394 THE LIFE or MILTON. chef} or two of choice mufic books of the heft mailers florifhing about that time in Italy, he took his courfe through Verona, Milan, and along the lake Leman to Geneva. In this city he tarried fome time, meeting here with people of his own principles, and contraEted an intimate friendfhipwith Giovanni Deodati, the moft learned profef. for of divinity, whole annotations upon the Bible are publifhed in Englifh. And from thence returning thro' France, the fame way that he had gone before, he arrived fafe in England, after a peregrination of one year and about three months, having feen more, and learned More, and converfed with more famous men, and made more real improvements, than moft others in double the time. His firft holinefs after his return was to pay his duty to his father, and to vilit his other friends ; but this pleafure was much diminifhed by the lofs of his dear friend and fchoolfellow Charles Deodati in his abfence. While he was abroad, he beard it reported that he was dead ; and upon his coming home hp found it but too true; and lament- ed his death in an excellent Latin eclogue intitled EpitaphiumDa- tt This Doodad had a father originally of Lucca, but his mo- ther was Englifh, and he was born and bred in England, and fludied phyfic, and was an admirable fcholar, and no lefs remarkable for his fobriety and other virtues than for his great learning and ingenuity. Pne or two of Milton's familiar epiftles are addreffed to him ; and Mr. Toland lays, that he had in his hands two Greek letters of Deo- dati to Milton, very handfomely written. It may be right for fcholars mow and then to exercife themfelves in Greek and Latin ; but we have much more frequent occasion to write letters in our own native language, and in that therefore we lhould principally endeavour to Milton, loon after his return, had taken a lodging at one Buffet's, a taylor, in St. Bridt's Church yard ; but he continued not long there, having not ficfricient room for his library and furniture ; and tt;erefore determined to take a houfe, and accordingly took a hand- me garden-houfe in' A iderfgate-fireet, fieua/ted at the end of an entry, ,hich was the more agreeable to a fludiou$ man for its privacy and ,ttftm frcm noife and difturbance. And in this 'male he continued fevcral
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