New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-28

Muse Of italy had fallen into deep sleep, PolSano
naroused her with the full, deep intonations Oh
golden instrument to tel!-how Guiliame al Medlci
loved the far smonetta, and bore away the prize
in toy tournament. The poem which opened
new age for Italian literature had no nobler theme
than court pageant" And he was the leader ana
the model of the modern Italian school OF poetry.
The princes and the great ones OF the earth had
bought the charms of the new veRal Muse OF Italy.
To 1atter with false pedigrees. to deploy aDsurd
mythoioeies. TO tickle the ears of lustful lads OF
prlncely rank and debauchees In scarlet hats ana
stockings with coarse tests lightly yelled and fanci.
full panegyrics-this was the motive of the song OF
tho Muse OF the newborn daughter of old Rome
Among the great names Of Italian literature inc
next of world wide fame is Ariosto. But Deiore
him there came poet whO,-speaking according 70
our own moderate acquaintance with his verse; anu
guided by what Mr.. Symonds himself says-"e
should rate as the most genuine and truly inspired
poet of the renaissance BOiaTdo. Matteo Mhrla
Boiardo was n nobeman and was born about 1851
He lived until 1884, and was contemporary WIN
Pulci, and Lorenzo dl Medicl and Pollziano' ic
was a scholar, diplomatist, and an administrators
OF the government of two cities in all his iunc-
tions he showed abty but he was celebrated
for his clemeacy and for his Indifference TO legal
furmalities. An enomy wrote of MIN he was
man OF excessive kindness, more MT 1Or Writing
poems than for furnishing crimes" lie wrote many
poems but his principal work is the " Orlando ma
morauD which Notwithstanding its great poetical
merit has because Of the comparative rudeness OF
its stvIe been almost forgotten by pUstrrity. And
vet VIC believe that Mr. SYmonds is moderate in
this appreciation Of Boiardos little-known chez
doarre His poem, chivarous. free, joyous, with
not one stain of Ariostos servilty or of Tasso's
nelancboly correspondent 10 q brief and passing
moment of the national art. In the pure and viva
beauty which distinguishes it, the sunset OF chlV-
airy and the sunrise OF modern culture blend their
coors ms III Some far northern twilight OF midsnm-
mer night. 5Ousness pervades It's oantos Jana Is
elemental in its nspIatiOh-the joy Of open nature,
Of sensual though stcfast love, Of strong limbs ana
evenfnl living OF restless activity, OF childiike
security. The genius of Boiardo might be COM
pared TO some high-born lad bred in the countryj
pure hearted. muscular, fair TO look uDon. -. IL
was probably tho dscord between Boiardos splrlt
and the prevailing temper OF the sixteenth century
far more than the roughness OF his verse or the
proyincalty of his language. that caused him TO
he 40 strangely and completely forgotten" Mr..
Sy,nonds presents us with some half dozen pass
ages of Boiardo-one of nino stanzas-translated
with such spirit and In such keeping with the
theme and the period OF his poem, that we cannot
but wish that he might be led 20 give us tho whole
poen, IN an English version. Roses sketch OF 1t Is
unsatisfactory and even tantallhDg; and such
reproduction az MI Symonds has shown that he
could give would be heartily welcomed and would
hiring the writer hardly less reputation than an
original poem of the same Importance.
OF Ariosto our author does not leave ne with
very pleasant memory. lie holds him up, indeed,
n. the supreme master Of tho modern Italian tongue
NJ nnrivacd in style. tho greatest artist OF the
sixteenth centuryj he even says that tine fairy
like fantastic structure Of the 'lurioso mas n
groundwork of philosophical solidity. Externally
ohills story-book, it is internally mine OF deep
world wisdom, the product OF sane and vigorous
intellect" hut he tells US plainly AMI truly that
this great literary artist was without either moral
derth or manly earnesinoss. an easy going. self
seeking. witty, worldly wise voluptuary. who ex-
pressed his nature in his verses HIS forte was de-
triton; ho had no real dramatic faculty; indeed
we are somewhat surprised at Mt bymohds saying
that many of the episodes IN tho "Furloso arc
eminontly dramatioJ and unless no here uses
a dramatic in the sense OF vivid. highly interest
ing we should differ from him wholly; rs indeed he
vould differ from himself. for 10 says OF Atiosto:
He rarely allows - situation TO he briefly indicated
or n sentiment 70 lie divIIied The emotions Of his
character are analysed nj length. ana then utter
anees, even at the fever heat OF passion arc OK
banded with a dazzling wealth OF Illustration.
The prrsons do not act before IA or express them
selves by direct speech" THIS IA not at all the
dramatic method. a IS descriptive, anhytici and
We should reckon Arostos synthetic creative powell
rs confined to his pictuJ granting in which he Is
without a rival If we accept pictures Ike the I'M
ages ina Claude glass as perfection There ga
precise daintiness Of touch and pellucd elearness
OF medium IN his picture painting that isscinatcs
for tie moment; but it is not grand art, although
il ,lfelike and exqnistcy finished lie had q Tine
senss OF beauty, mind untrammeiled by prejudice,
sra. and vividness Of style urbanity and delcacy;
but reckoning Homer, Dante and Shakespeare AS
Grst-rate poets. Milton and Goethe MS second-rate.
Ariosto stands in the third or even in the fourth
rank. Ue is not Tennyson's equal.
W. have already mentioned tho Horeiieri, and we
mu.t pass over without remark the chapter on tho
barren subject OF the drama in ltoly; that upon the
pretty but feeble and emascUlatcd pastoral poetry,
which is ct It's best and highest in the well-knOwn
q AuintaU and Pastor Fldo'; and even That
upop tie more amusing and Characteristic theme OF
burlcsques poetry aud satire. But No earnestly
comraend to oil students OF literature, oil nascent
critics, and chiefly all intending poets and novelsis
and cssayists, All attentive perusal OF The chapter
on The Purissn In both bis literary history and
his literary criticism Mr.. Symonds Is sound and
instruciye on tins point. What he says of Italian
purisn is no less true Of any other. Mutato RomHe
de Re faJula ndrratr. Pnrism Is a mortal literary
disease.
The man who saw this most clearly who felt IT,
and who put his faith and his feeling into his nc
tion-Pietro AretnO,-camo too late, and was too
morally incompetent to save italian literature from
its swift decadence. BY most modern readers
Aretino is thought OF rs a scIrrlou-, shsrp-ongued
blackguard, who lived by levying blacknail upon
the fears and the vanity of great people. So he
was: but he was much more. 1t is difficult for us
at this day to comprehend. or even to apprehend,
the personality of such man US Arctnoi still
TO understand how soch life AZ his possible.
He was born ID the last decade of the fifteenth
century, tho bastard OF nobleman by a woman Of
the town. He WAS brought up by his mother, who