About nine years after Milton visited Italy, he thus briefly noticed, in
letter to Carlo Dati, his surviving Florentine friends:
"Carolo DATO patricio Florentino.... Tu interim, mi Carole,
valebis, et Cultellino, Francino, Frescobaldo, Malatestæ,
Clementillo minori, et si quem alium nostri amantiorem novisti;
toti denique Gaddianæ academiæ, salutem meo nomine plurimam
dices. Interim vale.--_Londino_, Aprilis 21. 1647."
The above extract is from _The prose works of John Milton_, as printed
in 1806, and I shall add to it the translation by Robert Fellowes, A.M.,
from the same edition:
"To Carolo DEODATI, a Florentine noble.... In the mean time,
my dear Charles, farewell, and present my kind wishes to
Cultellino, Francisco, Trescobaldo, Malatesto, the younger
Clemantillo, and every other inquiring friend, and to all the
members of the Gaddian academy. Adieu.--_London_, April 21.
1647."
Warton states, in a note on the minor poems of Milton, that Mr. Brand
discovered, on a book-stall, a manuscript of _La tina_ of Malatesti,
_dedicated to Milton while at Florence_, and that he gave it to Mr.
Hollis, who sent it in 1758, together with the works of Milton, to
the Accademia della Crusca. Warton justly observes, "The first piece
would have been a greater curiosity in England." With these facts the
information of the most recent biographers of Milton seems to terminate.
I am enabled, however, to prove that the work is IN PRINT, and shall
transcribe my authority _verbatim_:
"MALATESTI, _Antonio_. LA TINA, equivoci rusticali (in 50
sonetti). Londra, Tommaso Edlin, 1757, in 8ᵒ.
_Non è fatta in Londra quest' ediz. nel 1757, ma presso che 80
anni dopo in Venezia, ed in numero di 50 esemplari in carta
velina, due in carta grande inglese da disegno, ed uno, unico,
in_ PERGAMENA.
Il Malatesti aveva regalato una copia di questi graziosissimi
sonetti al celebre inglese Gio. Milton, nell' anno in cui egli
visitava l'Italia. Dopo la morte del Milton pervennero in mano
del sig. Brant, gentiluomo inglese, il quale una copia ne
fece trarre per {238} regalarla a Gio. Marsili, prof. dell'
Università di Padova, che nel 1757 si trovava in Londra. Il MS.
del Marsili servì a questa ristampa che porta in fronte quella
stessa prefazione in inglese che stava nel MS. Marsiliano."
The authority alluded to is the fourth edition of the _Serie dei testi
di lingua_ of Bartolommeo Gamba, Venezia, 1839, royal 8vo.--one of the
best bibliographical compilations ever produced. I was led to suspect, on
glancing at the note, that Gamba himself was the editor of the volume,
and now consider it as certain, for _La tina_ appears under his name in
the index. As copies of the work must have reached England I hope to see
the dedication reprinted, and am sure it would be received as a welcome
curiosity.
I cannot commend Mr. Fellowes as a translator of Milton. _To Carolo_ is
a solecism; _Deodati_ should be _Dati_; the period which precedes the
extract is entirely omitted; and the five names which follow _Charles_,
besides being mis-spelt, have the termination which can only be required
in Latin composition! I believe we should read Coltellini, Francini,
Frescobaldi, Malatesti, and Clementini. On Coltellini and Malatesti there
is much valuable information in Poggiali and Gamba.