1805.] 
Anfuigi’s brother is the chief implied, 
The noble Milo of our race divine.” 
The Count replied, while tears burft forth 
anew, 
«< Oh my loved coufin, thy Orlando view !” 
Infpired by foft affeftion, they embrac’d— 
both weep aloud ; for tendernefs and love, 
The fweets of long-forgatten friendthip tafte, 
And in their hearts the warmeft tranfport 
prove, 
From thefe refin’d delights, by memory 
trac’d, 
The holy father could not foon remove. 
At length Orlando faid—-‘* What chance, or 
grace, 
Could join us here in fo obfcure a place ? 
Oh tell me, much-lov'd father, why has fate 
Thy head within the monkifh cowl con- 
ceal’d? 
Gh why not rather, inthe martial ftate, 
The lance, like other warlike nobles, 
wield?” 
€° Becaufe,” replied the holy Abbot ftraight, 
*¢ The will of Heav’n was otherwife re- 
veal’d, 
That holy will which points thro’ different 
roads Bh 
The pilgrim’s journey to thofe bright abodes. 
Some with the crofier, others with the fword, 
Setout, aS various minds or tempers caft ; 
‘Yet all chefe various ways, aright explor’d, 
Meet in one fafe and common port at laft. 
Fu‘l meny lots our chequer d lives afford, 
_ Noris the hindmoft by the firft furpafs’d ; 
All men, Orlando, feek the gates of Rome, 
Bat many are the paths by which they 
come,” 
Canto I. ft. 84, IL. ft, 1. 
In reading the conclufion of this paf- 
fage, and comparing it with the free and 
liberal doctrines. inculcated in the lat.er 
part of this poem, and which are put into 
the mouth of the fpirit Aftaroth, we may 
fairly imagine that Pulci meant to incul- 
cate fome principles beyond thofe which 
appear to be the immediate object of the 
Catholic Abbot. And this may prove a 
good foundation for an argument againft 
the opinion of thofe who have alcribed the 
metaphylical heterodoxy vf the 25th canto 
to Marifilo Ficino, We area little fur- 
prifed, at the very moment of the utmolt 
plenitude of papal power, to meet with a 
hardy fupporter of toleration and therights 
of conicience, unlefs backed by temporal 
authority ; and itis, perhaps, that reafon 
alone which has induced the commenta- 
tors on Pulcito fearch among the philofo- 
phical friends and companions of the great 
Lorenzo, for a chara&ter on whom to fix 
the heretical fubtleties of the Morgante 
Maggiore. 
As for the adventure itfelf, romantic as 
MontTury Mas, No. 144. 
Critical Obfervations on the Morgante Maggiore. 
518 
It is, we may find feveral inftances of fi- 
milar difcoveries in the Aiftories of the 
romantic ages. Such is the account, in 
Froiffart, of Sir Walter Manny, a native 
of Hainault, finding at a town in Gafa 
cony, during the wars of Edward the 
Black Prince, the bones of-his father, 
who had been murdered by robbers on 
his return from the pilgrimage of St, 
James of Compoftella. 
To return to our romance. The refi. 
dence of Orlando with his new-found cou- 
fin was of no iong duration. Under his 
blefling and direction he fets out, accom. 
panied by his powerful fquire Morgante, 
to feck the camp of Manfredonio, a Pagan 
prince, who (like the Dane mentioned by 
Olaus Maguus) feeks the affeions of Me- 
ridiana, another Scandinavian Virago, by 
making war on her father Caradoro and 
herfelf. The next adventure they meet, 
on their journey through the adjacent fo- 
reft, is thus defcribed. 
As chance direéts, they through the defert 
wend 5 
(One was on foot, the other rode befide) 
Their venturous fteps oer hill and plain they 
bend, Reka y 
But find no needful fhelter, and no guide. 
Night-o’er the fields was haftening to defcend, 
When, ona fudden, to Orlando cried 
His huge ally, exulting with delizht, 
‘¢ Joy, joy! A fpacious inn is juft in fight 1° 
A noble palace there arofe to view, . 
Which in the midft of that wild fpot they 
{pied 5 7 
The Count difmounted as they near it drew, 
For the huge portal ftood unfolded wide. 
They called,—-but all theshollow arches thro® 
No anfwering voices to their calls replied. 
They enter’d—and, within the hall, a feaft 
Was richly fpread ; but they beheld no gueft, 
The chambers all were fair and richly dight 
With ftoried tapeftry and pi@ures gay, 
With fplendid couches form’d for foft delight, 
And deck’d with cloth of gold in proud 
array. 
The ceilings all with gold and azure bright, 
And gemm’d with glittering ftars of rich 
inlay. 
The gates with brafs, and fome with filver 
fhone, 
And gay Mofaic deck’d the pavement-ftone. 
Victuals of every kind and tafte were there, 
Peacocks and turkies, choiceft few and 
hath, 
Ven’fon and coneys, levrets, pheafant, hare, 
And wine, and water both to drink and 
wafh. 
Much could Morgante’s mighty ftomach bear, 
Mach did his gullet fwill and grinders 
math. ‘Ling 
At left, the fcene of luxury ta clofe, 
Upon a fumptuous couch they fonght repofe, 
3.U Wher 
