in the preface, life, and notes. A general view of the ftory of Boyardo is likewife prefixed to the poem of Ariofto, by which means, the English reader, if he fhold be unacquainted with that poet, may enter upon the narrative of Ariofto with a competent knowledge of Boyardo's plan, as it is taken up by his fucceffor." The reader who perufes this work of Ariofto with reference to the poems of Homer, Virgil, Milton, or even Taffo; who is filled with ideas drawn from the rules of Ariftotle, and the examples of the regular Epic, will find himfelf ftrangely disappointed; the plan of Arioito, if it may be called a plan, is different from almoft every other poem that has ever appeared amongst us. We may, however, perhaps, except the Fairy Queen of Spenfer. The general faults and merits of Ariofto are fully difcuffed in the preface to this tranflation, and in the reSpective notes. An account is alfo given of feveral poems of the romance kind, which were known in Italy at the time that Ariofto wrote his Orlando, and particularly of the Orlando Inamorato of Boyardo, the immediate foundation of the Furiofo. The following paffages from the preface may imprefs our readers with fome juft idea of the character of this great poet: Although Ariofto's poem is acknowledged to be defective in plan and regularity. Yet many particular beauties of the higheft fpecies of poetry are to be found in the feveral parts of it, in which refpect Boyardo is greatly deficient, who feldom attains more than to amufe the imagination by the pleafing variety of his fictions. But I muft not here omit to take notice of one noble paffage in the Inamorato, where the encounter of Orlando and Agrican is compared to the meeting of two thunder clouds. Our great Milton has the fame fimile in the fecond book of Paradife Loft, when Satan and Death prepare to engage. The Orlando Furiofo may be confidered as an Epic, formed on the manners of chivalry. Where the fubject of Ariofto rifes, Taffo does not appear with greater dignity. there "All the battles and fingle combats of Ariofto are excellent: in the last he is greatly fuperior to Taffo, and indeed to moft other poets; for in this refpect appears fome defect even in the poems of Homer and Virgil, in which there are few good defcriptions of this kind. Our own countryman, Spenfer, has fucceeded beft in thefe paffages, for which perhaps he is not a little indebted to the Italian. "Though the general battles of the Iliad and neid are fupported with wonderful fire, and every circumftance of terror inimitably introduced to keep the mind fufpended and anxious for the event, yet thofe great poets do not feem to have attended, in the fame manner, to the fingle encounters of their heroes, the iffue of which, being generally foon determined, or at leaft forefeen, feldom raifes much anxiety for the fate of the combatants. Virgil, it is true, has improved upon Homer, and the laft important action, between Æneas and Turnus, in the 12th book, is conducted with more judgement than any fingle combat in the Iliad. "Homer, indeed, introduces the duel between Hector and Ajax with unexampled fublimity: but, when the combatants meet, how foon is the conflict over, and how little are the readers kept in fufpenfe! "Taffo has imitated this combat, with its attendant circumftances; and however he may fall fhort of his great original in fome parts, he certainly has the advantage with refpect to fuch particulars as tend to aggrandize the valour of his heroes. "I fhall produce one more inftance from Homer to fupport the foregoing affertion. When the mind has been long prepared for an engagement between the two great heroes of the poem, how muft the expectation be excited from the idea of fuch a combat! But This life, which is an ingenious and valuable piece of biography, furnished us with the mate rials for the account of Aristo, which was prefented to our readers in our last Magazine. But here, I believe, every unprejudiced expected, that the marvellous should reader will confefs his difappointment, be carried to an exceffive length; and when Hector is reprefented flying at yet many of his fictions are not more the mere fight of Achilles; and when, incredible than those of the Greek and after having been thrice chaced round Latin poets. The metamorphofis of the walls of Troy, he turns, at the in- the fhips to nymphs, in the Eneid, is ftigation of Pallas, to engage his ene- as violent a machine as the leaves to my, how little appears the prowefs of fhips in the Orlando. The ftories of the gallant Hector, who had fo often the Italian poet are not more extravafood the bulwark of his country! of gant, than the legendary tales of the that Hector, who, notwithstanding faints, which were currently believed. the united efforts of an army, had fet in his time, and are still objects of faith fire to the Grecian fleet, and whom the with the vulgar. Yet, let it not be poet had opposed to Neptune himfelf! fuppofed, that this apology for Ariofto, which refpects the times in which he wrote, is meant as a general defence for fuch kind of fictions, critically, or even poetically confidered, for fome of thefe the warmest of Ariofto's admirers muft give up as not to be defended." "The laft combat of Tancred and Argantes, in the 19th book of the Jerufalem, excells every fimilar paffage in the Iliad or Eneid: in the Italian poet