 

 Protinus insoliti subierunt corda furores, 



Uror amans intus, flammaque totus erara. 

 Inlerea misero quae jam mihi sola placebat, 



Ablata est oculis non reditura meis. 

 Ast ego progredior tacite querebundus, et excors, 



Et dubiiis volui saepe referre pedem. 

 Finder, et haec remanet : sequitur pars altera votum, 



Raptaque tarn subito gaudia flere juvat. 

 Quid faciam infelix, et luctu victus? Amores 



Nee licet ineeptos ponere, neve sequi. 



Utinam, spectare semel mihi detur amatos 

 Vultus, et coram tristia verba loqui ! 



Forsitan et duro non est adamante creata, 

 Forte nee ad nostras surdeat ilia preces." 



Ekff. vii. 57. &c. 



1 presume that this elegy was written much 

 about the same time as the first addressed to 

 Charles Deodate, and perhaps the bit of romance 

 brought forward by Steevens has no other found- 

 ation. Milton's travels commenced eleven years 

 after this time ; 



" When turned of thirty he went to Italy, the m est 

 accomplished Englishman that ever visited her classical 

 shores." — Campbell's Essay, §c, p. 239 : Lond. 1848. 

 And having been absent from England only for 

 fifteen months, returned to London, and spent the 

 best years of his life amid " the strife of tongues," 

 and in the publication of ephemeral treatises, 

 which, with few exceptions, are now only remem- 

 bered from their connexion with the author of 

 Comus and of Paradise Lost. Ex. 



Warmington, Aug. 30. 1852. 



The following versification, in antique language, 

 of the romantic incident here recorded is by " a 

 ladye fayre of the auncient blood of England," and 

 has not, I believe, yet been printed : — 



Yt was a ladye fayre 



Of the auncient blood of France ; 

 The Jewells in her hayre 



Were dimmer than her glance. 

 Knighthood's plumed head was bowed, 



As past that ladye by ; 

 Her beautie's prayse rang loude 



From harpes of miustr<;lsye. 



y t was a poet lowe. 



And humbel was his byrth ; 

 But then his harpe's swete flowe 



Might seme too softe for earth. 

 And beautie's eyes beamed bryght, 



And royall favour smiled. 

 To heare the refraine light 



Of songe's most favoured chyld. 



It chanced at euenfall 



Slie passed — that ladye fayre — 

 Through her proude father's hall : 



The poet slumbered there. 

 Then fi'om the torches' gleame 



Aside the princess stept, 

 Nor broke tlie minstrel's dreame, 



But kissed him as he slept. 



*' !N or deeme," the ladye said. 



And turned unto her trayne, 

 " The poet's touch hath shed 



Upon my brow a stayne ; ' '] 



Nor needes one cheeke to flush 



In all my mayden thronge ; 

 A princess will not blush 



To kisse those lips of songe ! " 



Should e'er the laurel twine, 



A Avreath my browe to shade, 

 Tliat poet's mede be mine — 



Or his, our bard, who laid 

 His hyacinthine head 



By that Italian lake; 

 Yet ere the vision fled 



I would — I would — awake ! 



E. D. 



