136 EXAMINATION of m HISTORICAL HrPOTHESIS 

 -Widowed are thofe green fields, — and turbid 



" is that ftream, — and void and cold the nefl; in which (he 

 " lay." 



Many pafTages of the poet's writings likewlfe very clearly in- 

 dicate that Laura died in the fame place where fhe was born, and 

 where fhe had paffed the greateft part of her life. 



Thus, in the 53d fonnct of the ad Part : 



E quejio '/ iiido in che la niia Fenise 

 Mije I ' attrate e le purpuree penne ; 

 Che fotto lefue ali il mio cor tenne. — 



E me hifciato hai qui mifero e folo, 

 Tal, che p'len di dual fempre al loco torno 

 Che per te conjecrato onoro e colo. 



Veggeiido <?' colli ofcurn notte intorno 

 Glide prendejli al del I ' ultimo volo. — 



" Here is the neft in which rny Phoenix lay, and couched her 



" golden and empurpled wings ; — and here fhe left me miferable 



" and alone. Thus, for ever a prey to grief, I turn me to that 



" dear fpot of earth which fhe has confecrated, and which, on 



" that account, I venerate and honour : I view thofe hills, now 



" dark and defolate, from whence fhe winged her flight to 



" heaven." 



So, likewife, in that beautiful fonnet on his return to Vau- 

 clufe, Vatle, che de' lamenti miei fe'' piena, &c. he gives the moft 

 explicit intimation, that the grave of Laura was in that very 

 place, and amidfl the fame fcenes where he fo often had enjoyed 

 the happinefs of her fociety ^ 



VaUe, 



