TASSO, TORQUATO, an Italian epic poet; born in Sorrento, Italy, March 11, 1544. He was early sent to the school of the Jesuits at Naples, and subse quently pursued his studies under his father's superintendence at Rome, Ber gamo, Urbino, Pessaro, and Venice. At the age of 16 he was sent to the Uni versity of Padua to study law, but at this time, to the surprise of his friends, he produced the "Rinaldo," an epic poem in 12 cantos. The reputation of this poem procured for Torquato an invita Lion to the University of Bologna, which he accepted. Here he displayed an ap titude for philosophy, and began to write his great poem of "Gierusalemme Liber ata" (Jerusalem Delivered). While en gaged on it he secured a patron in Car dinal Louis d'Este, to whom he had dedi cated his "Rinaldo." He was intro duced by the cardinal to the court of Alfonso II. of Ferrara. Here he re mained from 1565 to 1571, when he ac companied the cardinal on an embassy from the Pope to Charles IX. of France. Having quarreled with his patron, Tasso returned to Ferrara, and in 1573 brought out the "Aminta," a pastoral, which was represented at the court. In
1575 he completed his epic of "Gerusa lemme Liberata" (Jerusalem Deliv ered).
About this time he became a prey to morbid fancies, believed that he was persistently calumniated at court, and systematically misrepresented to the In quisition. In 1577 he stabbed a domestic of the Duchess of Urbino, was impris oned, but soon released. For some time afterward he acted in an irresponsible manner, and was finally by the duke's orders confined as a madman in the hos pital of St. Anne, Ferrara. Here he re mained from 1579 to 1586, till he was released at the solicitation of Vincent di Gonzaga. Broken in health and spirit, he retired to Mantua, and then to Na ples. Finally, in 1595 he proceeded to Rome at the request of the Pope, who de sired him to be crowned with laurel in the capitol, but the poet died on April 25, while the preparations for the cere mony were being made. Tasso wrote numerous poems, but his fame rests chiefly on his "Rime," or lyrical poems, his "Aminta," and his "Jerusalem Deliv ered."