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EVA.

Venti fremon per l'aria ;

Quanto fcende dal Cielo

Humor converfo in groffe palle, in gielo.

Laffi noi, che da l'alto
Diluviano tant'acque,
Che trabboccano i riui,
E'n fuperbiti i fiumi
Van le belue fugando,
E di bofchi, e di felue

Gli humidi pefci habitator si fanno.

ADAMO. Fuggiamo, ohimè fuggiamo

Dé monti à quelle cime

Où il Ciel fembra c'hoggi

Dal lungo fulminar ftanco s'appoggi.

The names of the perfons represented, are as fol

lows:

INTERLOCUTORI.

PADRE ETERNO.

CHORO di SERAFINI, CHERUBINI, & ANGELI.

ARCANGELO MICAELE.

ADAMO.

EVA.

CHERUBINO cuftode d'ADAMO.

LUCIFERO.

SATHAN,

BELZEBU.

1

.

BELZEBU.

GLI SETTE PECCATI MORTALI.

MONDO.

Carne.

FAME.

FATICA.

DISPERAZIONE.

MORTE.

VANAGLORIA.

SERPE.

VOLANO, meffaggiero infernale.

CHORO di FOLETTI.

CHORO di SPIRITI IGNEI, AEREI, ACQUATICI, & INFERNALI.

Since page 6 was written, it has been clearly proved, that the Palamon and Arcite of Chaucer, is taken from the Thefeida of Boccace; a poem which has been, till within a few years paft, ftrangely neglected and unknown; and of which Mr. Tyrwhitt has given a curious and exact fummary, in his dif. on the Canterbury Tales, vol: iv. p. 135. I cannot forbear expreffing my furprife, that the circumftance of Chaucer's borrowing this tale fhould have remained fo long unknown; when it is fo plainly and pofitively mentioned in a book fo very common as the Memoirs of Niceron; who says, t. 33. P. 44, after giving an abstract of the ftory of Palamon and Arcite, G. Chaucer, l'Homere de fon pays, a mis l'ouvrage de Boccace en vers Anglois. This book was published, 1736. He also mentions a French tranflation of the Theseida, publifhed at Paris M.D.CC. .1597, in 12mo. The late Mr. Stanley, who was as accurately killed in modern as in an

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cient Greek, for a long time was of opinion, that this poem, in modern political Greek verfes, was the original; in which opinion he was confirmed by the Abbé Barthelemy, at Paris, whofe learned correfpondence with Mr. Stanley on this fubject I have read. At last he candidly gave up this opinion, and was convinced that Boccace invented the tale. Crefcembini and Muratori have mentioned the Thefeida more than once. That very laborious and learned antiquary Apoftolo Zeno, fpeaks thus of it, in his notes to the Bibliotheca of Fontanini, p. 450. t.i. Questa opera paftorale (that is, the Ameto) che prende il nome dal paftore Ameto, ha data l'origine all Egloga Italiana, non fenza lode del Boccacio, cui pure la noftra lingua du il ritrovamento della ottava rima (which was first used in the Thefeida) e del poema eroico. Gravina does not mention this poem. Crefcembini gives this opinion of it, p. 118, t. 1. Nel medefimo fecolo del Petrarca, il Boccacio diede principio all' Epica, colla fua Tefeide, e col Filoftrato; ma nello stile non eccedè la mediocrità, anzi fovente cadde nell' umile. I must except out of the number of French writers, mentioned at the bottom of this page, William of Lorris, author of that beautiful old poem, Le Roman de la Rofe, who, Fauchet says, died 1260. The fashion that has lately obtained, in all the nations of Europe, of republishing and illuftrating their old poets, does honour to the good tafte and liberal curiosity of the prefent age. It is always pleafing, and indeed useful, to look back to the rude beginnings of any art, brought to a greater degree of elegance and grace.

Aurea nunc, olim fylveftribus horrida dumis. VIRG.

FINI S.

ERRATA.

Page 5. line 16. for this read bis.

6. 1. 17. after Chaucer, add except William de Loris. 19. 1. 4. for arms read limbs.

28. 1. 10. for refource read fource.

33.1. 19. for biftory and painting read bistory-painting.
36. dele the whole note at the bottom.

38. 1. 7. for andanto read andato. Line 12. per aver.

42. for κατασκομενος read κατασχόμενος,

1. 10. for on the Druids read bis other ade.

54. 1. 11. for beight read front.

93.1. 14. for held of read belong to.
94. 1. 11. for have read bas,

113. 1. 9. for nous read lears,

120. 1. 13. for bad read b

130. 1. 13. for diftruft read diflurb.

138. 1.3. for ακαμάτων read ακαματο, and for αρκος read αρχές» 140. 1. 18. after of gratitude, read of gratitude,

141. l. 12. for

ξίφεσι read

146. 1. 18. for bad read bas.

149. 1. 17. for our read own.

180. note. for 1747 read 1742.

181. 1. 12. for lettered read unlettered.

187. 1. 1. for evening read eve.

191. 1.

5. for boneur read bonneur. 195. 1. 16. for RIGHT read EIGHT. 431. note. for are found read is found. 459. note. 1. 4. for Orford read Oxford. 473. note. for quantity read number.

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