The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-07-11

tus did IN one of his friends. Z" will
marry with pleasure, when you can
give me one of your interesting
daughters" We may naturally sup
pose that this answer was acutely
felt as "A severe reproach by the old
unmarried secretary
Pope Gregory XIII. having sent
in 1879. the Cardinal Louigi dc Fer
rara. the brother Of the duke. as lc-
gate To France, he was accompanied
by Iasso as private secretary. The
poet was received we'll by Charles
IN. and treated with that respectful
attention 10 which he was entitled by
his transcendant talents and cstab
lished reputation. On the return of
the cardinal legatc, Tasso resumed
his residence ut the ducal palace of
Ferfaro. The dukes sister occa.
sionalIy visited the apartments Of the
poet, to ENJOY his instructive conyer-
sation. Poets are not strangers to
the finer feelings, and Cupid is gen.
orally concealed under the rosy
leaves which are scattered ON the
summit Of HciiCon, or Turks beneath
the refreshing shade Of the laurcl4 Of
Pmdna, IL sip the dew as it falls
from the rustled leaf. Tasso was not
insensible to female charms he adj
mired the blooming form, the capt.
yating department the picture
which Angelo would have grasped
at for a model the divine feature
which Rahaclli, Guido, or Gucrchi-
no would have painted. The mind
of the lady is represented by the lta-
liam biographers Of the poet, az hav-
ing been highly cultivated, and her
modesty and aifability gave grace
ful lustre and attractive charm u her
beauty The poet saw, and loved A.,
and acknowledged,
"Ed aperta la via per eli ocehi nj CORE
PIN SoEs g.
The pride Of the duke. the dispar-
ity of condition and prospects, oppo.
sed insuperable obstacles tn the CON
summation Of his wishes beside. we
have no positive proof that the pas
sion was reciprocal The feeling,
however, ON this part, combined
with the harsh aud unrclenting Sc
verify with which lie was treated, af-
fected him with a dark melancholy
and depression of spirits, to which
he was during twenty years depo-
ted victim. The remaining days Of
his life were marked by calamity,
humiliation and disappointment !;
and neglected bynominal friends, he
endured exile, incarceration, ex-
IRENE poverty and hunger; and 10
render his numerous atiilt tons more
acute, he was assailed with calumny
by the contracted spirits who sought
TO procure his fame. He succeeded
in eifectlng an escape from Fcrrara,
where for the praises he la, ished on
his first protectors he bad been re
Wardcd with chains, and travelled,
clothed in rags, to Sorrento, in the
kingdom Of Naples, to implore and
obtain assistance from his affection
ate sister. Noltaire, who, with all
his vast information, sometimes neg
lcCted 10 examine with sufficient at
tention, the evidences of facts, and
fnpaIIty I,a,r.,.I,I
particularly in his historical works,
which have been proved untrue by
his literary adycrsaries, statcs,"ith-
out giving his authority, that Iasso
was not received by his sister, and
that his application for relief was re-
jected with feelings Of Indifference
and contempt. The Italian biogra-
pliers assert, and with more rorciblc
evidence, that TassO was received
with affection and tenderness by his
sister, and that he, after spending a
summer at her house, and receiving
partial relief, in despite Of her en-
treaties to the contrary, took up the
resolution Of returning again to Fer
rara, under Il presumption that the
dukes animosity was extinguishcd,
and that he had nothing to fear from
his displeasurc. His first reception
was kinder than he expected, but his
enemies soon succeeded in rcNIYing
and rekindIing the animosity Of the
duke, who had been persuaded that
Tasso's poetic fire was exhausted,
and that he was no longer capable OF
wriGng verse. The poet readily per-
ceiying that his talents were no lon
ger appreciated, Indignantly depart
cd from Fcrrara, and sought the pat
rnnanc and nrntectinn nf tic Un,c OF