1806.) 
ble adventures, which demand the charm 
of poetry, and the relief of remarkable 
beauties, both of language and fenti- 
ment, to engage the attention of a modern 
reader, Without at: empting, therefore, 
to lead through all the mazes of this la- 
byrinth of extravagant fiction, [ fhail now 
dwell only on particular paflages, and 
point out occaficnal objects of pleafure as 
they caught wy attention during the ge- 
netal view that I myfelf took of the fub- 
ject. 
During the feftival of Ealter, Charle- 
macte hed his imperial court at Paris, 
to celebrate the anniverfary of the p.tron 
faint of France. The happinelS of the 
fove:eign at the goodly propect of knighis 
and paladins who crowded into his pre- 
fence, is exprefled in a {pirited manner. 
Troppo lieto era il figliuol di Pipino, 
Tanto che fpeito @allegrezza gerte 
Veggendo tutti i Paladini infieme. 
But the fcene is fpeedily overclouded by 
the perfidy of Gano, ccunt of Puifie s, 
and cnief of the powerful tribe of Ma- 
ganza, whofe dark and: treachercus mind 
being ever on the watch to diiturb the 
quiet and blaft the honours of the knights 
fu, erior to him in rank and merit, finds 
means to perfuade the Emperor that his 
nephew, the brave and magnanimous Or- 
lando, the conqueror of the giant Al- 
montes, and the champion of France and 
Chriftendom, was dangerous through his 
pride and ambition, and vaworthy of the 
confidence beflowed upon him. 
Contrary to ail the evidence of any, 
and almoit all tne pretenfions of fable, the 
great Charles is, thronghout this poem, 
reprefented as a weak and credulous 
prince, eafily ruled by infidious fattereis, 
and littening to the'r plans for the deftruc- 
tion of the beit and nobleit of his fubjects. 
Puici was aware of the fault, and excules 
it by laying the whole biame on his grand 
authority, the Archbifhop Turpin. But 
had an hiftorian, worthy of him, under- 
taken to difplay vis fame, 
‘« Sarebbe Carlo magne un’ Uom divino.”” 
The Emperor’s claims to divinity are 
recorded by our poer in the true it) ie of 
chivalrous devition. © 
6* Pero’ ch’exli ebbe gran Vittoria e Regno, 
E fece per la chiesa, & per la fede 
Certo afiai pid che non fi dice o crede.”’ &c, 
But, after prefenting fome fabulous 
inftances of the injured hero’s greatnel(s, 
his victories over giants, and his confe- 
‘eration of monafteries over the bones of 
Pagan kings, he concludes in_a ftrain 
fuccefs was equal to his courage, 
t 
Critical Obfervations on the Morgante Maggiore, Sil 
much more poetical, and more worthy of 
his fubject, by addreffng his * native 
Florence” as the noblett exifling MoAU= 
ment of his munificence and virtue. 
Ma il Mondo cieco e ignorante non prezza 
Le fue virtui, com’ io vorrei vedere 5 
E tu, Fiorenza, dellafua grandezza 
Pofiedi, e fempre potrai poffedere 
Ozni coftume, ed ogni gentilezza 
Che fi potefle acquiftare o averey 
Col Senno, col Teforo, o colla Lancia 
Dal nobdil Sangue e venuta di Francia. 
Without amufing ourfelves with the di- 
verting aéts of outrage committed by the 
infulted Ovlando, previous to his deter= 
mination ‘* paffare in Pagania,”’ let us 
proceed to the firft adventure that betel 
him on the :oad, and which gives us 3n 
iniroduétion to the whimfical charaCter 
frem whom the poem receives its title. 
The peaceful inbabi:ants of a monaltery 
fituaied on the confines of Pageniayis had 
lung beea difturbed by very dangerous 
and unpleafant neighbours. Three bro- 
thers, heathens and giants, had taken up 
their refidence on a hill which overlooked 
the convent, and from whence they, pur- 
fued the ernel amufement of hurling huge 
fragments of the rocks on the heads of 
the. pocr defencelefs monks,, whenever 
they ventured out to get water or provi+ 
fions. Their deplorable fituation being 
reprefented to the wandering Paladin, he 
gallantly undertook to relieve them frora 
thefe extraordinary incumbrances, His 
With. 
out detailing his furious combat with the 
two firt of the giants, whom he foon 
rendered incapable of throwing ftones at 
monks, we will attend him on his dow- 
ciliary vilit to the third. 
Morgante had a raftic palace made 
Of iticks, earth, leaves, in his own-iar- 
barous way, 
And here at eafe his mighty members laid, 
Securely guarded, at the ciofe of day. 
Orlundo knocked 5 the giant, fore di tmay'd, 
Waked from the heavy fleep in which he 
lay ; 
And, when he open’d, like a thing afftound, 
Scared by a frightful dream, he gaged around. 
He thought a furious ferpent had affail’d him ; 
And, when to Mahoand for relicf he 
pray’d, 
That noaght his Pagan deity avaii’d him ; 
But, when Chrift’s holy name he called 
for aid, 
Straightway the ferpent’s wonted fury fail’d 
him. 
Waked from this dream, towaels tne door 
he mada 
«© Who 
