treatment deserved by this eminent man? is this history is this biography?

But the first of our two last extracts discovers more of the mo⚫tives and temper of the American editors, than any of the preceding. They suppress the passage, expressive of the high estimation, in which Abernethy's works are said to be held at this day; and though they admit that formerly these works were honourably recommended by archbishop Herring, yet, apparently lest the reader should think the archbishop's recommendation was worth something, they do not forget to strip the venerable prelate of a little epithet (the epithet "excellent"), which liberality would allow after death to any man, who possessed a little more than common honesty and common abilities.

One more remark shall finish what we have to say upon the highly reprehensible manner, in which this article is republished. The important words of the last extract, which mention the singular excellence of A.'s disposition and character, are wholly suppres. sed in the American edition. And yet, after such unwarrantable mu tilations...such criminal supprespressions of historical facts,...these gentlemen cite the Biographia Britannica, as their authority!

To be continued.

ART. 39.

The Enchanted Lake of the Fairy Morgana. From the Orlando Inamorato of Francesco Berni. New-York. Riley & Co. 1806.

i 8vo. pp. 67.

In reviewing so singular a pro"duction, as an American translation of an episode in the Orlando Inamorato of Berni, we are obliged

to confess the difficulty of procur ing suitable assistances to the task of criticism. This obstacle we have formerly stated, and we are again called upon to acknowledge its continuance. We have inquired, but in vain, for the poem of Boiardo, and its refaccimento by Berni; and we have not been able to procure the subordinate auxiliaries of Crescembini and Tiraboschi. Of course, we were forced to consult the accessible authorities of other writers, who merely reflect a feeble heat and cast a faint illumination on the decaying poetry of an Italian author, once highly distinguished. These circumstances demand an attention to the state of our publick libraries '; they exact the solicitude of men of riches and rank, to promote the establishment of large collections for the service of literature. The patrons of learning should be found among the favourites of fortune and the dispensers of power. If these cannot settle pensions, or bestow offices, they can at least accelerate the progress of knowledge, and direct its exertions, by exhibiting, what has formerly been ascertained, to the researches of the literary missionary. Poetry may continually delight in the study of nature, may find 'sermons in stones, and books in the running brooks'; but scientifick criticism must dwell in the cabinets of the curious, and range through the alcoves of literature.

The work we are about to review is a translation from the poetry of an old Italian author, now little known. In this country it may well be considered a singular production, and therefore we shall make no apology to our readers for introducing the review of it by some account of the life of Berni, of his character as an author, and

to prudence, and that the last hours of those may be miserable, who once were encircled by patrons and honoured by the praises of learning.i

As an author, Berni is chiefly distinguished by his burlesque compositions. He has the honour of giving his name to a particular species of burlesque, which the Italians call Bernesco, and the French criticks Berniesque. He also excelled in satire and invective, which were keen and bitter; for the matter was very obnoxious, and the manner natural, easy, and elegant. He wrote the life of the infamous Pietro Aretino, of whom he was the particular enemy, in a style of caustick severity, and with a mind of remorseless aversion. Boccalini in his Ragguagli di Pare nasso, considers him as one of the greatest satyrists whom Italy has produced, and represents him on the hill of the muses, as challeng ing Juvenal to an exertion of his powers, for the purpose of determining, whether the Latin or the Italian language was the best suited for reproach and invective; but Juvenal would not accept the offer of Berni, who consequently derives an evident superiority over the Roman satirist. His principal work is the recomposing of Boiardo's Orlando Inamorato, which he has almost entirely superceded, so that the original is little known and almost unregarded.

In the 14th century the epick and romance writers of Italy were chiefly employed in celebrating the wars of Charlemagne, the adventures of the Paladins, the wanderings of illustrious damsels, the feats of chivalry, and the enchantments of magicians. These actions furnished a subject to almost every poet, which he treated agreeably to the nature of his genius;

sometimes they were rendered ridiculous in extravagant and burlesque stanzas, and sometimes they became highly pleasant and interesting in serious poetry and har monious versification. Such, however, was the taste of the age, that absurdity of story and unmeaning expression continually occur in the best poetical compositions. Hardly a writer of romance is to be named, who does not mix buffoonery with gravity, the majestick language of scripture with the actions of heroes, and miserable ribaldry with dignified narration. Among the early pieces of any excellence the Italians have celebrated the Morgante Maggiore of Luigi Pulci, which still continues by the beauty of its tales, and a Florentine dialect, to secure the applause of its readers. All the rules of criti cism however are disregarded by ~ the author, and taste and judgment seem to have been unknown to him; yet the work was admired by Politian, Ficinus, and other ornaments of the court of Lorenzo de Medici; and the authors of the Dictionary de la Crusca have ranked it among the classical writings of Italy.

