These were the
rudiments of Italian poetry. But their taste and composition must
have been extremely barbarous, as we may judge by those who followed
the turn of their fable in much politer times; such as Boiardo,
Bernardo, Tasso, Ariosto, etc.
ENDNOTE M.
'_Valclusa_.'--P. 22.
The famous retreat of Francisco Petrarcha, the father of Italian
poetry, and his mistress, Laura, a lady of Avignon.
ENDNOTE N.
'_Arno_.'--P. 22.
The river which runs by Florence, the birth-place of Dante and
Boccaccio.
ENDNOTE O.
'_Parthenope_.'--P. 23.
Or Naples, the birth-place of Sannazaro. The great Torquato Tasso was
born at Sorrento in the kingdom of Naples.
ENDNOTE P.
'_The rage
Of dire ambition_,' etc.--P. 23.
This relates to the cruel wars among the republics of Italy, and
abominable politics of its little princes, about the fifteenth
century. These, at last, in conjunction with the papal power,
entirely extinguished the spirit of liberty in that country, and
established that abuse of the fine arts which has been since
propagated over all Europe.
ENDNOTE Q.
'_Thus from their guardians torn, the tender arts_,' etc.
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