the mind is kept in fufpenfe for the event; and the feveral turns of fortune, between the two combatants, are well imagined: at the fame time, it must be confeffed, that Taffo has not always fhewn equal judgement: he has fometimes, through a partial reverence for the examples of antiquity, followed his Greek mafter to a fault; amongst other inftances, the death of Solyman by the hand of Rinaldo, in the 20th book, muft in fome fort offend the reader, like that of Hector by Achilles. "If we perufe Ariofto attentively, we fhall find him free from every objection of this kind: his great art, in thefe rencounters, is to keep up the attention between hope and fear, and when he has involved the reader in diftrefs for the danger of fome favourite warrior, he, by an unexpected turn, relieves the anxiety he has raifed, and gives victory to the feemingly conquered party. Nor will our poet be found deficient in the tender and pathetic, which every reader of tafte muft acknowledge, when he perufes the ftories of Zerbino and Brandimart, the epifode of Cloridan and Medoro, and more efpecially the detail of Orlando's madness in the 23d book, wherein the author has difplayed the moft intimate acquaintance with the human heart. From the general plan of Ariofto's fable, which admits the agency of necromancers, witches, fpirits, and other preternatural powers, it will be eafily The concluding paragraphs, in which Mr. Hoole fpeaks of his own and former tranflations, difplay fo much candour and ingenuity, that we should do juftice neither to our readers, nor to the author, if we fuppreffed them: "If novelty be any recommendation of the work now offered to the public, an English Ariofto may have that to plead, notwithstanding any translation that has yet appeared. We have indeed two verfions of the Orlando Furiofo, the firft of which, by Sir John Harrington, before mentioned, publifhed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and dedicated to that princefs, is little known; the copies are become very fcarce, and the genius of the performance, whatever merit it might claim at the time of the publication, affords now little encouragement to multiply them by a new impreffion. The laft tranflation fent into the world, was profeffedly given by its author as a literal verfion, the very idea of which will neceffarily exclude the thought of its being generally read as an English book, of which every one will judge who is acquainted with the different idioms of the two languages. 66 Although this poem, like all the Italian writings of the kind, is written in the octave ftanza, the prefent tranflation will be found, in that refpect, to differ from the two firft, which are rendered in the fame form of verfifi cation as the Italian. I am aware that it has been, and is ftill, the opinion of fome, whofe judgement claims no little deference, that the English couplet is improper for a work of this nature, and that the ftanza is the only manner fuitable to romance: to which it may be answered that the Italians, who made ufe of this firft, applied it, and ftill continue to apply it, to the highest kind of poetry; it is, therefore, to be confidered as their heroic ftyle: it was not only ufed by Pulci, Boyardo, and Ariefto, in their compofitions of the Gothic fiction, but is employed by Taffo in his truly Epic poem of the Jerufalem, and by many of the Italian writers in their tranflations of the Greek and Roman poets, which, I believe, few other modern tranflators would think of rendering in the ftanza. The genius of our heroic verfe admits of a great variety; and we have examples of very different fpecies of writing, in the works of Dryden and Pope, from the fublime ftyle of Homer and Virgil to the familiar narratives of Boccace and Chau cer. "But, of all the various ftyles ufed by our best poets, none feems fo well adapted to the mixed and familiar narrative as that of Dryden in his laft productions, known by the name of his Fables, which, by their harmony, fpirit, eafe, and variety of verfification, exhibit an admirable model for a tranflator of Ariofto. "In referring to the feveral commentators, I have been cautious how far I adopted their allegorical interpretations, as the temper of that clafs of writers frequently leads them to trace out a meaning which the poet himself was a stranger to: that allegory which requires explanation is certain ly defective; and it is notorious, that an inventive genius can convert the plaineft narrative into mystery, as Taffo has done by his Jerufalem, to which he has prefixed an allegory that renders the whole poem as completely vifionary as the Fairy Queen of Spenfer. "Should the English reader become more acquainted with this celebrated Italian, he will find the Orlando no bad elucidation of the Don Quixote of Cervantes, as a great part of the cuftoms, at leaft the general genius of chivalry, may be learned from it, without the drudgery of travelling through the old romances. "Though it is not here recommended that any one fhould imitate the extravagances of the Italian writers, yet, while the enthufiaftic fpirit that hurries away the reader continues to be regarded as the glorious criterion of true poetry, every follower of the Mufes will find ample fubject for admiration in the perufal of the Orlando Furiofo of Ariofto, an author, whom, with all his faults, Dryden acknowledges