. C 298 ] [MARCH, 



A MERRY TALE WITH A MERRY MORAL. 



LET not the reader, male or female, be alarmed when I say that the 

 subject of this paper is from Casti the anathematised and interdicted 

 Giambatista Casti ! My object is to tell a good story, and at the same 

 time to shew that the Italian poet from whom it is derived, has a vast 

 deal to recommend him, independent of the want of " due decorum,'' 

 with which, in some of his eight and forty novelie he is justly chargeable. 

 In a late proceeding in Chancery it was seriously urged, as a ground for not 

 appointing a particular (or not particular) clergyman, tutor to some young 

 men of fortune, that the novels of Casti had been seen among his books. 

 The objection could only have arisen out of ignorance, both of Casti and 

 his predecessors ; for I will defy any man to produce a single collection 

 of Italian tales, from the Cento Novdle Antiche, clown to the Novelle Gal- 

 lanti, of Giuseppe Ferroni (an imitator of Casti), in which indelicacies 

 may not be discovered. Unless, therefore, these sources of pure Italian, 

 though not of Italian purity, were to be entirely closed, it was absurd to 

 urge that they ought not to be read by a tutor whose business it would 

 properly be to select such portions as his pupils might read, with benefit 

 to their studies, and without injury to their morals. Some of the 

 most indecent Italian, novelists have been looked upon in all ages as the 

 best models of Italian style, both in prose and verse. Such is unques- 

 tionably the case with Casti, who has been libelled as if he were the 

 inventor of a mode of writing more coarse and licentious than any of his 

 precursors. No opinion can be more unjust and erroneous : Casti is 

 refinement and delicacy itself, compared even with Ariosto, whose deli- 

 cious poem some ladies are not afraid of exposing upon their shelves. 



To a certain class of readers, I am aware that I shall not be recom- 

 mending what follows, when I say, that nothing like what goes by the 

 moderate name of impropriety will be found in it : it is not necessary to 

 the interest or humour of the narrative, and although Casti, addressing 

 himself to those who were accustomed to expect something of the kind, 

 now and then deviates from the strict line, it is not requisite that I should 

 follow him. Ariosto here and there advises his more squeamish readers 

 to omit certain parts which may not suit their tastes 



Lasciate questo canto, che seuz' esso 

 Pus' star I'istoria. (Lib. xxvii. st. 1.) 



ai>d Casti introduces his Camicia dell' Uomofelice (the first part of which, 

 by the way, is called // Beretto Magico, although it belongs to the same 

 series of incidents) by two prefatory stanzas of a similar character. I 

 have translated them thus : 



I seek not, rigid matrons, to divert you ; 



Old maids, with you I can have nought to do ; 

 Austere pretenders, I don't mean to hurt you ; 



I sing to young men, arid young maidens too, 

 Who strive to couple reason with their virtue ; 



Or in a word, fair dames, I speak to you, 

 Who spend, without hypocrisy, your leisure 

 In innocent amusements harmless pleasure. 



If y u should meet with what appears too warm, 

 A shade of something ill, though well intended, 



But just enough your conscience to alarm, 

 Why read it not, and you are not offended 



