98 



Fuggi le rime, e '1 rimbombar sonoro. 

 Tu fai pur, che )'imagin de la voce, 

 Che rifponde de i faffi, ov' Echo alberga, 

 Sempre niniica fu del noftro regno : 

 Non fai tu, ch'ella converfa in pietra, 

 Et fu inven trice de le prime rime ? 



Nor was this a flip of Rucellai's pen ; for fo powerfully did he feel 

 the force of her dominion, and the weight of his new caparifons, that 

 he repeats, Hlce echo herfelf, the very fame words, in-ventrice de le prime 

 rime, at the diflance of i8o lines, ftumbling, at the fame time, on 

 an o^o.c!rTOTc» that flood in his way, 



" E lieto fe n' ando 'Bolaado al cielo.'' 



Verfe 22. 



But another poet of his own country, one whofe tafte was not apt 

 lo miflead him, has finely touched this fubjeft in his perfonification of 

 Echo, giving her all the fuUncfs of her proper charafter. With him 

 fhe is no longer an image of the voice, but, per empbafin, imago the, 

 IMAGE ; flie is nature, (he is harmony herfelf, that jocofe and fportive 

 goddefs, who dwelling in fliades and caverns, plays with the language 

 of the bard, and rings back, recinit, the lad protrafted notes of his 

 lyre. 



" Qviem virum aut heroa Ijrra vcl acri 

 Tibia, fumes celebrare, Clio ? 

 Quern Deum .' cujus rec'met jocofa 

 Nomm imago ? 



Hor. Lib. I. Ode 12. 



The refult is, that notwithftanding Rucellai glories in the flrength 

 and fuperiority of his verfo fciolto, yet Echo, in fpite of the poet, and 

 as it were in derifion of him for having fcorned her fimple harmonies, 

 ffiocks his vain attempt, and playing with his own tortured termina- 

 tions, 