In the year 1496 Boiardo, count of Scandiano, published his Orlando Inamorato. Its subject is the love of Orlando, the hero of chiv, alry, for Angelica, the daughter of Galaphron, king of Cathay. His adventures and achievements in her favour, form the principal part of the work, but the actions and errantry of the Paladins and Saracen knights are continually interspersed. The poem consists of seventy-nine cantos, which are divided into three books. The whole work is a vast, unfinished, and unequal production, comprising a nar ration of three great epick actions; the invasion of France by Gradas.

so, to obtain Bayardo, Rinaldo's horse, and Durindana, Orlando's sword; the siege of Albracca, by Agrican, king of Tartary, and other enemies of Galaphron and Angelica; and the invasion of France by Agrimant, emperour of Africa, and Marsilius, king of Spain. This long work evidenced great powers of invention,even superiour to what the divine Ariosto afterwards dis played in the Orlando Furioso. Indeed such was his excellence, that he has received the dignified praise of the great Cervantes; for the curious reader may recollect, that when the curate and the barber were examining the books in the library of Don Quixote, the former proposed to lighten the punishment of the romance of Montalvan, and the lies of Turpin, expressly because "they contain part of the invention of the renowned poet Matteo Boiardo."

The imagination of Boiardo was prolifick, but the style was harsh and barbarous, and the versification uncouth, constrained, and inharmonious. Yet it was read and admired by the Italians for the variety of incident and the liveliness of manner, which characterised it. Boiardo's successors therefore endeavoured to improve it by finishing the work, and by adding the charms of grace and melody to the attractions of invention and pleasing narrative. Agostino continued it in three books, which were not however favourably received. Dominichi, a cotemporary of Berni, made some attempts to give purity of language to it, but which were soon forgotten in the splendour which succeeded; for about half a century after the death of Boiardo, appeared the Rifacimento of the Orlando Inamorato by Francesco Berni. This so greatly improved the original, that Boiardo's

work is almost unknown. The new creator or modeller gave sweetness of versification to the luxuriant fancy of the old poem. He entirely recast the work. He inserted comick sentiments and allusions; he interspersed some stanzas by himself; and the cantos received from him various changes in the beginnings, which were introduced by some natural moral reflections. Yet the corrections and additions' of Berni did not always add to the value of the original; and by one of his stanzas in particular, quoted by Hoole, the reputation of Ariosto suffered in the opinion of father Bouhours, who attributed to Ariosto a ridiculous absurdity, which is only to be found in the poetry of Berni, added to the work of Boiardo.

The Orlando Inamorato has been translated into French paraphrastic prose by Le Sage, but it has never been incorporated into the English language. On this subject Hoole thus speaks in the preface to the translation of Orlando Furioso, "Indeed, though it is a work highly entertaining in Berni's dress, it would scarcely admit of a translation into English verse, the narrative descending to such familiar images and expressions, as would by no means suit the genius of our language and poetry." On this head, Hoole deserves to be considered with attention; he had read with care the Italian epick poets, and in his translation of Ariosto and Tasso, which have been very favourably received by the publick, he has exhibited great maturity of judgment and elegance of taste.

Yet we know not, that the authority of Hoole is decisive; if the images in Berni are familiar, they might possibly be modelled into elegance; if the expressions are low, they might easily be elevated into dignity. Hoole might

have been deterred from translation, because he had done his duty and was fatigued with the task; other scholars may have been frightened from the undertaking, because it must have been tedious, or because they did not choose to fail, where even success might not have been rewarded. The author of the work before us also gives it as his opinion, that the whole work is not susceptible of an English dress, but thinks that selections might be made suitable for translation and the publick taste. It is certainly true, that the Orlando Inamorato has no pretensions to critical unity, and therefore the parts are not necessarily dependent on each o ther; but the stories and adven tures may have such a connection by reference and allusion, that it might be difficult to find a single tale, which would not require much previous knowledge to make it completely intelligible. In such cases long notes would be necessary, and they would sometimes by their tediousness invite to sleep, and by their obscurity might often demand new explanation. If the translator should undertake to abridge, he must rely on his own judgment for the discriminating powers, and how is the reader to know, that in these qualities he is superiour to the original? In an abridgement we are always sure that what we find is also in the original, but we are not sure that there is not something in the orig. inal which ought to be found in the abridgement. Our author also partly says with Hoole, that "the ima ges are often low and disgusting, the style frequently mean and vulgar, and that the retorts of the heroes appear to partake more of the low buffoonery and coarse invective of Lazzaroni, than the courtly style of chivalry," These charges

we have endeavoured to parry before, with regard to translation. Boiardo cannot be defended, but his translator need not propagate his offences against taste by being nicely metaphrastical. What is licentious, he may generalize or avoid; what is absurd,he need not translate; what is disgusting, he may render indifferent by niceness of expression, or palatable by easy alteration. If his changes are great, he should mention them in a short note; if his suppressions are important, he should express his reasons with firmness and delicacy. Upon the whole, we are inclined to believe that a complete translation of the Orlando Inamorato would be desirable on its own account; and we are confirmed in the opinion, because it is necessary for the perfect comprehension of the tales in Orlando Furioso, No translation has appeared in GreatBritain, and we should be proud, if the American nation, in gratitude for the pleasure it has received from Hoole, should present to the English a suitable and complete translation of an Italian poet, who has furnished similes to Milton, and materials to Ariosto.

The publication under review is called "The Enchanted Lake," & is translated from the 2d book of the Orlando Inamorato of Berni. In the preface a short account is given of the Italian author and his great work. We proceed to give an analysis of the story of the production before us. Previously, however, we wish to criticise the author's opinion on the derivation of the word "burlesque," as expressed in a note in the preface.

Our author says, that the English word, burlesque, derives its appellation from Berni, who first employed and perfected it, it being originally called Berniscan, and