18 
Paladins made mafters of his empire, 
which they poffefs for fome time in great 
joy and feltivity.. The part which Cla- 
viella takes in thefe proceedings is not 
very dutiful; but romance-writers make 
it fo far from a crime, that it becomes 
with them a fplendid virtue to affift a 
chriftian knight againft an infidel father. 
Mean-while Anthea, the Soldan’s 
daughter of Babylon, another female 
warrior, and far more famous both for 
beauty and courage than all the preced- 
ing, animated by the fame of Rinaldo’s 
exploits, perfuades her father to fend her 
at the head of a numerous army to re- 
venge the Amoftante. The defcription 
of her perfonal charms 1s thus managed 
by Pulci: 
Her hair was bright as Danaé’s locks of gold, 
_Her face was fair as Cytherea’s breatt ; 
Her eyes like ftars, which heaven’s bright re- 
gions hold ; 
; ree obey form her beauteous nofe con- 
’ felt ; i 
Her ivory teeth in fome celeftial mould 
Were cat, her. mouth with rofy dimples 
Greit: 
And mighty Pallas had confpir’d to deck | 
Her {nowy fhoulders and her polithed neck. 
Her {mooth round arms for a€tion form’d and 
14th crlpraeey 
\ And white and long and pliable her bands, 
Fitted to bend the twanging bow in chafe | 
+ Among the nobleft of Diana’s ‘bands ; 
Tempting the tender lover’s warmiembrace, 
Her {welling bofom full and iree expands 5 
And Proferpine’s enchanting form is trac’d 
In the foit yielding of her flender waift. 
F Le C15, +f. 99. 
Notwithftanding all thefe feminine ex- 
¢ellencies, this limber-handed lady had at 
ditfereat times overcome all’the kuights 
of .Perfa, Phoenicia, and Egypt; and 
was therefore adored by her father and 
the people. 
_ Her arft introduction to the Paladins 
Was in the character of an embalfadrefs, 
father than of an enemy; fhe was there- 
fore received with the ‘utmolt courtely 
_ @ad magnificence by them, and inade m 
fall affembly excellent proof of her ta- 
-Yents for eloquence. 
She addreffed he:- 
felf particularly to Rinaldo, with whom 
flie was aiready enamoured on report ; 
aud propofed that it Should be decided , 
by a fingle combat between them, whe- 
toer the Paladins fhould remain mafters 
of Perf, or refign to her father. the 
throne of the Amoliante. Rinalde(who 
Arusl all this time been drinking delicious 
; 4 
Remarks on the Morgante Maggiore. 
(feb. 1, 
poifon from her eyes) accepted the chal- 
lenge, but invited her to remain with 
them one day, and partake of an enter= 
‘tainment which he would caufe to be 
provided in honour of her. ‘To this An- 
thea readily confented ; and Oliver, who 
was charged by Rinaldo to arrange the 
feaft, prepares for his labours with the 
following naive reflection on the new 
paffion with which he faw the lord of 
Montauban was infpired: 
Cofi va la fortuname 
Cercati d’altro Amante, Luciana! 
The reflections of Rinaldo, the nicht 
after his grand feftival, were not very fa- 
vourable to the exertion of his prowel’ 
the fucceeding momimg. Orlando. finds 
him at day-break itll toffing on. his fe- 
veritth and fleeplefs béd ; and his admo- 
nitions on the occalion are worth tyan{- 
lating only as they afford a fpecimen of a 
fingular aifectation of language, of which 
Pulci and many of the old Italian poets 
were often guilty: a ieiigits 
Oh where, Rinaldo, 18 thy valor gone ? 
Oh where, Rinaldo, is'thy power, thy 
fame ? pana ; 
Oh where, Rinaldo, isthy fenfe o’erthrown ? 
Oh where, Rinaldo, is thy ancient name ? 
Oh-where, Rinaldo, has thy fancy flown ? 
Ch where, Rinaldo, haft thou, loft thy 
 thame? rey if byes 
Oh where, ‘Rinaldo, is thy proud command 2 
Oh where, Rinaldg?—Jn a woman’s hand} 
Is this 2 feafon fit for fport andiplay? 9 * 
Is this a feafon to be fpentin love? 
Is this a wanton fummer’svholiday ? 
Is this the Idalian hill, or Paphian grove ?., 
Is this a time in idle peace to ftay ? ’ 
Is this the faith Orlando hoped to prove ? 
Is this a time to jonft with harmlefs lance ? 
Is this the foft and peaceful realm of France ? 
And is i¢.thus our conqueft we thal! fave? (*~ 
And is it thus we gain a glorious throne ? 
And is it thus Anthea’s boafts we brave ? 
And is it thug we conquer Babylon ? . 
And was it thus our plighted faith we gave ?. 
And is it thus that plighted faith is fhewn ? 
And is it thus our hearts and fauls we fever ? ° 
—Adyvyenturous hepe and joy, farewel for 
ever! C. 16, f. 49. 
‘Oliver alo was entreated to’ try his 
powers of perfuation with the enamoured 
knight; but, ftung of his own fuccelhve 
enthraldom to the charms ‘of Florifene 
and Meridiang, declines the office wath. 
a witty allufion to the tale of the abbels 
who wore the ‘breeches. Whether the 
original honour of this tale; which has; 
nik deen, 