to have been a GREAT POETan author, lately included in the higheft praise of creative genius by one of our firft critics, who thus defcribes that general effect from which the power of every poet ought to be estimated. Works of imagination excel by their allurement and delight; by their power of attracting and detaining the attention. That book is good in vain which the reader throws away. He only is the mafter who keeps the mind in pleafing captivity; whofe pages are perufed with eagerness, and in hope of new pleasure are perufed again; and whofe conclufion is perceived with an eye of forrow, fuch as the traveller cafts upon departing day." From what has been faid, it may appear that the poem of Orlando could not eafily be reduced to one general argument. It not only exceeds every other poem of reputation in length, but in variety. So that poetical readers of every clafs may expect the highest entertainment from fo noble a work, and fo able a tranflator; as they will find that the fublime, the defcriptive, the pathetic, the romantic, the humourous, and the fatyrical, are all blended in the Orlando Furiofo. The omiflion of the ftanza in this tranflation is a proof of Mr. Hoole's tafte, and knowledge of English poetry. The numerous rhymes in Italian, and the frequency of the vowels, in their words, renders the ftanza both pleasing and harmonious. In our language the cafe is directly the reverse. The 4 failure failure of Fairfax, in his verfion of Taffo, proves the futility of attempting to introduce this meafure into our poetry, and as Mr. H. has employed it neither in his Taffo nor in his Ariofto, fucceeding tranflators of Italian poetry may confider fuch a poet, as an authority fully fufficient to vindicate the ufe of the heroic meafure. From fuch a mafs of poetical matter, we hardly know what paffages to felect in preference. We hall, however, adduce a few fpecimens from this long and admirable work, in order to give our readers an idea of the poem, and to enable thofe who understand the Italian language, to form fome judgement of the great abilities which Mr. Hoole has difplayed in the execution of fo arduous an undertaking. In the fifteenth book, while Aftolpho is travelling along the banks of the Nile, he is warned not to approach the dwelling of the Giant Caligorant: "Aftolpho ftill his eager way purfu'd To where the Nile receives the leiler flood. But, ere he reach'd the river's mouth, he fpy'd A bark that tow'rds him fwiftly stemm'd the tide. An aged hermit in the ttern appear'd, Adown his bofom wav'd his filver beard. With frequent cries he call'd the knight to take With him protection and the land forfake. O! if thou prizeft life, my fon (he faid) Nor feek 'ft this day to mingle with the dead, Speed to the farther thore without delay, For yonder path to death will lead thy way. Scarce fhalt thou pafs a few short miles, before Thine eyes fhall view the dwelling red with gore. In this his life a dreadful giant leads, Whote height, by many a foot, the height exceeds Of human race--no traveller, or knight Can hope t'efcape alive by force or flight. All cruelties his fiend-like arts contrive, He laughters fome, and fome devours alive. To leize the wretch his glutton maw deftroys, With cruel fport he hit a net employs Of wondrous make, and near the cave with care Hides in the yellow fands the fatal fnare, Who comes untutor`d in his fubtle wiles, Nor knows the danger, aor fufpects the toils: Then toward the deitin'd place, with horrid cries, He drives the franger, who affrighted flies, Till with loud laughter he beholds his net With tangling meines every limb beter. No traveller he fparcs, nor knight nor dame Of high repute or undistinguith'd name; He fucks the marrow and the blood he drains, He chews the flesh: the bones beftrow the plains And dire with humanikins on every fide He hangs his dwelling round in horrid pride. Then hear, my fon, confent yon path to take, That to the fea fecure thy way will make.' Good father, thanks, and deem not I defpife Thy profier'd love (the fearless knight replies) But danger light against my glory weighs, With lots of honour fatety might be won, Than what fuch numbers there have met before? Go, then, in peace, my fon (the hermit cries) The following description of Orlando's lofing his fenfes, when he arrives at the grotto in which Angelica and Medoro ufed to meet, and difcovers their paffion, is finely tranflated: "The winding courfe the Pagan's freed purfu'd Through the thick covert of th' entangled wood, Perplex'd Orlando, who, with fruitlels pain, Two days had follow'd, nor his fight could gain; Then reach'd attream that through a meadow led, Whofe vivid turf an emerald carpet fpread Spangled with flowers of many a dazzling hue, Where numerous trees in beauteous order grew, Whofe fhadowy branches gave a kind retreat To flocks, and naked fwains from mid-day heat. With ponderous cuirafs, fhield, and helm oppreft, Orlando foon the welcome gales confefs'd; And entering here to feek a thort repofe, In evil chance a dreadful feat he chofe; A feat where ev'ry hope muit fade away On that unhappy, that detefted day. "There, carting round a cafual glance, he view'd Full many a tree, that trembled o'er the flood, Inferib'd with words, in which, as near he drew, The hand of his Angelica he knew. "This place was one, of many a mead and For which