Latin; and actually composed some initial lines in that

language.

He chose the subject of Boyardo, which was well known to all; and being left unfinished, had strongly excited the reader's curiosity to see the end of a story so artfully begun. In the same manner, Virgil, of whom Ariosto appears a great imitator, formed his neid as a kind of sequel to the Iliad and Odyssey. And it may be remarked, that by adopting the fictions of Boyardo, Ariosto had not only an opportunity of bringing the romance of the Count to a conclusion, but of celebrating, under the person of Rogero, the family of his patron.

Ariosto had proposed to write a poem in terza rima* (like Dante), in praise of the House of Este, different from the Furioso; but not being satisfied with the work, he laid it aside, and pursued the design of his Furioso, in ottava rima. The intended poem began thus:

Cantero l'armi, cantero 'gli affanni

D'amor, che un cavalier sottenne gravi
Peregrinando in terra e in már molt' anni, &c.

I sing of arms, and sing the pains of love,
And all the toils a suffering hero bore,

Long destin'd far o'er land and sea to rove, &c.

In order to pursue his studies with less interruption, he chose the situation of Rheggio, retiring to a pleasant villa, belonging to Sigismundo Malaguzzi, his kinsman, where he spent his leisure in the prosecution of his

* Of this terza rima of the Italians, the English reader will have a full idea, from the three cantos of the Inferno of Dante, translated with wonderful spirit and fidelity by Mr. Hayley, notwithstanding the confinement and difficulty of the metre. See Essay on Epic poetry, Note to Epistle iii.

principal design. In one of his satires he gives the following agreeable sketch of his retreat:

Gia mi fur dolci inviti a empir le carte
I luoghi ameni, di che il nostro Rheggio
Il natio nido mio n'ha la sua parte:
Il tuo Mauritian sempre vagheggio

La bella stanza, e 'l Rodano vicino,
Da le Naiade amato ombroso seggio:
Il lucido vivaio, onde il giardino

Si cinge intorno, il fresco rio che corre
Rigando l'erbe, ove poi fa il molino.
Non mi si po de la memoria torre

Le vigni, e i solchi del secondo Iacco,
Le valle e'l colle e la ben posta torre.

Blest be the time, when from the world retir'd,
Fair Rheggio's peaceful scenes my muse inspir'd:
Nurse of my infant years! Remembrance views
Thy pleasing seats, and every charm renews:
I see where Rhodan's tide delightful flows,
While sportive Naiads on the banks repose;
The fishy pool, with silver lustre crown'd,
Whose dimpled water moats the garden round;
The living stream that pours a crystal rill
Thro' sprinkled herbage to the neighbouring mill;
The clustering vines, that yield their purple store;
The hills, the vales, and ivy-circled tower.

Satire iv.

While he was busied in these literary pursuits, Alphonso, duke of Ferrara, having occasion to send ambassadors to Rome, in order to appease the anger of Pope Julius II. who prepared to make war against him, was, by his brother the cardinal, recommended to Ariosto, as a proper person to be entrusted with such a negociation. The duke, therefore, made choice of him; and he acquitted himself so well in his commission, that he returned with an answer much more favourable than was expected. However, the Pope, still continuing at enmity with the duke, made a league with the Venetians, and

1

collected a powerful army against Ferrara: but he gained little honour in this enterprise, being defeated at the battle of Ravenna. Part of a fleet was sent up the Po, against Ferrara; but met with a repulse from the duke's party. In this engagement, Ariosto, who was present, behaved with great courage, and took one of the largest of the enemy's vessels, filled with stores and ammunition.

The papal army being dispersed, Alphonso thought it adviseable to send an ambassador again to Rome. But every one being afraid to engage in his service, knowing the Pope's disposition, he dispatched Ludovico a second time, who found his Holiness so incensed against the duke, that his indignation was very near shewing itself to the ambassador; and it was not without difficulty that Ariosto escaped with life to Ferrara.

The duke's affairs being established, Ariosto returned to his studies; though, continuing still in the service of the cardinal, he was employed, at times, in various public occupations, that often broke in upon his retirement, and obliged him to defer the completion of his Orlando. However, he found means to steal so much leisure from his more serious employments, that he at last brought it to a conclusion: and though the work was far from having that perfection which he himself desired, yet, in order to avail himself of the general opinion of the public, he was determined to give it to the world; and accordingly caused it to be first printed in the year

1515.

Some time after, the cardinal having a design to go into Hungary, was desirous of being accompanied by the ingenious men who lived under his patronage: but

Ariosto openly declared his inclination to be left behind; for, being now afflicted with a catarrh, he was fearful of the consequences from the fatigues and inconveniences of so long a journey. Besides, the service of the cardinal began to grow very irksome to him; those, who were about him, being frequently obliged to watch the greatest part of the night. It appears, likewise, that Ariosto was in his nature averse to travelling, and had visited few countries.

Delgi uomini son varii gli appetiti,

A chi piace la chiesa, a chi la spada,
A chi la patria, a chi gli strani liti.
Chi vuol andare a torno, a torno vada,
Vegga Inghilterra, Ungheria, Francia, e Spagna,
A me piace habitar la mia contrada.
Vist' ho' Toscana, Lombardia, Romania,
Quel monte che divide, e quel che serra
Italia e un mare, e l'altro che la bagna:
Questo mi basta, il resto della terra,

Senza mai pagar l'oste, andró cercando
Con Tolomeo sia 'l mondo in pace o in guerra.

E tutto il mar senza far voti quando

Lampeggi il ciel, sicuro in sulle carte
Verro' più che su i legni volteggiando.

Various are men's pursuits; these seek renown
In fields of death; those chuse the sacred gown:
Some quit their native for a foreign shore:
Let those, that wish, unnumber'd realms explore,
To France, Hungary, Spain, and England roam,
While I prefer a peaceful seat at home.
I've view'd whate'er the Tuscan country yields,
Fair Lombardy, and wide Romania's fields:
The hills, that Italy from Spain divide,
And those extending to the surging tide.

Let this suffice---the rest I can survey,

In peace or war--nor host nor captain pay;

With Ptolemy can safely trace the seas,

Nor need with vows and prayers the storms appease:

Better on pictur'd charts secure to sail,

Than in frail vessels dare the treacherous gale!

The refusal of Ariosto to accompany the cardinal, so exasperated the prelate, that he, in a manner, withdrew his protection from him; which circumstance gave our Poet great uneasiness; though it is thought that Hippolito might have taken him again into favour, but for the ill offices of some malicious persons, who had the address to keep them at a distance from each other. On this difference between the cardinal and him, Ariosto strongly dwells in his satires.

A me per esser stato contumace
Di non veder Agria ne Buda,

Che si ritoglia il sua gia non mi spiace.

I murmur not, to think my patron's hand
Resum'd the grace my service once obtain'd;
Since I refus'd to quit Italia's shores,

To visit Agria's walls, and Buda's * towers.

And afterwards:

Che senza fede e senza amor mi nome
E che dimostri con parole e cenni

Ch' in odio, ch' in dispetto habbia il mio nome.

Still let him, at his will, my faith reprove,
And tax me still with breach of loyal love;
With every word and deed to all proclaim
His settled hatred of my hapless name!

The only consolation Ludovico had, was the leading a retired life, which suited his disposition far more than the continual bustle of a court. He now applied himself, without interruption, to give every improvement to his Orlando; and, in the year 1521, published another edition of it, with further corrections.

In the mean time, cardinal Hippolito died; and Ariosto, who for fifteen years lived in a state of uneasy

• Two towns in Hungary.