Stories from the Italian Poets: with Lives of the Writers, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 394 pages of information about Stories from the Italian Poets.

Stories from the Italian Poets: with Lives of the Writers, Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 394 pages of information about Stories from the Italian Poets.

  Egli l’ ha detto.”
          
                                      Satira ii.]

[Footnote 18: 

    “Se avermi dato onde ogni quattro mesi
  Ho venticinque scudi, ne si fermi,
  Che molte volte non mi sien contesi,

    Mi debbe incatenar, schiavo tenermi,
  Obbligarmi ch’io sudi e tremi senza
  Rispetto alcun, ch’io muoja o ch’io m’infermi,

    Non gli lasciate aver questa credenza
  Ditegli, che piu tosto ch’esser servo,
  Torro la povertade in pazienza”

Satira ii.]

[Footnote 19:  Panizzi, vol. i. p. 29.  The agreement itself is in Baruffaldi.]

[Footnote 20:  See the lines before quoted, beginning” Apollo, tua merce.”]

[Footnote 21:  Bibliographical Notices of Editions of

Ariosto_, prefixed to his first vol. p. 51.]

[Footnote 22: 

    “La novita del loco e stata tanta,
  C’ ho fatto come augel che muta gabbia,
  Che molti giorni resta the non canta.”

For the rest of the above particulars see the fifth satire, beginning “Il vigesimo giorno di Febbraio.”  I quote the exordium, because these compositions are differently numbered in different editions.  The one I generally use is that of Molini—­Poesie Varie di Lodovico Ariosto, con Annotazioni.  Firenze, 12mo, 1824.]

[Footnote 23:  Italian Library, p. 52.  I quote Baretti, because he speaks with a corresponding enthusiasm.  He calls the incident “a very rare proof of the irresistible powers of poetry, and a noble comment on the fables of Orpheus and Amphion,” &c.  The words “noble comment” might lead us to fancy that Johnson had made some such remark to him while relating the story in Bolt Court.  Nor is the former part of the sentence unlike him:  “A very rare proof, sir, of the irresistible powers of poetry, and a noble comment,” &c.  Johnson, notwithstanding his classical predilections, was likely to take much interest in Ariosto on account of his universality and the heartiness of his passions.  He had a secret regard for “wildness” of all sorts, provided it came within any pale of the sympathetic.  He was also fond of romances of chivalry.  On one occasion he selected the history of Felixmarte of Hyrcania as his course of reading during a visit.]

[Footnote 24:  The deed of gift sets forth the interest which it becomes princes and commanders to take in men of letters, particularly poets, as heralds of their fame, and consequently the special fitness of the illustrious and superexcellent poet Lodovico Ariosto for receiving from Alfonso Davallos, Marquess of Vasto, the irrevocable sum of, &c. &c.  Panizzi has copied the substance of it from Baruffaldi, vol. i. p. 67.]

[Footnote 25:  Orlando Furioso canto xxxiii. st. 28.]

[Footnote 26: 

  “Inveni portum:  spes et fortuna valete;
  Sat me lusistis; Indite nune alios.”

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