Medoro, at the fultry hour, "Thus, felf-deceiv'd, forlorn Orlando ftrays " Now Now came Orlando, where the pendent hill, Curv'd in an arch, o'er-hung the funpid rill: Around the cavern's mouth were feen to twine The creeping ivy and the curling vine. Oft here the happy pair were wont to wafte 1 For blifs enjoy'd his grateful thanks exprefs'd, And thou, dear cave, whofe cool-fequefter'd scene Each traveller, or hind of low degree, Whom choice or fortune leads this place to fee; Till all thall cry-Thou fun! thou moon, attend! This fountain, grotto, mead, and fhade, defend! Guard them, ye choir of nymphs! nor let the fwain With flocks or herds the facred haunts profane! "Thefe verfes, in Arabian written, drew The knights attention, who their idiom knew. To him full well was many a language known, But chiefly this, familiar as his own: Such knowledge fav'd him oft in distant lands From wrong and thame amid the Pagan bands. But, ah! no more th' advantage shall he boaft, That in one fatal hour fo dearly coft! Three times he reads, as oft he reads again The cruel lines; as oft he strives, in vain, To give each fenfe the lye, and fondly tries To difbelieve the witness of his eyes; While at each word he feels the jealous smart, And fudden coldnefs freezing at his heart. Fix'd on the ftone, in stiffening gaze, that prov'd His fecret pangs, he stood with looks unmov'd, A feeming statue! while the godlike light Of reafon nearly feem'd eclips'd in night. Confide in him, who, by experience knows, This is the woe furpafling other woes! From his fad brow the wonted cheer is fled, Low on his breast declines his drooping head; Nor can he find (while grief each fenfe o'erbears) Voice for his plaints, or moisture for his tears. Impatient forrow feeks its way to force, But with too eager hafte retards the courfe. As when a full-brimm'd vafe with ample waift And flender entrance form'd, is downward plac'd, And itands revers'd, the rushing waters pent, All crowd at once to iffue at the vent: The farrow vent the struggling tide restrains, And fcarcely drop by drop the bubbling liquor drains. [frame "He withes-hopes-believes fome foe might A falsehood to defile bis fair-one's name; LoxD. Mag. Aug. 1783, Or with dire malice, by the tainting breath Of jealous rage, to work his certain death. Yethe, whoe'er the foe, his fkill had prov'd In feigning well the characters belov'd." "When now the fun had to his fifter's reign Refign'd the kies, Orlando mounts again His Brigliadoro's back, and foon efpies The curling fmoke from neighbourhamletsrife: The herds are heard to low, the dogs to bay; And to the village now his lonely way Orlando takes, there pale and languid leaves His Brigliadoro, where a youth receives "The generous courfer; while, with ready hafte, One from the champion has his mail utbrac'd: "One takes his fpurs of gold; and one from ruft His armour fcours, and cleanfes from the duft. "Lo! this the cot, where, feeble with his wound, Medoro lay, where wondrous chance he found. "No nourishment the warrior here detir'd, On grief he fed, nor other food requir'd. He fought to reft, but, ah! the more he fought, New pangs were added to his troubled thou the: Where'er he turn'd his fight, he fill defcry'd The hated words inferib'd on every fide. He would have spoke, but held his peace in fear To know the truth he dreaded moit to hear. The gentle fwain, who mark'd his fecret grief, With chearful fpeech, to give his pains relief, Told all th' adventure that the pair befel, Which oft before his tongue was wont to tell To every guest that gave a willing ear, For many a gueft was pleas'd the tale to hear. He told, how to his cot the virgin brought Medoro wounded: how his cure the wrought, While in her bofom love's impoifon'd dart With deeper wound transfix'd her bleeding heart: Hence, mindlefs of her birth, a princefs bred Rich India's heir, fhe deign'd, by paffion led, A friendlefs youth of low eftate to wed. In witnefs of his tale, the peafant fhow'd The bracelet by Angelica bettow'd, Departing thence, her token of regard His hofpitable welcome to reward. "This fatal proof, his well-known prefent left, Of every gleam of hope his foul bereft: Love, that had tortur'd long his wretched thrall, With this concluding ftroke determin'd all. At length, from every view retir'd apart, He gives full vent to his o'erlabour'd heart: Now, from his eyes the ftreaming fhower releas'd Stains his pale cheek, and wanders down his breast; Deeply he groans, and, ftaggering with his woes, On the lone bed his littlefs body throws, But refs no more than if in wilds forlorn, Stretch'd on the naked rock or pointed thorn. While thus he lay, he fudden call'd to mind, That on the couch, where then his limbs reclin'd His faithlefs mitrefs, and her paramour, Had oft with love beguil'd the amorous hour: Stung with the thought, the hated down he flies: Not twitter from the turf is seen to rife The Twain, who, courting grateful fleep, perceives A ferpent darting through the ruftling leaves. Each object now is loathfome to his fight; The bed-the cot-the fwain-he heeds no light To guide his steps, not Dian's filver ray, Nor cheerful dawn, the harbinger of day. He takes his armour, and his tecd he takes, And through furrounding gloom impatient makes His darkling way, there vents his woes alone, In many a dreadful plaint and dreary groan. T Unseafing |