ture of her death, which has been violent, having taken place in twenty-four hours, and caused (as far as I can conjecture,) either by poison or a broken heart. I lament my daughter, who unfortunately for herself remains alive, young, without direction, in the hands of enemies, without a friend, but a wretched father, poor, old, distant, and in disgrace with fortune. I pray God, that he may grant me patience, for if my despair and misery find not soon a remedy, I know not what will become of me."* It would appear, that the pension Bernardo had from the prince of Salerno, was either precarious, or too small for his comfortable subsistence, for he hints, in the letter I have just quoted, what great claims he had on that prince, who in some degree might be considered as the cause of his misfortunes. From the circumstances of his situation, and the aforesaid letter, we may judge how ill qualified Bernardo was at this time to afford consolation. This, however, he attempts, in an epistle to the nun Donna Afra, his sister, of whom I have already made mention. “I know," says he, "that the more I loved her, the less I ought to grieve for the bitter and untimely death of that young woman, since death is the end of all human miseries, into an ocean of which (suffering for my sake) she was continually plunged. * Lettere, vol. II. p. 157. See also p. 164. et seq. That Bernardo believed she was poisoned by her brothers, appears from a letter, vol. III. p. 82. "Proccuro con tutti i favori e forze necessarie di ricuperar quella povera figliuola dalle man de' suoi nemici: acciocchè non avvenga a lei quel ch'è avvenuto alla misera madre, la quale tengo per fermo che sia stata avvelenata da' fratelli per guadagnar la dote.” CHAP. II. A. D. 1556. CHAP. II. A. D. 1556. What human comfort remained which could lead you, in her wretched situation, to wish her a continuance of life? Alas, none! With a great understanding, with much prudence and virtue, she was left, by my banishment, in a kind of widowhood, without relations, or, what was worse than none; without friends to aid or counsel her in adversity, so that she lived in a continual state of fear and anxiety. She was young, beautiful, and so jealous of her honour, that, contrary to our natural instinct, she has often wished, since my unhappy exile, that she were old and ugly. She doubted not her own honour, of which she was an inviolable protectress, but she dreaded the false opinions of the world, and the snares of men ; so that, like a shepherd who keeps his flocks near a dangerous desert, she never enjoyed a sleep which was sound and peaceful. She loved myself and Torquato so much, that, seeing herself separated from us, without hope of living happily under the same roof, her heart was tortured by a thousand fears, as the heart of Tityus by the devouring vultures. Let us not, however, be rebels to the will of God, but let us endeavour to submit our minds to his dispensations. Let us thank him for the benefits which we daily receive, and try rather to provide against the misfortunes which admit of a remedy, than to weep and bewail what it is impossible to cure.” * * Lettere, vol. II. p. 172. Portia seems to have been a woman of deep sensibility, and with strong passions: "Desiderando," says Bernardo, "mia moglie di viver meco, ancor ch'io stessi nell' inferno." Ibid. p. 142. CHAPTER III. Bernardo leaves Rome, and enters into the service of the Duke of Urbino.-Torquato visits Bergamo, and afterwards resides at Pesaro.-His studies there.-Circumstances relative to the Amadigi.-Torquato visits Venice, and is sent to study at Padua.-Marriage of his sister Cornelia. -Publication of the Amadigi, and reflections on its want of success. A. D. 1556-1560. AET. 12-16. I KNOW not whether I ought again to apologise to my reader, CHAP. III. for detaining him so long upon what he may perhaps consider as extraneous to the life of Tasso. The events, however, which I have related, will be found, in the sequel of these memoirs, to have had a strong and singular influence on the future destiny of that poet. Besides, on a little reflection, it will be perceived, that the circumstances in this CHAP. III. A. D. 1556. case are extremely peculiar. Genius is very seldom hereditary in a family; nor is there an example in story of so illustrious a poet being the father of so great a son. Of the greater number of celebrated men, the fathers have been obscure individuals, and hence no documents have been left, either of their own lives, or of the infancy or childhood of their children. The reputation of Bernardo Tasso, the publication of his epistles, and the early celebrity of his son, have, with the accident of his being born in a country which is peculiarly favourable to the biographical enquirer, produced a concurrence of circumstances, which take place in this instance, and perhaps in this alone. The history of other great men begins in general, like that of Adam, when they have attained maturity; the history of Torquato commences not merely in the morning, but at the dawn of his existence. Nor is it difficult, perhaps, in the events which have already been related, to discover some of the elements which contributed to the production both of the intellectual and moral disposition of Torquato. In the few instances of hereditary talents of which we have examples, as in the Bernoullis and Cassinis, the children have generally followed the example of their parents. Torquato would undoubtedly have been a poet, whatever had been his descent, but it is not so certain that he would have had the same poetical notions. His creed in poetry we shall find to have had considerable resemblance to that of Bernardo; and it is not to be doubted, that the example and ardour of that poet very much contributed to the nourishment of the poetical faculty in his son. * CHAP. III. A. D. 1556. «The admiration of the father's worth, (says Bernardo, in the letter to his wife on the subject of education,) is a most pungent stimulus to urge the spirit of the son to hurry on in the path which his parent pursues." "L'ammirazione della paterna virtù è pungentissimo sprone per far correre lo spirito del figliuolo per quel medesimo cammino che corre il padre." In the lamentations of the young Rinaldo, that, though born of illustrious parents, he had not yet been able to distinguish himself, Torquato no doubt paints his own feelings, and the share that his father's reputation had in inciting him to enter the path of glory. VOL. I. Now hasting thence, a verdant mead he found, Where flowers of fragrant smell adorn'd the ground; `High o'er its surface, many a tree display'd Its leafy boughs, to form a grateful shade Sweet was the scene, and here from human eyes Ah why do rage, and grief, and shame delay, F |