*SIGISMONDA†

AND

GUISCARDO.

WHILE Norman Tancred in Salerno

reign'd,

The title of a gracious prince he gain'd;

This story was tranflated into Latin by one of the first reftorers of literature, and entitled, Libellus de Duobus Amantibus Guifcardo and Sigifmundâ, Tancredi Filiâ, in Latinum ex Boccatio convertit Leonardus Aretinus, 1475. Dryden fays he would not have tranflated the ftory of Sigifmunda if he had recollected the refemblance it bore to the argument of the Wife of Bath's tale, the preferring virtue to nobility of blood and titles. Surely he could not think this ludicrous tale of Chaucer equal to the striking and pathetic story of Sigifmunda.

Dr. J. WARTON.

+ The story of thefe lovers has often employed the pens of poets and narrators. Witnefs the following productions:

Efopi Fabelle translate è greco à Laurentio Vallenfi. Subnectitur Boccatii Hift. de Guiscardi et Sigifmondi Amore, à Leon. Aretino in latinum fermonem converfa an. 1438. f. 1. aut a. 4to.

Le Livre des deux Amans, Guifgard et Sigifmunde, fille de Tancredus; trad. du latin de Léonard Arétin en rime françoife, par Jehan Fleury, dit Floridus. Paris. f. d. 4to.

La piteufe et lamentable Hiftorie du vaillant et vertueux Chevalier Guifcard, et Gifmunde Princeffe de Salerne. Lyon, 1520 16mo.

Fabula Tancredi, ex Boccatio in Latinum verfa à Philippo

Till turn'd a tyrant in his latter days,
He loft the luftre of his former praise;

And, from the bright meridian where he stood
Defcending, dipp'd his hands in lovers' blood. 6
This prince, of Fortune's favour long poffefs'd,
Yet was with one fair daughter only blefs'd;

And blefs'd he might have been with her alone : But oh! how much more happy had he none ! She was his care, his hope, and his delight, 11 Moft in his thought, and ever in his fight: Next, nay beyond his life, he held her dear; She liv'd by him, and now he liv'd in her.

Beroaldo, in lib. intitul. De fide Concubinarum in fuos Pfaffos, 4to. f. 1. 1501. fign. G. 3.

See alfo Mémoires Hiftoriques fur la Maifon de Coucy, fur la véritable aventure de la Dame de Faiel, &c. Par M. De Bel loy, 8vo. Paris, 1770.

There is II Tancredi, Tragedia di Ridolfo Campeggi, 4to. Bologna, 1614. Sir Henry Wotton, as we are informed by Ifaac Walton, wrote a tragedy entitled Tancredo; but it does not appear to have been published. Thomfon, we know, has given us a tragical drama of Tancred and Sigifmunda; founded, however, not on the ftory, which is the theme of Dryden's fable, but on an interefting narrative in Gil Blas.

See alfo Certaine worthye manufcript Poems of great antiquitie, referved long in the Studie of a North folke Gentleman, and now first publifhed by J. S. containing, The Stately Tragedy of Guiftard and Sifmond; the Northern Mother's Bleffing, &c. 12mo. 1597. TODD.

Ver. 1. While Norman] Barretti, in his pofitive and dogmatical manner, has the affurance to attack the style of Boccacio, against the established opinion of all his countrymen, in his View of Italy, a book daringly full of weak juftifications of all the abfurdities of Popery. I wonder he did not applaud Sextus V. for the fpeech he made in defending the murder of Henry III. by Jaques Clement, a Dominican friar; which fpeech was printed at Paris in 1589, and there is a copy of it in Lord Somers's Tracts. Dr. J. WARTON.

For this, when ripe for marriage, he delay'd 15
Her nuptial bands, and kept her long a maid,
As envying any else should share a part
Of what was his, and claiming all her heart.
At length, as public decency requir'd,
And all his vaffals eagerly defir'd,

With mind averfe, he rather underwent
His people's will, than gave his own confent.
So was the torn, as from a lover's fide,

And made almoft in his despite a bride.

20

Short were her marriage joys; for, in the

prime
Of youth, her lord expir'd before his time;
And to her father's court in little space
Reftor'd anew, fhe held a higher place;
More lov'd, and more exalted into grace.

25

This princess, fresh and young, and fair and wife,

The worship'd idol of her father's eyes,

Did all her fex in every grace exceed,

And had more wit befide than women need.

Ver. 26.

30

her lord expir'd before his time;] Mallet, by the fame fimple expreffion, gives confiderable intereft to his narration of Margaret's death, in his celebrated ballad :

"But love had, like the canker-worm,
"Confum'd her early prime:

"The rofe grew pale, and left her cheek;
"She died before her time."

TODD.

Youth, health, and ease, and most an amorous mind,

To fecond nuptials had her thoughts inclin'd: And former joys had left a fecret fting behind.

But, prodigal in every other grant,

Her fire left unfupply'd her only want;

36

And he, betwixt her modefty and pride, Her wifhes, which the could not help, would hide.

40

45

Refolv'd at laft to lose no longer time, And yet to please herself without a crime, She caft her eyes around the court, to find A worthy fubject fuiting to her mind, To him in holy nuptials to be ty'd, A feeming widow, and a fecret bride. Among the train of courtiers, one fhe found With all the gifts of bounteous nature crown'd, Of gentle blood; but one whose niggard fate Had fet him far below her high estate; Guifcard his name was call'd, of blooming age, Now fquire to Tancred, and before his page: To him, the choice of all the fhining crowd, Her heart the noble Sigifmonda vow'd.

Yet hitherto she kept her love conceal'd, And with those graces every day beheld The graceful youth; and every day increas'd The raging fires that burn'd within her breaft;

50

55

Some fecret charm did all his acts attend,
And what his fortune wanted, hers could mend;
Till, as the fire will force its outward way, 61
Or, in the prifon pent, confume the prey;
So long her earneft eyes on his were fet,
At length their twisted rays together met;
And he, furpris'd with humble joy, survey'd 65
One sweet regard, fhot by the royal maid:
Not well affur'd, while doubtful hopes he
nurs'd,

70

A fecond glance came gliding like the first ;
And he, who faw the fharpness of the dart,
Without defence receiv'd it in his heart.
In public, though their paffion wanted speech,
Yet mutual looks interpreted for each;
Time, ways, and means of meeting were de-
ny'd;

But all those wants ingenious love fupply'd.
The inventive god, who never fails his part, 75
Infpires the wit, when once he warms the heart:
When Guifcard next was in the circle feen,
Where Sigifmonda held the place of queen,
A hollow cane within her hand fhe brought,
But in the concave had enclos'd a note;
With this the feem'd to play, and, as in sport,
Tofs'd to her love, in prefence of the court;
Take it, fhe faid; and when your needs require,
This little brand will ferve to light your fire.

80