In  an  age  when  intellectual  darkness  enveloped
Western  Europe,  a  constellation  of  brilliant  writers
arose  in  Italy.  Of  these,  Pulci  (born  in  143 1),
Boiardo  (1434),  and  Ariosto  (1474)  took  for  their
subjects  the  romantic  fables  which  had  for  many  ages
been  transmitted  in  the  lays  of  bards  and  the  legends
of  monkish  chroniclers.  These  fables  they  arranged
in  order,  adorned  with  the  embellishments  of  fancy,
amplified  from  their  own  invention,  and  stamped  with
immortality.  It  may  safely  be  asserted  that  as  long
as  civilization  shall  endure  these  productions  will  re-
tain their  place  among  the  most  cherished  creations  of
human  genius.
In  two  previous  works,  ^'  The  Age  of  Fable  "  and
^^  The  Age  of  Chivalry,"  the  author  of  this  volume
has  endeavored  to  supply  to  the  modern  reader  such
knowledge  of  the  fables  of  classical  and  mediaeval  litera-
ture   as    is   needed  to  render   intelligible   the  allusions

(Hi)


iv  PREFACE.
which  occur  in  reading  and  conversation.  This  volume
is  intended  to  carry  out  the  same  design.  Like  its
predecessors,  it  aspires  to  a  higher  character  than  that
of  a  work  of  mere  amusement.  It  claims  to  be  useful,
in  acquainting  its  readers  with  the  subjects  of  the  works
of  the  great  poets  of  Italy.  Some  knowledge  of  these
is  expected  of  every  well-educated  young  person.
In  reading  these  romances,  we  cannot  fail  to  observe
how  the  primitive  inventions  have  been  used,  again  and
again,  by  successive  generations  of  fabulists.  The
Siren  of  Ulysses  is  the  prototype  of  the  Siren  of  Or-
lando, and  the  character  of  Circe  reappears  in  Alcina.
