The sunbeams on the neighbouring mountain beat, &c.
Stanza xx. line 1.
To feel the full force of many of Ariosto’s descriptions, the reader should have visited southern countries. I was first made sensible of the force and truth of the original of this stanza during a hot and lonely ride in Asia Minor, performed under some anxiety of mind as to its result; and I well remember that the chirp of the cicala, with which Ariosto finishes his description, was what appeared to me the most vexatious of all the accompaniments of my disagreeable journey.
Landward in vain her eyes the damsel bright
Directs, &c.
Stanza xxxvii. lines 1 and 2.
An ancient commentator tells us Ariosto is here indebted to Ovid’s picture of Europa carried off by the Bull; but he has copied from it few of his details. For some of these, however, he is indirectly indebted to the fable, having evidently borrowed a few touches of Poliziano, who has two stanzas on a group of Europa and the Bull, and as these, which were cited by Mr. Foscolo in his lectures as eminently beautiful, are little known in this country, I shall give them entire.
Ne l’ altra, in un formoso e bianco tauro
Si vede Giove per amor converso
Portarne il dolce suo ricco tesauro;
E lei volgere il viso al lito perso
In atto paventosa; e i be’ crin d’auro
Scherzar nel petto per lo vento avverso:
La veste ondeggia, e indietro fa ritorno.
L’ una’ man tien al dorso e l’ altra al corno.
