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SECT. of the ancients: instead of transfusing into their native tongue the taste and spirit of the classics, they copied, with the most aukward servility, the language and ideas suited to an age so different from their own. This observation is severe, but I fear it is too just. However, I trust we shall find, as we proceed, a few writers who do not deserve to be classed with the herd of servile imitators who drew this angry and unqualified censure from the great historian of declining Rome.

I shall open this age with the Tomiri (b) of Angelo Ingegneri, a tragedy which, though it does not rank with the first productions of the Italian muse, has many beauties. Oppressed with an heavy weight of moral declamation, the dialogue is often languid; but some of the odes abound in true poetic fire, particularly the address to the sun at the close of the second act, beginning

Alta, e prima cagion di quanto in terra

S'appiglia, e nasce, e l'arricchisce, ed orna.

The departure from history in the contrition of Tomyris, heightens the moral tendency of the piece. (i) But in her feeble

(b) Nap. appresso Gio. Giac. Carlino, e Const. Vitale, 1607.

(i) In the year 1762, signora Livia Accarigi of Sienna, undertook a tragedy on the interesting story of Tomyris, in which she seems to have followed Ingegneri in the change of character that takes place in her heroine towards the end of the piece. But, instead of being softened by contrition, Tomyris appears full of great, virtuous and magnanimous senti

ments.

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feeble expressions of sorrow on hearing of the death of her SECT. son, and in the multiplicity of her enquiries at that afflicting moment, we lose sight of the mother, and, of course, of nature. Perhaps too, the shade of Astyages might have been omitted: it certainly could be spared, for it appears to no useful purpose.

In the dedication to this tragedy, the author endeavours to account for the decline of tragedy in Italy at the time of the appearance of his drama (1607): "sia, perche la spesa, e la

ments.

"This, (says Metastasio, in a letter to the authoress,) seems a duplicity of character as repugnant to rule, as two fifths in music. It is true that there are in nature devout rascals and blustering cowards; but they are insufferable, and our theatre requires decided characters." This tragedy, I believe, was never printed: so that we have to lament the loss, or suppression of a drama written under the direction of Metastasio, by a lady endued with no common powers. Perhaps it would be fortunate for the fame of Padre Ringhieri, if his Tomiri had shared the same fate. Though there was no opera in Bologna at the time (August, 1770) Dr. Burney visited that city, "yet," says he, "for the sake of seeing the theatre, I went to the play. The house is elegant, but not large; it has, however, five rows of boxes, twelve or thirteen on a side. When I went in, I knew not what the play would be, but expected a ribbald farce as usual; when, to my great surprise, I found it was an Italian tragedy called Tomiri, written by Padre Ringhieri. I had never seen one before, and was much pleased with the opening, but soon grew tired of the long speeches and declamations; they were past all bearing, tedious. Thomyris, queen of the Amazons. came on dressed in a very equivocal manner; for, in order to give her a martial look, she had her petticoats trussed up in front above her knees, which were very discernible through her black breeches. However strange this appeared to me, the audience clapped violently, as they did constantly at the worst and most absurd things in the piece. There was a great deal of religion in it, and such anachronisms, that they talked of J. C. and the Trinity, nor were Free-will and Predestination forgotten; and when Cyrus is dying of the wound he received in battle, he is examined by a Jewish priest, a principal character in the play, as his confessor, concerning his religious principles, and he makes to him a profession of faith." Pres. stat. of music in France and Italy, p. 206. Ringhieri was author of several other tragedies which we shall notice in their proper place.

malinconia

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SECT. malinconia dello spettacolo ne rende poco frequente la rappresentatione; ò sia più tosto, perche 'l mancamento di buoni soggetti tragici, e la difficoltà de i precetti, dati in questa materia da i maestri dell' arte, ne sbigottisce i compositori." In another part of this discourse, he declares, “io non son d'accordo con coloro che vogliono, che sia mente d'Aristotele, che'l tragico habbia per fine di purgar gli animi, co'l mezzo del terrore, e della commiseratione, da quest' istessi affetti. Prima, perche ciò sarebbe un pensare di curare 'l freddo, co 'l freddo, e 'l caldo co 'l caldo, e non con i contrari, come fanno i medici: poi perche l'animo, liberato dal timore, e dalla compassione, trapassa sovente all' insolenza, ed alla crudeltà.” Without waiting to enquire whether this dissent from the opinion of the Stagyrite be either just or ingenious, I shall proceed to observe that, if Ingegneri should be forgotten as a critic and as a poet, he will ever be remembered with gratitude as a friend and amanuensis of Tasso. To him we are indebted for the first correct edition of the Gerusalemme Liberata; and had he not secretly possessed himself of a copy of Le Sette Giornate del Mondo Creato, that sublime poem would probably never have appeared, or have been published in a mutilated state. Nor was he wanting in personal services to Tasso when suffering from mental infirmity, or the persecutions of his enemies. Ingegneri was a man of profound learning, and a successful translator. His translation of the first book of Ovid's Art of Love, is still read with

