The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-02-02
A LITERARY CURIOSITY.

We have seen, in the hands of the Hon.
Charles Sumner, literary curiosity of singular
interest, which he has recently brought with
him from Europe, and which will certainly
compare IN Importance with anything Of the
kind in our country. In the Old World, it would
have high place among the most priced treas
ures OF museum. 1t is an album OF the class
known as Album AmicOrunl. and was kept BY
Neapolitan nobleman, Camillus Cordoyn, at
Geneva, during the first half of the seventeenth
century. AS this town was on the high road
to Italy at that time, it was natural stopping
place. The album shows to what extent. There
are several hundred autographs, of different
nations, each with a motto or sentiment.
Among these are German princes, French no.
blemen, and large numbers of English cavaliers
and roundheadS.
This is the entry by the famous Lord Straf
ford, when young man on his continental tour:
" on minis notus omnibus ignotus moritur
SiJi. Tho. JTeatUOrth. Angtls, 1922" a
modest sentiment for one with such conspicu.
Gus destinies.
But the autograph of special interest, out
weighing all the rest and giving historic value
to the whole volume, is that of John Milton.
This bears date the 10th June 1882 and was
written on his way back from Italy, shortly be-
fore his return to England. The English verses
quoted are the last lines of his own Comus,
which was already published before he COM
menced his travels. The whole entry is as
follows:
-" If Vertue feeble were,
Heaven itself would soope 10 her
CGum non animum muo DUN trans maze euro
100 o JoANNEs MILToNIUs, Angus.
1t will be observed that liberty is taken
with a verse ofHorace, by changing it from the
third TO the first person, so as to give it greater
point. AS originally written, it may be rem
dered into English: The sky, not the mind,
they change lcho cross the sea-" As altered by
Milton for this occasion, it is "The sky, not
the mind, change ichen / cross the sea-"
The bearing of this on the beautiful sentiment
from Comus is very interesting.
The existence of this autograph was known
to the late William Ellery Claiming, who aptly
remarked with regard to it, that it showed
that to Milton the words from Comus were
something more than poetry-that they were q
pnnclple OF hie." 1t is quoted and dwelt upon
by Mr.. Milford, in his Life of Milton, prefxed to
Pickering's octave edition; but he has fallen
into errors, which make it doubtful if this wri
ter ever saw the original.
The autographs of Milton, as of Shakespeare,
have excited great interest," and been much dis
cussed. Among the treasures of the British
Museum, there Is nothing which attracts more
attention. 1t has been sometimes thought that
the one in Boston, belonging to Mr.. Sumner, is
the most precious of all that exist of the former
poet, while the album itself is most valuable on
other grounds Transcript.
We have seen Photographic fac smile Of
the above autograph of Milton, which is so per-
feet copy of the original as at first sight to
lead to the suspicion that the leaf has been
taken from the album. 1t is published by Mr..
c. H. Brainard, of Boston, who is now sojourn-
ing in Washington, and copies will be forward
ed free of postage on receipt of one dollar. The
photograph is neatly mounted, and is accom-
panied by brief description of the album from
which it is copied.
The HOMESTEAD BILL.-The Washington cor
of the New York Courier writes as
follows:
" Mr.. Grow is preparing to introduce the
Homestead bill in the House, Immediately af
ter organization. The House will pass it at
once, and send it to the Senate, that that body
may not have their old excuse again, of no time