440 
life; for he actually bursts himself with 
laughing at a trick which Morgante had 
put upon him. 
Our traveller, now left alone, soon after 
arrived before the walls of Babylon ; 
where he met Orlando, to the great. de- 
hight of both, and where, by his personal 
strength and in a truly giant-like manner, 
he made the Paladins master s of the place, 
and set the crown on the head of his 
noble friend. 
This is the last action of the hero whose 
name is given tothe poem. The Pala- 
dins, tired of inglorious ease, were already 
on the seas in quest of new adventures, 
when a storm overtakes them ; and, to 
lighten the ship, Morgante leaps ever- 
board on the back of a dolphin. Borne 
by this strange conveyance, like Arion of 
old, he comes safe to shore ; but, when 
just landing, is bit in the heel by an 
enormous sea-crab, and shortly after (to 
the inexpressible grief of the christian 
champions) dies of “the mortification that 
ensued. Orlando erects a monument for 
him on the strand, enumerates all his 
virtues in an appropriate epitaph, and 
finally has his body embalmed and sent 
back to Babylon to be interred. 
In the port at which they are now 
arrived, the Paladins are attacked by 
a vast host of Pagans, the subjects of the 
Emperor of Massa. The rabble is soon 
defeated; but a valiant youth who is 
ainong them still keeps the field, un- 
horses Richardetto and Oliver, but at 
last, presuming to encounter Rinaldo, 
is overthrown by him and desperately 
wounded. The generous Paladins, who 
admired his youth and courage and pitied 
his fall, took all possible care of, and at 
last succeeded in reviving, him ; while 
Orlando discovers by the letters marked 
en the pummel of his sword that he is 
ef the house of Clermont. On enquiry, 
the young man informs him that his name 
is Aldinghieri; that his mother was the 
fair Rosaspina, who brought him forth 
-gu the sea-coast, and educated him 
among. the Saracens ; but that she had 
-always, told. him that his- father was 
Gerard of Rousillon, a near relation to 
the famous Paladins of France, 
Aldinghieri from this time becomes 
ene of the most interesting characters 
in the romance. His first discovery to 
bis relations the Paladins, his introduc- 
tion at the court of Charles, to which 
they conduct him, his ‘expedition to 
JViontauban to see his father the ve- 
erable Gerard, his death (overpowered 
by numbers of the infamous Maganzeses) 
Remarks on the Morgante Maggiore. 
(June 1} 
the grief and despair of the unhappy 
Gerard who beholds him for the first 
time then already dying of his wound, 
contain a great number of beautiful cir- 
cumstances for which I would have found 
a place if T had not thought myself te 
have dwelt too long already. on the minor. 
parts of this poem, and did I not hasten 
to the grand catastrophe, in which the 
whole strength of the poet is shewn, and 
for which he begins to prepare us by. 
meny bold and abrubt prophecies of ap= 
proaching evils. 
I therefore hasten without ceremony: 
over the meeting of Anthea with Riealda,. 
who has conducted her to Babyion, and 
placed ber there upon her father’s throne, 
and omitting entirely all mention of the: 
many other adventures which the Pala- 
dins encounter, and the. wanderings of. 
Rinaldo and his brotbers through Africa 
_and Egypt, proceed to the fatal war. 
that was kindled throughout Pagania 
against Charles and the Christian Em- 
pire. he ds 
The restless Anthea, whose love for 
Rinaldo had wasted away by time and 
absence, but whose spirit of ambition 
and conquest encreased with her years, 
had long considered the Christians in 
no other light than as the murderers of. 
her father, “and her own hereditary ene- 
mies. Marsilius, king: of Spam, had, 
formerly been. obliged, mauch against his 
will, to submit to the power of Charles, 
and. the. irresistible valour of Orlando, 
but had always watched his opportunities 
for rebellion and revenge. These two 
powerful sovereigns jomed in a league 
against France; and the Empress of 
Babylon soon poured into the devoted 
country an army of $0,000 soldiers. 
This war, however tremendous in its. 
commencement, did not terminate so 
fatally as the Chiistians had began to. 
expect. Marsilius preferred waiting: to . 
see the success of first impressions; and, 
owing to his weakness and timidity, the 
intrepid Anthea was overthrown, In ~ 
the dreadful battle to which’ Paris was, 
on this occasion a witness, Charles him- 
self was fighting on horseback with his °_ 
good sword Joyeuse, the Seine ran purple 
with the blood of Pagans and Christians, : 
but the victory was owing to the invinci- 
ble arm of Orlando, aided by the gallant 
and affectionate Baldwin, who (though a: 
son of Gano) had always detested the 
treachery of his father and attacheé him-" 
self to the fame and fortunes of the first 
of the Paladins. Anthea now gives no 
ear te the solicitations of Marsilius to. 
continue . 
