ITALIAN. 139 



For the German and French editions of this work see Nos. 96 

 and 141. 



265. MEDICI (Lorenzo de'). La Caccia col Fal- 

 cone. Poema della xv. sieclo. \c. 1478.] 



An original poem of forty-five stanzas descriptive of hawking 

 in Italy, from the original MS. in the Laurentian Library at 

 Florence, printed for the first time by William Roscoe in the 

 second edition of his '* Life of Lorenzo de' Medici," London, 

 1796, 2 vols. 4to (vol. ii. Appendix pp. 17-28). 



" Amongst the materials collected for my use," says Roscoe, 

 "by a friend in Florence, I had the pleasure to find several 

 beautiful poems of Lorenzo de' Medici, the originals of which 

 are deposited in the Laurentian Library, although the former 

 editors of his works appear not to have had the slightest in- 

 formation respecting them. These poems, which have been 

 copied with great accuracy, and, where it was possible, collated 

 with different manuscripts, are for the first time given to the 

 public at the close. of the present work " (Preface, p. xvii.). 



He adds, however, in a foot-note to vol. i. p. 280 : " About a 

 dozen copies of these poems were printed in the year 1791, chiefly 

 for the purpose of regulating the text, which have since been dis- 

 tributed by the editor amongst his friends. This he thinks it 

 necessary to mention to prevent any misapprehension on the 

 part of those into whose hands such volume may chance to fall." 



The poem entitled La Caccia col Falcone^ he observes (vol. i. 

 p. jSi), is apparently founded on a real incident. The poet 

 gives a circumstantial and lively account of the then popular 

 diversion of hawking, from the departure of the company in the 

 morning to their return in the heat of the day. As a specimen 

 of the author's style, the following stanzas may be quoted : — 



" E si vedea una gentil Valletta 

 Un fossatel con certe macchie in mezzo, 

 Da ogni parte rimunita, e netta, 

 Sol nel fossato star possono al rezzo ; 

 Era da ogni lato una piagetta, 

 Che d' uccellar facea venir riprezzo 

 A chi non avessi occhi, tanto e bella ; 

 El mondo non ha una pari a quella." 



