amenities of the Renaissance. This sonnet of Tullia's is not mentioned in the notice of Ochino in the Dictionary of National Biography.'

Rubbi says that she was a poetess of great fame, but that her 'Meschino' is read by few. This statement is certainly correct.

It was in 1560 that Tullia's longest, if not her best work appeared. Few indeed are the readers of 'Il Meschino' now, yet it was put forth with great promise and much hope, as may be seen by its ample title-page:

Fatto in

Il Meschino, altramento detto il Guerrino. ottava rima dalla Signora Tullia d' Aragona. Opera nella quale si veggono et intendono le parte principali di tutto il mondo, et molte altre dillettevolissime cose, da esser sommamente care ad ogni sorte di persona di bello ingegno. Con Privilegio. In Venetia appresso Gio. Battista, et Melchior Sessa Fratelli, M.D.L.X. (4to 200 ff. or sigs. A to ССС).

The book is dedicated to Giulio della Valle, Gentiluomo Mantovano, by Claudio Riniero, who states that it came into his possession some years earlier, and was entirely in the handwriting of Tullia d'Aragona, who had at length consented that it should be made public. The dedication, which is in very laudatory terms, and refers to the praises bestowed upon this Mantuan house by Gerolamo Ruscelli, is dated August 3rd, 1560.

Tullia's own address to the reader is of greater interest. She is enthusiastic in praise of literaOf all human pleasures, reading is the best and most advantageous. Of other enjoyments,

ture.

some must be taken in conjunction with other persons, and therefore can only be had or continued at their will; some pall with use, some are attended by peril and inconvenience. "In reading we need only to be governed by our own will, alone, in company, little, much, without cost, without danger, without trouble, but with full satisfaction and contentment for ourselves." Reading, she considers, is even better for women than for men, and refers for the demonstration of this thesis to Boccaccio's introduction to the first day of the Decameron.' 6 But in writing the work he would have been wiser to choose one thing that he has avoided, and to have avoided one thing that he has chosen. He should have written in verse, which every one knows is pleasanter and easier to remember than prose; and he should have avoided those indelicate and licentious matters with which his book is filled. He spares no class, she exclaims, and is less reverent than thieves and robbers, who, as they call themselves Christians, make the sign of the cross when they hear the sacred name. As Boccaccio is held in such high esteem, is styled the "Tuscan Cicero," and is explained and annotated by such men as Dolce, Ruscelli, and "il mio Bembo," those who follow in his footsteps have imitated his licence as well as his style. Amongst the books named are Le Nanne,' Le Pippe,' Le Puttane Erranti,'* and a book which had caused great scandal in the city of

6

*La Puttana Errante' was written by Lorenzo Veniero, and is an attack on Angiola Zaffeta, whose name is linked with that of Aretino, and who is also the theme of Veniero's 'La Zaffeta.'

Siena.* Even great writers like Ariosto and Boiardo have not escaped the infection. In earlier years, Tullia declares, when she saw more of the world than now, from prudence, was the case, she had seen the bad results of licentious conversation, and still more of licentious books. The result is that not only nuns, maidens, widows, and married ladies, but even public women, do not care to have these books seen in their houses. It is not a new thing, Tullia declares, for a woman from necessity or from her evil fortune to fall into bodily sin; whilst it is equally displeasing for her, as for others, to be dishonest and corrupt in speech and in other matters. Tullia had therefore looked about to find a book that should be at once interesting and innocent. At length a beautiful book in the Spanish language came into her hands, which treated of so many and so varied matters that she doubted if there could be one more agreeable to be found in any language. And it is so pure, she says, that the most saintly man and the most innocent maiden can read it. Only one thing was needed to make it perfect, and to give it this full completeness Tullia turned the Spanish prose into Italian verse. She ends by thanking God that He has given her grace to turn to Him, and desires.

*This unnamed book is thus mentioned :—“ Quel libro che ha per certo offesa troppo altamente la maestà della gentillissima Città di Siena, il sapersi che egli fosse fatto da persone nate et nodrite in essa. I have not identified this work.

Her exact words are:

66

Non essendo però cosa nuova, che ad una donna per necessità, o per altra mala ventura sua, sia avvenuto di cader in errore del corpo suo, et tuttavia si disconvenga, non men forse a lei, che all' altre, l' esser disonesta, et sconcia nel parlare, et nell' altre cose."

that all others, both men and women, shall do the like, and she will do all that she can to that end.

What, then, is the story of Meschino ?-the story which Crescimbeni has compared to the 'Odyssey'! Charlemagne, having liberated the kingdom of Naples from the Moors, leaves there as governors Guicciardo and Milone. Milone, because of the beauty of Fenisia, a princess in Albauia, and in order to marry her, combats her brother Durazzo, whom he expels from that kingdom. The lady turns Christian, is married to Milone, and their son is Guerrino. But her brothers raise an insurrection, capture and imprison Milone and Fenisia, whilst the child is taken by its nurse, who enters a ship which is taken by Corsairs, and is sold in Constantinople. In the end the child is given to the Emperor, and receives the name of " Meschino," which may be translated "Poor." "Poor." He grows up brave and expert in all feats of arms. Alessandro, son of the Emperor, is taken prisoner by King Astiladoro, but Meschino goes to battle and captures his sons. The result is an agreement to decide the victory by a combat of fifty knights on each side. Meschino's valour wins the day, but in consequence of some insulting phrases used by the Princess Elisena, Meschino decides to seek out his own country and parentage. The imperial astrologers are satisfied that he is of noble birth, but announce that he can only gain the desired information from the Trees of the Sun and Moon at the far end of the world. Meschino sets out upon his wanderings, travels through Tartary, kills a giant, his giantess of a wife, and their four gigantic children, who all

have a taste for human flesh. He then liberates a French knight and an Armenian priest, and in company they have many adventures. They go to Armenia, and thence to the city of Media, where the young queen pays them much honour. For her sake they conquer her great enemy, King Calidocor, and then the lovely monarch rewards Branditio by becoming his wife. Leaving the French knight thus happily settled, Meschino goes forward to Solta, where the king wishes to give him his daughter in marriage; but the prospect does not please the wanderer, who is thereupon imprisoned. The girl comes to him in his cell, and when he is taken from prison he plights his troth to her on the sacred books of the Mahommedans; and, as he does not believe in them, holds that the vow is not binding. He abandons his wife, and being pursued by her father kills him. Then follow many wanderings in India, whose marvels are described, as well as the hero's adventures in freeing places from serpents, lions, and griffins. He reaches Tigliaffa, whose king sends an army with him to the Trees of the Sun. From these arboreal oracles he learns in a confused fashion some intelligence as to his birth. The demon of the Trees tells him that his real name is Guerrino, and that he is the son of a great baron of royal blood. Further information he must seek in the West. After more travels and adventures he reaches Mecca, where he is greatly honoured by the Sultan, and overcomes a nobleman who had called him a liar. A daughter of the King of Persepolis comes to ask the aid of the Sultan on behalf of her father against King Galismarte.