ARIOSTO, LUBOVICO ( 1474-1533 ).
One of the most celebrated of Italian poets, the author of the Orlando I'urioso, and, with Bo% ardo and Tasso, one of the trio who showed Italy bow the material of the old chivalric romances might be remodeled and endowed with classic form and epic dignity. He was born September S, 1474, at Reggio, where his father was then military governor. Like Petrareh and Boccaccio before him, he was destined by his father for the law, hut abandoned it after five years of half-hearted study. His father's early death transferred to Ariosto's shoulders the burden of a large family, with but a scanty inherit ance; and in 1503 he was glad of the chance offered him to enter the service of Ippolito, the c a rdinal d'Este, brother of the Duke of Fer rara. By this time he had already acquired a reputation for his verses, in both Latin and Ital ian; but his new position was far from favorable to poetic inspiration. The Cardinal, a rough, coarse-natured man,quite destitute of poetic feel ing, kept Ariosto actively employed upon diplo matic errands to Rome or upon distant embas sies, and on one occasion at least, sent him into active service against the Venetians. It was, however, during the ten years that Ari osto spent in his service that the Orlando I'uri oso was written, and it was published at Fer rara, 1516, in forty cantos. Ostensibly it was a continuation of Boiardo's Orlando In h411110 rato; practically, it was a glorification of the House of Este, having for its real hero Rug giero, the mythical founder of that House. In payment- for this rather obvious flattery, the Car dinal is said to have rewarded him with a golden chain and the query, "Where he had got that rubbish?" and the following year.having inenrred his patron's displeastare by a refusal to accom pany him to Hungary, Ariosto passed into the service of his brother, the Duke of Ferrara. The Duke, scarcely more munificent than the Car dinal, bestowed upon him the governorship of the wild mountain district of Garfagnana, over run with bandits, with all his endeavors, he could not succeed in reducing to order. He was finally recalled by the Duke in 1525, and spent his remaining years in Ferrara. nominally in his patron's service, but in reality enjoying what he prized most highly—afmndant leisure for prosecuting his studies, in the modest home which the Latin inscription over the door proud ly states was bought from his own savings. This house is still carefully preserved by the authori ties of Ferrara. He died in that city June 6,
1533, and was buried there in the Church of San Benedetto.
The manner in which tile Orlando Furioso is engrafted upon Boiardo's earlier poem has been aptly compared to the connection between the Iliad and the
The first edition of the Orlando Furioso, in its present dimensions of forty-six cantos, was pub lished at Ferrara, in 1832. Recent editions are those edited by Gioberti (Milan, 1870) and Ca sella (Florence, 1877), and an edition de luxe, with introduction by Carducei and illustrations by Dor6 (Milan, 1880). The latest edition of his lesser works, Opere minori in rcrso c in prosa, is that of Polidori (2 vols., Florence, 1856). The latest and most complete biography is by A. Cappelli, in his collection of Ariosto's Letters I587). Of translations, the fol lowing into English may he mentioned: by Sir John Ilanington ( London, 1591) ; John 1100le (London. 1783) and the much more spirited version of W. Stewart Rose ( London, 1823).