תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

66

and ingenious M. La Croze, as I am but just now informed from an entertaining little work, Hiftoire de la vie et des ouvrages de Monfieur La Croze, printed by M. Jordan at Amsterdam, in 1741. La Croze's words, which he dictated to a friend, are these. "Tous les ROMANS DE CHEVALERIE doivent leur origin á la BRETAGNE, et au pays de Galles [Wales] dont "notre Bretagne eft fortie. Le Roman D'AMADIS DE GAULE commençe par un Garinter roi de la PETITE BRETAGNE, de "la Poquenna Bretonne, et ce roi fut ayeul maternel d'Amadis. "Je ne dis rien ici de LANCELOT DU LAC, et de plufieurs au"tres qui font tous BRETONS. Je n'en excepte point le Roman "de PERCEFOREST, dont j'ai vu un tres-beau manuscrit en “velin dans la bibliotheque du roi de France. Il y a un fort "belle Preface fur l'origine de notre BRETAGNE ARMORIQUE. "Si ma fanté le comportoit, je m'étendrois davantage et je "pourrois fournir un Supplement affez amufant au Traitè du "docte M. Huet fur L'ORIGINE DES ROMANS "."

[ocr errors]

I know. not from what Italian fabler the little romance called the BANISHMENT OF CUPID, was taken. It is faid to have been tranflated out of Italian into English by Thomas Hedly, in 1587*. I conceive alfo "The fearfull fantyfes of "the Florentyne Cowper," to be a translation from the Italian.

Nor do I know with what propriety the romance of AURELIO AND ISABELLA, the scene of which is laid in Scotland, may be mentioned here. But it was printed in 1586, in one volume, in Italian, French, and English. And again, in Italian, Spanish,

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

French, and English, in 1588. I was informed by the late Mr. Collins of Chichester, that Shakespeare's TEMPEST, for which no origin is yet affigned, was formed on this favorite romance. But although this information has not proved true on examination, an useful conclufion may be drawn from it, that Shakespeare's story is fomewhere to be found in an Italian novel, at least that the story preceded Shakespeare. Mr. Collins had fearched this fubject with no lefs fidelity, than judgment and industry: but his memory failing in his laft calamitous indifpofition, he probably gave me the name of one novel for another. I remember he added a circumftance, which may lead to a discovery, that the principal character of the romance, answering to Shakefpeare's Profpero, was a chemical necromancer, who had bound à spirit like Ariel to obey his call and perform his fervices. It was a common pretence of the dealers in the occult sciences to have a demon at command. At least Aurelio, or Orelio, was probably one of the names of this romance, the production and multiplication of gold being the grand object of alchemy. Taken at large, the magical part of the TEMPEST is founded in that sort of philosophy which was practifed by John Dee and his affociates, and has been called the Roficrufian. The name Ariel came from the Talmudiftic myfteries with which the learned Jews had infected this fcience.

To this head must also be referred, the Collections which appeared before 1600, of tales drawn indiscriminately from French and Spanish, as well as Italian authors, all perhaps originally of Italian growth, and recommended by the general love of fable and fiction which now prevailed. I will mention a few. In point of felection and fize, cellany of this kind is Fenton's title is,

perhaps the moft capital mifbook of tragical novels.

The

"Certaine TRAGICALL DISCOURSES written oute of

have "L'HISTOIRE D'AURELIO ET ISA"BELLA en Italien et Françoife," printed at Lyons by G. Rouille, in 1555. 16mo. Annexed is LA DEIPHIRE, by the author

of the romance, as I apprehend, Leon-
Baptifta Alberti, in Italian and French.
Licenced to Aggas, Nov. 20, 1588.
REGISTR. B. fol. 237. 2.

"French

"French and Latin, by Geffraie Fenton, no leffe profitable "than pleasaunt, and of like neceffitye to al degrees that take "pleasure in antiquityes or forraine reportes. Mon beur viendra. "Imprinted at London in Flete-ftrete nere to fainct Dunftons "Churche by Thomas Marfhe. Anno Domini, 1567." This edition never was feen by Ames, nor was the book known to Tanner. The dedication is dated from his chamber at Paris, in 1567', to the Lady Mary Sydney, and contains many fenfible reflections on this of reading. He fays, He fays, "Neyther do I thynke "that oure Englishe recordes are hable to yelde at this daye a "ROMANT more delicat and chafte, treatynge of the veraye "theame and effectes of loue, than theis HYSTORIES, of no "leffe credit than fufficient authoritie, by reafon the mofte of theym were within the compaffe of memorye, &c." Among the recommendatory poems prefixed', there is one by George Turberville, who lavishes much praise on Fenton's curious fyle, which could frame this paffing-pleasant booke. He adds,

[ocr errors]

The learned stories erfte, and fugred tales that laye

Remoude from fimple common fence, this writer doth displaye: Nowe men of meanest skill, what BANDEL wrought may vew, And tell the tale in Englishe well, that erft they neuer knewe: Discourse of fundrye ftrange, and tragicall affaires,

Of louynge ladyes haples haps, theyr deathes, and deadly cares, &c.

Most of the stories are on Italian. fubjects, and many from Bandello, who was foon tranflated into French. The laft tale,

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

re

"bretherne, and moft vertuous and
"nowned ladye the counteffe of Hunting-
"ton your fyfter, &c.”

