To all this did Madama Lucrezia liften with manifest Pleasure; and, opening a small Cafket, fhe drew therefrom several of the complimentary little Pieces Torquato had addreffed to her, and gave them to her Sifter to read. At this Epoch, the Duke and Duchefs entered to congratulate Madama Leonora on her Recovery; we Courtiers fell back; but before the Circle broke up, our Sovereign Prince's Eye refted on Taffo, whom he beckoned forward to inquire how he got on with his Poem. With great Reverence he replied, that fince his Arrival in Ferrara, he had been so transported and carried out of himself by the dazzling Feftivities of the Court, as to have been little able to make Progrefs; but that his Intention was, under favour of the illustrious Prince he had the Honour to address, to make Rinaldo, the Ancestor of the House of Efte, the romantic Hero of his Poem, fecond in Place only to Godfrey. The Duke appeared pleased with this Notion, and made fome Remarks on it ere he difmiffed him. In Fact, his Highness

liked well to think himself a fecond Auguftus, with Virgil on one Hand, and Horace, which is to fay Guarini, on the other.

The next Time I met Taffo, which was when I was full dreffed and on my Way to a state Dinner, he eagerly seized me by the Arm, and drew me afide to hear him read fome Stanzas he had written on the Occafion of his Eyes first refting on the beautiful Serene of Madama Leonora's Countenance, when, if Reverence and Wonder had not turned his Heart into Stone, he would have perished with a double Death.

Dreadfully afraid of being too late for Dinner, I hastily exclaimed, "Double Death! why double Death ?-excuse me, my dear Tasso, I have no Time just now for Explanations and Rejoinders, but will talk it over with you another Time."

"How does it ftrike you at the first Hearing?" perfifts he eagerly; "is it too forward? too presumptuous? Can she forgive it, think you

?"

Aye, aye, Women forgive every Thing in

their own Praife," faid I; "let it be ever fuch Nonsense."

"You think it Nonfenfe then?" cries he, ftill holding on to me.

"My dear Tasso, it is capital, capital! I fhall be too late for Dinner. Adieu for the prefent."

And I escaped from him, hardly able to help laughing at his rueful Look.

Of course the Verses were forgiven, as well as plenty of others that followed, fometimes addreffed to one Sifter, sometimes to the other. They seemed equally charmed with his smooth Verfings; and continually engaged him, whether together or apart, in Discourses on Poetry, Friendship, Love, Sympathy, Heroifm, Self-facrifice, Fame, Glory, and fuch-like Cafuiftries, fome of which I liftened to with Pleasure, while others appeared fentimental and profitless. They took up fo much of the young Man's Time, however, that it was wonderful how he got through the amount of Writing he certainly did, in the Way of Lyrics, Epiftles, Dialogues, Dif

courses, to say Nothing of his great Poem, and Heaps of familiar Letters to his Intimates at Padua. He was industrious, that Youngster! I should have wondered when he flept, had I not had him in my own Lodging, and known that he took out as much Reft from an Hour's profound Repose as most Men would get in Half a Night. Such Learning, too, as he would pack into his mere occafional Effusions for the Hour! he must have ftored his Cells with Honey and Wax when at the Univerfities, for there seemed no End to what he could draw out, little as he now replenished them.

Thus, I fay, he went on, to the infinite Content of both the Princeffes, of whom he was now the chofen Friend; and their Efteem for him went that Length as to induce them to cause him to be admitted to the Tavola ordinaria, which made many of the older Courtiers ready to split with Envy. They were already prepared to accufe him of Pride, Vanity, Prefumption, Conceit, Pedantry, Taciturnity except towards his Betters, and a fcore of

other Faults, befides defpifing him for the fcantiness of his Wardrobe and the shallowness of his Purse.

Indeed, this tabling with the Duke and Princeffes carried ferious Difadvantages with it, independent of the Envy it occafioned; for, fimple and unoftentatious as were the Youth's Habits, he yet needed to have finer Linen, either laced or fringed, than would otherwise have ferved his Turn; nor was it always poffible to escape Invitations to Games. of Chance without giving Offence. The Princeffes ftood his Friends, however, in this Matter; frequently calling him from the Players to converse with them, or giving him a small Stake to venture in their Names.

It may be asked, were they not already fo furfeited with poetic Adulation as to be fick of Sonnets and Laudations? Of the common Staple they were; but Taffo's Verses, befides their uncommon Beauty and Harmony, had the magic Charm of Truth! His Raptures and Ecftafies were real; too real, unfortunately, to be fafe.