Painter at the end of his fecond volume, has left us this curious notice. "Bicause sodaynly, contrary to expectation, this "Volume is rifen to greater heape of leaues, I doe omit for "this present time SUNDRY NOUELS of mery devise, referuing "the fame to be joyned with the reft of an other part, wherein "fhall fucceede the remnant of Bandello, fpecially futch, fuf"frable, as the learned French man François de Belleforrest "hath selected, and the choyfeft done in the Italian. Some "also out of Erizzo, Ser Giouanni Florentino, Parabosco, Cyn"thio, Straparole, Sanfouino, and the best liked out of the Queene of Nauarre, and other Authors. Take thefe in good part, with thofe that haue and fhall come forth.". But there is the greatest reafon to believe, that no third volume ever appeared. And it is probable, that Painter by the intereft of his booksellers, in compliance with the prevailing mode of publication, and for the accommodation of universal readers, was afterwards persuaded to print his fundry novels in the perishable form of separate pamphlets, which cannot now be recovered.

Boccace's FIAMETTA was tranflated by an Italian, who seems to have borne fome office about the court, in 1587, with this title, "AMOROUS FIAMETTA, wherein is fette downe a cata

logve of all and fingvlar paffions of loue and iealoufie inci"dent to an enamored yong gentlewoman, with a notable ca"ueat for all women to efchew deceitfull and wicked loue, by "an apparent example of a Neapolitan lady, her approued and long miferies, and wyth many found dehortations from the "fame. Fyrst written in Italian by mafter John Boccace, the "learned Florentine, and poet lavreat. And now done into English by B. Giouanno del M. Temp." The fame year was also printed, Thirteene most pleasaunt and delectable queftions entituled A DISPORT of diuers noble perfonages

" from Boccace. Imprinted at London by A. W. for Thomas "Woodcock, 1587"."

Several tales of Boccace's DECAMERON were now tranflated into English rhymes. The celebrated story of the friendship of TITUS AND GESIPPUS was rendered by Edward Lewicke, a name not known in the catalogue of English poets, in 1.562". The title is forgotten with the tranflator. "The most. wonder"full and pleasaunt hiftory of Titus and Gifippus, whereby is fully declared the figure of perfect frendshyp drawen into "English metre by Edwarde Lewicke. Anno 1562. For Tho66 mas Hacket*."

It is not fufpected, that thofe affecting ftories, the CYMON AND IPHIGENIA, and the THEODORE AND HONORIA, of Boccace, so beautifully paraphrased by Dryden, appeared in Englifh verfe, early in the reign of queen Elifabeth.

THEODORE AND HONORIA was tranflated, in 1569, by doctor Christopher Tye, the mufician, already mentioned as a voluminous verfifier of fcripture in the reign of Edward the fixth. The names of the lovers are disguised, in the following title. "A notable historye of Nastagio and Trauerfari, no less pitiefull "than pleasaunt, tranflated out of Italian into English verse by "C. T. Imprinted at London in Poules churchyarde, by Tho"mas Purefoote dwelling at the figne of the Lucrece. Anno. 1569'." Tye has unluckily applied to this tale, the fame stanza which he used in translating the ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. The knight of hell pursuing the lady, is thus described.

He fawe approche with swiftie foote
The place where he did staye,

"In quarto. There is entered with Richard Smyth, in 1566, “A boke intituled "the xiij queftions compofed in the Italian "by John Boccace." REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 153. a.

See fupr. vol. ii. p. 342. And Eм. ADD. In 12mo. Ad calc. "FINIS quod Ed"ward Lerwick." There is entered, in

1570, with H. Binneman, "The petifull "hiftory of ij lovyng Italians." REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 204. b.

y In 12mo. Bl. Lett. In that year Purfoot has licence to print "the History of "Noftagio." The fame book. REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 183. b. [See fupr. p. 194.]

A dame,

A dame, with scattred heares vntruffde,
Bereft of her araye.-

Befides all this, two mastiffes great
Both fierce and full he fawe,
That fiercely pinchde her by the flanke
With greedie rauening rawe.

And eke a Knight, of colour swarthe,
He fawe behinde her backe,.
Came pricking after, flinging forthe
Vpon a courfer blacke:

With gaftlye thretning countenaunce,
With armyng fworde in hande;
His looke wold make one feare, his eyes
Were like a fiery brande, &c z.