Sir John Conway, M. H. who writes in Latin, and Peter Beverley. The latter. wrote in verfe "The tragecall and plea "faunte hiftory of Ariodanto and Jeneu-. "ra daughter vnto the kynge of Scots," licenced to H. Weekes, 1565. REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 140. b. There is an edition dedicated from Staples-inn, for R. Watkins, 1600. 12mo.

the

the Penance of Don Diego on the Pyrenean mountains for the love of Genivera la blonde, containing fome metrical infcriptions, is in Don Quixote, and was verfified in the octave stanza apparently from Fenton's publication, by R. L. in 1596, at the end of a set of fonnets called DIELLA ".

Fenton was a tranflator of other books from the modern languages. He tranflated into English the twenty books of Guicciardin's History of Italy, which he dedicated to queen Elifabeth from his apartment near the Tower, the feventh day of January, 1578". The predominating love of narrative, more especially when the exploits of a favorite nation were the subject, rendered this book very popular; and it came recommended to the public by a title page which promised almost the entertainment of a romance, "The Hiftorie of Guiçcardin, containing the warres "of Italie, and other partes, continued for many yeares under fundry kings and princes, together with the variations of the "fame, Diuided into twenty bookes, &c. Reduced into Eng"lish by Geffrey Fenton. Mon heur viendra." It is probably to this book that Gabriel Harvey, Spenfer's Hobbinol, alludes, where he says, "Even Guiccardin's filuer Hiftorie, and "Ariofto's golden Cantos, growe out of request, and the coun"tefs of Pembrooke's Arcadia is not greene enough for queafie "stomaches but they must haue Greene's Arcadia, &c. Among his versions are alfo, the GOLDEN EPISTLES of Antonio de Guevara, the fecretary of Charles the fifth, and now a favorite author, addreffed to Anne countess of Oxford, from his chamber at the Dominican or black friars, the fourth of February, 1575'. I apprehend him to be the fame fir Jeffrey Fenton, who

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

is called "a privie counsellor in Ireland to the queen," in the BLAZON OF JEALOUSIE written in 1615', by R. T. the tranflator of Ariofto's Satires, in 1608. He died in 1608.

With Fenton's DISCOURSES may be mentioned alfo, " Foure "ftraunge lamentable tragicall hiftories translated out of Frenche "into Englishe by Robert Smythe," and published, as I apprehend, in 1577".

A work of a fimilar nature appeared in 1571, by Thoms Fortefcue. It is divided into four books, and called "The FOREST " or collection of Historyes no leffe profitable, than pleasant and "neceffary, doone out of Frenche into English by Thomas "Fortescue "." It is dedicated to John Fortefcue efquire, keeper of the wardrobe. The genius of these tales may be discerned from their history. The book is faid to have been written in Spanish, by Petro de Meffia, then tranflated into Italian, thence into French by Claude Cruget a citizen of Paris, and laftly from French into English by Fortescue. But many of the stories seem to have originally migrated from Italy into Spain *.

lowes groome of the Leafhe, 1574. 4to. Fen-
ton also tranflated into English, a Latin
DISPUTATION held at the Sorbonne, Lond.
1571. 4to. And, an Epiftle about obe-
dience to the paftors of the Flemish church
at Antwerp, from Antonio de Carro, Lond.
1570. 8vo. His Difcourfes on the civil
wars in France under Charles the ninth, in
1569, are entered with Harrison and Bi-
fhop. REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 191. a.
There was an Edward Fenton, who tran-
flated from various authors" Certaine fe-
"cretes and wonders of nature, &c." De-
dicated to lord Lumley, 1569. 4to. For
H. Binneman. See Fuller, WORTH. ii.
318. MSS. Afhmol. 816.

Lond. 1615. 4to. See fol. 60. 63.
For R. Jackfon.
Ware, 137. There is an old Art of
English Poetry by one Fenton.

Licenced to Hugh Jackfon, Jul. 30. REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 142. a. I have never seen a work by Tarleton the player, licenced to J. Charlewood, Feb. 5, VOL. III.

1577. "Tarleton's TRAGICALL TREA

66

TISES Conteyninge fundrie discourses and "pretie conceiptes both in profe and "verfe." Ibid. 145. a.

w Lond. 4to. Bl. Lett. A fecond edi tion was printed in 1576. For John Day, 4to. It is licenced with W. Jones in 1570, and with the authority of the bishop of London. REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 205. b. Again with Danter, Nov. 8, 1596. REGISTR. C. fol. 15. a. Similar to this is the "PARAGON of pleafaunt Hiftoryes, "or the this Nutt was new cracked, con"tayninge a difcourfe of a noble kynge "and his three fonnes," with Ponsonby, Jan. 20, 1595. Ibid. fol. 7. a.

* Among many others that might be mentioned I think is the romance or novel entitled, "A MARGARITE OF AMERICA. "By T. Lodge. Printed for John Bufbie, "&c. 1596." 4to. Bl. Lett. This piece has never yet been recited among Lodge's works. In the Dedication to Lady Ruffell, and Preface to the gentlemen readers, he 3 P fays,

« הקודםהמשך »