—— Where highest Woods impenetrable
To sun or star-light, spread their umbrage broad,
And brown as evening.
Fa l'imbruno is an expression used by the Italians to denote the approach of the evening. Boiardo, Ariosto and Tasso, have made a very picturesque use of this term, noticed by Thyer. I doubt if it be applicable to our colder climate; but Thomson appears to have been struck by the fine effect it produces in poetical landscape; for he has
—— With quickened step
Brown night retires.
Summer, v. 51.
If the epithet be true, it cannot be more appropriately applied than in the season he describes, which most resembles the genial clime with the deep serenity of an Italian heaven. Milton in Italy had experienced the brown evening, but it may be suspected that Thomson only recollected the language of the poet.
The same observation may be made on two other poetical epithets. I shall notice the epithet "LAUGHING" applied to inanimate objects; and "PURPLE" to beautiful objects."
The natives of Italy and the softer climates receive emotions from the view of their WATERS in the SPRING not equally experienced in the British roughness of our skies. The fluency and softness of the water are thus described by Lucretius:—
—— Tibi suaveis Dædala tellus
Submittit flores: tibi RIDENT æquora ponti.
Inelegantly rendered by Creech,
The roughest sea puts on smooth looks, and SMILES.
Dryden more happily,