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by corruption Burlescan, whence burlesque in English. We believe that the author is incorrect, for burlesque is regularly from burlesco in Italian, and by Johnson is derived from burlare, to joke, and has really for its root burla, a joke.Bernesco is indeed a species of burlesco, but only a species, which derives its name from Berni; it is not so coarse in its style, as ordi nary burlesque, but is more chastened, or, as the French say, soigné, These Italian words, ending in esco, agreeably to the idiom of the language signify after the manner of; thus pittoresco is, after the manner of a painter; grotesco, after the manner of a grotto; bernesco, after the manner of Berni; and burlesco, after the manner of a joke.

If

any authority were wanting to show the incorrectness of the author's opinion on this etymological curiosity, it might be derived from Baillet, who quotes Mr. Naudet as saying, Orlando de Berni recut l'approbation & les applaudissimens de ceux du Pays, de sorte qu'on a cru lui faire honneur de donner son nom à une des es* péces du genre Burlesque, qui est ⚫ en usage chéz les Italiens, qu'on -: appelte Berniesque á cause de lui.' The story of the work is as fol. lows: Orlando, having destroyed the enchanted gardens of Falerina, queen of Orgagna, and killed or enchained the monsters, which guarded it, proceeds with Falerina to release the prisoners, who had been confined in some of her distant dungeons. During this journey they came to a bridge, built over a deep, dark lake. On a meadow was built a large, strong tower, which was the residence of a bold, murderous robber, Arridano. He was the terrible agent of the fairy Morgana, and used to scize any illustrious persons who were Vol. III. No. 8. 3G

passing that way, strip them of their armour, and throw them into the lake, and after sinking to the bottom they became prisoners to Morgana. Falerina entreated Orlando not to encounter Arridano, who wore enchanted armour, and was assisted by the powerful fairy Morgana. Orlando, moved by her prayers and tears, hesitated to proceed, till he observed hanging on a cypress the arms of the renowned Rinaldo, who had been made a prisoner by the robber. He immediately advanced with impetuosity to the meadow. Falerina deserts him. He fights a most violent battle with Arridano, who at length seizes Orlando, and plunges with him into the lake. They arrive at the bottom of the lake, where was a most beautiful plain, and Arridano, attempting here to strip Orlando of his armour, whom he thought complete. ly conquered, was compelled to renew the battle, and is finally killed, after a long and terrible encounter.

Orlando, after a strange and adventurous journey through enchanted ground, came to a small bridge, beyond which extended a plain, enriched with all the treasures of Morgana. He endeavoured in vain to pass the bridge several times, and is prevented by its alternate destruction and renewal by its guardian figure in iron armour. Orlando finally swims to the other side, and after some interesting adventures proceeds towards the prison, where Morgana had confined Dudon, Rinaldo, Brandimarte, &c. and at length comes near a fountain;

There on the herbage green extended lay, Wrapp'd in soft slumber's folds th'enchanting Fay. Beyond a chrystal mound, Oriando observes his captive friends, whom he cannot approach; and is

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advised by a damsel to endeavour to obtain from Morgana the key of the gate, which alone admits an entrance into the enchanted garden. Orlando follows the advice, and approaches the fairy, who flies from the place, and Orlando pursues. A violent storm arises, but the hero continues the pursuit. He is met by the hag Repentance, who was decreed by fate to be his companion and tormentor; and while he flies after the fairy, this wild, haggard being follows and scourges him with a whip. Orlando, though in violent anger, is obliged to submit. He continues to chase Morgana, and at length catches and holds her by a golden lock of hair, and this was the signal of success. After some advice from the hag, who then leaves him, and a request from the fairy, he obtains the key of the prison garden, and hastens to release the knights. After a long journey, through the roads and scenes of enchantment, the captives, having obtained their armour, pursued their way in different directions.

After the long account we have given of the whole poem of Boiardo, and the analysis of the episode under review, we have hardly room for minute criticism. The poetry only extends to forty pages, and twenty-seven pages, in small print, are occupied in notes and additional notes, except the two last, which contain a small glossary... This most extraordinary fact is decisive evidence of the difficulty we have before stated, with regard to translations of selections, It covers this plan with insuperable difficulties, and seems fully to show the necessity of a translation, where the parts may be rendered intelligible by easy reference to other passages after the manner of Hoole. Of the versifi

Our author is sometimes as much at a loss for chiming words, as a ringer would be for a jingle, who had only. two bells and a small one in his steeple; thus, pages 14, 16, 17, 18, 21: Amidst th' innumerous gems a wondrous stone Far o'er the rest in dazzling lustre shoné. Form'd all of gold, and o'er them thickly strown Pearls, rubies, diamonds, intermingled shone. From whose proud top a bright translucent stone A carbuncle of wond'rous beauty shone.

At length to thought recurr'd the precious stone That like enkindled fire bright-blazing shore. And form'd a mirrour of transparent stone From whence the garden bright reflected shone.