pleasure:

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pleasure: but his literary character derives its celebrity from SECT. his Discorso della Poesia rappresentativa. He was born in Vicenza, and graced with the academic honors of that city.

As I advance several other tragedies offer themselves to my notice; but I do not find my attention arrested until the appearance of the Evandro of Francesco Bracciolini in 1612, and the Giorgio and Ulisse of Giambattista della Porta of Naples, in 1614. The latter has been compared in point of elegance of style and harmony of numbers, with the Torrismondo and Semiramide; but in the Giorgio the author has been accused of embellishing the fabulous story of the champion of England with beauties stolen from the Iphigénia of Euripides. Baretti prefers the comedies of della Porta. to his tragedies. Of this author I have only been able to learn, that he sunk under a weight of years in 1615. But my biographical enquiries concerning the author of the Evandro, have been attended with more success.

Francesco Bracciolini, a gentleman of Pistoja, was a voluminous writer. The number of his writings, says one of his biographers, is incredible. Being a man of elegant manners, profound erudition, and sprightly wit, he became the favourite of Maffeo Barberini who, in 1623, rose to the chair of Saint Peter.(k) When Barberini was sent as nuncio to the

court

(4) The character of Urban has been succinctly and energetically drawn by the abbe Zacchiroli: "Il aima les lettres, fit mettre le grand Galilée à l'inquisition, et enrichit ses neveux." Desc. de la gal. roy. de Flor. p. 116. His latin poetry is praised by the author

of

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SECT. court of France by Clement VIII. he invited our author to attend him as his secretary. But Bracciolini, soon growing tired of this situation, begged permission to return to his native country. This gave offence to the nuncio, and Bracciolini lost his friendship. But when Barberini succeeded Clement VIII. the incense of a poem entitled L'Elezione di Urbano VIII. softened his resentment, and our author was restored to favor. A favourite of the pope, and a favourite of the muses, the fame of Bracciolini spread rapidly, penetrating even the wilds of Scotland. Baretti enumerates three tragedies by this author, l'Evandro, l'Arpalice and la Pente

of Letters of Liter. p. 296. Having been led to notice Urban, I shall devote the remainder of this note to an attempt at rectifying an error concerning this enlightened pontiff, into which some of the biographers and commentators of Milton have fallen. Misled by Sir John Hawkins, the late Mr. Warton says, "when Milton was at Rome, he was introduced to the concerts of cardinal Barberini, afterwards pope Urban the Eighth, where he heard Leonora (Baroni) sing, and her mother play." Poems upon sev. eccas. By J. Milton. Lond. 1705. p. 491 (note.) A slight enquiry might have undeceived this ingenious writer. Urban was raised to the chair of St. Peter 1623; consequently he was in the sixteenth year of his pontificate when Milton visited Rome in 1639. The cardinal to whom our divine bard was introduced, was, probably, Francesco Barberini, one of the nephews of Urban, who, like his uncle, was not only a lover of music, but an admirer and patron of literary merit, and therefore likely to feel the attractions of such talents as Milton was endowed with. It was under his patronage, Gio Battista Doni wrote his Trattato de' generi e de' modi della Musica; and Girolamo Preti, a celebrated lyric poet of Bologna, died in his service. Fulvio Testi addresses to this cardinal a sonnet beginning

Parte il bifronte Dio.

As Doni, Testi and Bracciolini were retainers of the Barberini family when Milton was at Rome, they were probably personally known to him. Had he, therefore, left a detailed account of his travels, it might be expected to throw much light on a brilliant period in the literary history of modern Italy.

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