The chief purpose of my notes, is, in humble imitation of Mr. Warton, to "explain the allufions of Milton; to illuftrate or to vindicate his beauties; to point out his imitations both of others, and of himself; to elucidate his obfolete diction; and, by the adduction and juxtapofition of parallels univerfally gleaned both from his poetry and profe, to ascertain his favourite words, and to thow the peculiarities of his phrafeology." Mr. Warton juftly adds, that, among the English poets, thofe readers who truft to preceding commentators will be led to believe, that Milton imitated Spenfer and Shakspeare only. But his ftyle, expreflion, and more extenfive combinations of diction, together with many of his thoughts, are alfo to be traced in other English poets, who were either contemporaries or predecefiours, and of whom many are now not commonly known. Nor have his imitations from Spenfer and Shakspeare been hitherto fufficiently noticed." Of this it has been a part of my talk, as it was of Mr. Warton, to produce proofs. The coincidencies of " Fancy's fweeteft children," Spenfer, Shakspeare and Milton, are accordingly here enlarged. The obligations of our author to Dante, as well as to fome other Italian poets, hitherto little noticed, are pointed out. The poet's imitations of himself are alfo confiderably augmented. Nor have the romances and fabulous narratives, on which the poetry of Milton is often founded, been neglected. While I have not been fparing of claffical illuftration, I have conftantly kept in mind the neceflity of attention to the lite rature of Milton's age. Without this attention, as Mr. Warton remarks, "the force of many ftrikingly poetical paffages has been weakened or unperceived, because their origin was unknown, unexplored, or misunderstood. Coeval books, which might clear fuch references, were therefore to be confulted; and a new line of commentary was to be purfued. Com paratively, the claffical annotator has here but little to do. Dr. Newton, an excellent fcholar, was unacquainted with the treasures of the Gothick library. From his more folid and rational ftudies, he never deviated into this idle track of reading." But, as Milton, at least in his early poems, may be reckoned an old English poet; and as in his later poetry allufions to the fources of fictions, with which he had been pleafed in his youth, often appear; he generally requires that illuftration, however trifling it may feem to faftidious readers, without which no old English poet can well be illustrated. The arrangement of the materials in these volumes has been formed with a view to uniformity, and to the accommodation of the reader. The Table of General Contents will point out the order observed; the accompanying differtations; and the appendixes fubjoined. Prefixed to this edition is a Verbal Index; not merely to the Paradife Loft, as in Dr. Newton's edition, but to All the Poems of our illuftrious author, and applicable to any edition of these Poems; to the laborious completion of which (in imitation of the editors of the Dauphin Clafficks) I have cheerfully fubmitted for the love and veneration with which I regard the ftrains of Milton, and for the respect which I owe my country in giving fuch useful references to the language of its fublimeft bard. To the whole is alfo added a Gloffarial Index. I think it proper to obferve, that, in compliance with the withes of feveral literary friends, the Paradife Loft has been placed firft, in the following methodical difpofition of the poetical works. I have endeavoured to render the text as perfpicuous as poffible; not only by feveral illustrations A confiderable impreffion of this Index, (with my Account of the Life and Writings of Milton,) has therefore been printed, in a feparate volume, for general accommodation. of antiquated words, which, as Mr. Warton has obferved, in a fucceffion of editions had been gradually and filently, yet perhaps not always properly, refined; but also by comparing the copies published under the immediate notice or direction of Milton, as well as moft fubfequent editions; more particularly those of Tickell, Fenton, Bentley, and the later editors: as the notes will fhow. Nor fhould I here omit to mention, that Milton has not fo uniformly contracted the words of his language, as to countenance the spelling of ifle, of honour, of inferiour, of mufick, and feveral other words, with the omiffion of a letter in each. Milton's manufcript at Cambridge, and his own editions of his Poems, as well as of his Paradife Loft, will afford teftimonies to this obfervation. The text of Milton must, indeed, exhibit fome peculiarities. By fuch as are here retained, the meaning cannot be embarraffed. His love of Italian, of Chaucer, and of Spenfer, requires this notice. To the punctuation alfo, of which Milton has been pronounced by Mr. Warton to have been habitually careless, great attention has been paid. I conceived it my duty likewife to examine the manufcript, containing many of Milton's early poems, preserved in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge; and I found, on examination, feveral particularities which had been omitted by those who had before collated the manufcript, and which were too curious not to be noticed in my edition. To the end of the feveral poems, of which there are copies in the manufcript, these Various Readings are annexed. The reafon is affigned in the Appendix to Paradife Loft, No. I. I offered, with the utmost deference, in the first edition of these volumes, fome Account of the Life and Writings of Milton; of which the materials were drawn from authentick fources. In this biographical attempt fome new anecdotes, relating to the hiftory of Milton's friends, of his works, and of his times, were interwoven. To that Account additions are now made. These circumstances may perhaps plead as fome apology for my rafhnefs, in affecting to fketch the poet, whom the masterly hands of a Johnfon and an Hayley have depicted; a rashness, to which I was impelled by the perfuafion of others, that, to a new edition of his Works, it is a custom to prefix the Life of the Author. To this cuftom indeed English biography has lately been indebted for a fpirited acquifition; the Life of Milton, accompanying an edition of his Profe-Works, written by the Rev. Dr. Symmons; a compofition, which, like thofe of Johnfon and Hayley, oppofes to my unadorned narration a very brilliant contraft. Cheerfully conceding the honour due to this work, I claim the liberty, however, of differing from the eloquent biographer in fome political fentiments, and of refufing my aflent to one or two of his affertions and literary opinions. Such are the materials here accumulated, in order to explain the labours of Milton: of Milton, the proud boaft of his own country, and the admiration of the world: of Milton, whofe imitations of others are fo generally adorned with new modes of fentiment or phrafeology, that they lofe the nature of borrowings, and difplay the fkill and originality of a perfect mafter; and from whom fucceeding poets, at various periods, have "ftolen authentick fire." I muft not neglect to mention, that the proprietors have adorned this edition with a new and neat engraving of Milton from Faithorne's drawing. And I gratefully add, that it is enriched with an etching of part of Ludlow Caftle, (in which the Comus of our poet was firft performed,) from a view taken on the fpot, which I received as a mark of friendfhip from the Marchionefs of Stafford. To the liberal and candid reader I commit these volumes with cheerfulness; and I trust that I have not greatly expofed myself in them either to the infults of malicious ingenuity, or to the cavils of unforgiving bigotry. My errours, let me hope, will be overlooked in my endeavours to please and to inform; and my labour, I am fure, is amply compenfated in the confideration, that can ceafe only with my existence, of the delight afforded by minute attention to the poetry of Milton: "While I fit with thee, I feem in Heaven; "Of fweet repaft; they fatiate, and foon fill, Though pleafant; but thy words, with grace divine "Imbued, bring to their fweetnefs no fatiety." Par. Loft, B. viii. 210. HENRY J. TODD. LONDON, April 14, 1809. |