Some of the rhymes are extremely defective. Since the days of Pope the ear has become so familiar to easy harmonious versification, that what was once offered as a luxury is now demanded as a right; as the tea of China, which was once a curiosity, is now become a necessary of life; yet inthis poem the ear is annoyed with "toil" rhyming with "mile"; " sped" is forced to associate with " freed," and "are" stubbornly yokes with " prefer." Surely these broken bells, thus jangling, might

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have been exchanged for the pleasant symphony, which Cowper heard undulating from the village. ... We have seldom found in any poetry two lines more harsh and heavy than the following. The author was not contented with ruggedness of alliteration, but in the last verse has added the "slow length" of a useless unbending Alexandrine:

Whose boughs at once the bursting bud unfold,

describes the battle between Orlando and Arridano :

He said, and huri'd on high the pond'rous

mace,

:

gold.

Towards the close of the work we meet with two lines, which have not more dignity and poetry, than the celebrated prose line of ten syllables in Boswell's Johnson :

• He laid his knife and fork across his plate. The lines are these, flat, mean, and monosyllabick:

In him is all my bliss, for him I sue,
Otake him not, or take me with him too.

וי.

We have pointed out a sufficiency of faults to gratify the acrimony of the critick, and more than a sufficiency for the kind friends of the "author; yet we might mention others, which deserve severe reprehension; bensio but though the reviewer might say with Tacitus, "Mihi Otho, Galba, Vitellius, nec beneficio nec injuriâ cogniti," yet we hear that the author, Mr. Alsop, is beloved and esteemed by his numerous friends, who know him well, which is high praise "as the world goes"; and we readily acknowledge that his ambition is laudable, and his undertaking arduous and uncommon. We are willing to bestow every commendation on great endeavours and suitable exertions, and we therefore with pleasure assure our readers, that the following extract is not the only one, which combines ease and strength, variety and musick. It

In vain he strikes, for still his wary foc, With dext'rous speed eludes the coming blow, Now foins, now feints, now shifts his ground, and

tries

Each varied stratagem that skill supplies.
Far else the robber fares his streaming blood
From three deep wounds effused a crimson flood;
At length the knight the glad advantage spy'd,
And drove his falchion through the caitiff's side,
Whose life-blood issuing with the fleeting breath,
Writhing he fell, extended pale in death.

This is vigorous and poetical, and we would not make a single deduction from the praise, did not our duty compel us to observe, that the translation of a battle between heroes cannot now deserve the highest commendation. The combats in Homer, Tasso, and Ariosto have been so excellently versified by Pope and Hoole, that their successors have little more to do, than to combine the various beauties of their words and sentences. We say nothing of Virgil, for though Dryden has injected into his version all the vigour, of which the battles in the Æneid were susceptible, yet in this part of epick grandeur, the Roman bard is evidently inferiour to the Grecian and Italian poets. We beg leave to entertain our readers with one more extract, which displays a storm, and to remark generally, that Mr. Alsop has succeeded better in translating passages, descriptive of the exertion of great power, than those, which paint the beauties of scenery and person:

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Who can control the passions or the winds? After all, l'erreur d'un moment is not irretrievable. You reproach

yourself too bitterly, my sweet friend, for your involuntary injustice to Leonor

domestick felicity, but at the same time a generosity and credulity, which occasion all her woes. La

dy Olivia had been an English woman, early in the friendship of Leonora. She had been married; but finding, soon after her nuptials, that her husband's heart was not in unison with her own," she left him and upon her arrival at Paris, where she resided some years, she unfortunately became enamoured of another man; but it being impossible to control the influence of French "love," "phi losophy," and "metaphysicks," which assailed her at once, she submitted, though "with great reluctance." Compelled some time

after her initiation to return to England, she sues to Leonora, on the strength of youthful friendship, for her countenance and protection against the voice of calumny, which had been raised against her in her absence; touched with the navration of her sorrows, Leonora vindicates her character, and receives her into her dwelling. Olivia, in return, abuses her confidence, violates her friendship, and seduces her husband, while at the same time she is intriguing with her ci-devant paramour, with whom she considers herself in a suspended connexion. She writes to her friend at Paris, madame de P, who is also a philosopher and a metaphysician, concerning her new "arrangement" with the husband of her friend in England. She expresses some reluctance on the score of gratitude," &c. which

tention to sacrifice your repose to Mr. L.; you loved him against your will; and you know it is by the intention that we must judge of actions; the positive harm done to the world in general is in all cases the only just measure of crim. inality. Now what harm is done to the universe, and what injury can accrue" to any individual, provided you keep your own counsel? As long as yourла friend is deceived, she is happy; it therefore becomes your duty, your virtue, to dissemble. I am no great casu- 11 ist, but all this appears to ine self-evident; and these I always thought were your principles of philosophy. I have drawn out my whole store of metaphy sieks for your advice. I flatter myself I have set your poor distracted head to rights. One word more, for I like to go to the bottom of a subject, when I can do it in two minutes. Virtue is desirable because it makes us happy; consequently to make ourselves happy is to be truly virtuous,

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