About the fame time appeared the tale of CYMON AND IPHIGENIA, "A pleasaunt and delightfull History of Galefus, Cymon,. " and Iphigenia, defcribing the fickleneffe of fortune in love: "Tranflated out of Italian into Englishe verse by T. C. gentleman. Printed by Nicholas Wyer in faint Martin's parish be"fides Charing Crofs." It is in ftanzas. I know not with what poet of that time the initials T. C. can correspond, except with Thomas Churchyard, or Thomas Campion. The latter is among the poets in ENGLAND'S PARNASSUS printed in 1600, is named by Camden with Spenfer, Sidney, and Drayton; and,. among other pieces, publifhed publifhed "Songs, bewailing the untimely "death of Prince Henry, fet forth to bee fung to the lute or "viol by John, Coprario, in 1613 ".' But he seems rather too

is to prove that English is capable of all the Roman measures. He gives a specimen of Lincentiate Iambickes in English, our present blank verse, p. 12. More of this hereafter. T. C. in our finging-pfalms, is affixed to pfalm 136. See above, p. 170. I believe he is the author of a Masque prefented on Saint Stephen's Night, 1604. late

1

late to have been our tranflator.

Nicholas Wyer the printer of this piece, not mentioned by Ames, perhaps the brother of Robert, was in vogue before or about the year 1570.

It is not at all improbable, that these old translations now entirely forgotten and obfolete, fuggefted these stories to Dryden's notice. To Dryden they were not more antient, than pieces are to us, written foon after the restoration of Charles the fecond and they were then of fufficient antiquity not to be too commonly known, and of such mediocrity, as not to preclude a new tranflation. I think we may trace Dryden in some of the rhymes and expreffions .

It must not be forgot, that Sachetti published tales before Boccace. But the publication of Boccace's DECAMERON gave a stability to this mode of compofition, which had existed in a rude state before the revival of letters in Italy. Boccace collected the common tales of his country, and procured others of Grecian origin from his friends and preceptors the Conftantinopolitan exiles, which he decorated with new circumftances, and delivered in the pureft ftyle. Some few perhaps are of his own invention. He was foon imitated, yet often unfuccefsfully, by many of his countrymen, Poggio, Bandello, the anonymous author of LE CIENTO NOVELLE ANTIKE, Cinthio, Firenzuola, Malespini, and others. Even Machiavel, who united the livelieft wit with the profoundest reflection, and who compofed two comedies while he was compiling a political history of his country, condefcended to adorn this fashionable fpecies of writing with his NOVELLA DI BELFEGOR, or the tale of Belphegor.

In Burton's MELANCHOLY, there is a curious account of the diverfions in which our ancestors paffed their winter-evenings. They were not totally inelegant or irrational, One of them was to read Boccace's novels aloud. "The ordinary recreations "which we haue in winter, are cardes, tables and dice, fhouel"board, cheffe-play, the philofopher's game, fmall trunkes, "balliardes, muficke, mafkes, finging, dancing, vle-games, "catches, purposes, questions: merry tales, of errant-knights, kings, queenes, louers, lords, ladies, giants, dwarfes, thieves, fayries, BOCCACE'S NOUELLES, and the reft *.'

The late ingenious and industrious editors of Shakespeare have revived an antient metrical paraphrafe, by Arthur Brooke, of Bandello's history of Romeo and Juliet. "THE TRAGICALL "HYSTORY OF ROMEUS AND JULIET: Contayning in it a "rare example of true Conftancie, with the fubtill Counfels "and practises of an old fryer and ther ill event. Imprinted at "London in Fleete-ftreete within Temple Barre at the figne of "the hand and ftarre by Richard Tottill the xix day of No"vember. Ann. Dom. 1562 f." It is evident from a coincidence of abfurdities and an identity of phrafeology, that this was Shakespeare's original, and not the meagre outline which appears in Painter. Among the copies delivered by Tottel the printer to the stationers of London, in 1582, is a booke called ROMEO AND JULETTA. But I believe there were two different translations in verfe. It must be remembered here, that the original writer of this ftory was Luigi da Porto, a gentleman of Verona, who died in 1529. His narrative appeared at Venice in 1535, under the title of LA GIULIETTA, and was foon afterwards adopted by Bandello. Shakespeare, mifled by the English

Christms games. See what is faid above of ULE, vol. ii. p. 315.

P. ii. §. 2. pag. 230. edit. fol. 1624. f Under which year is entered in the regifter of the Stationers, "Recevyd of "Mr. Tottle for his licenfe for pryntinge "of the Tragicall hiftory of the ROMEUS

AND JULIETT with Sonnettes." REGISTR. A. fol. 86. a. It is again entered in these Regifters to be printed, viz. Feb. 18, 1582, for Tottel. And Aug. 5, 1596, as a newe ballet, for Edward White. RE. GISTR. C. fol. 12. b. REGISTR, B. fol. 1

.193. a. See laft Note.

poem,