Volume I Part 21 (1/2)

With what emotions must a young and ardent poet have listened to his own praises from a beautiful mouth, thus sweetly gifted! and it may be added, that Leonora's eloquence, and the influence she possessed over her brother, were ever employed in behalf of the deserving and unfortunate. The good people of Ferrara had such an exalted idea of her piety and benevolence, that when an earthquake caused a terrible innundation of the Po, and the destruction of the surrounding villages, they attributed the safety of their city entirely to her prayers and intercession.

Leonora then was not unworthy of her ill.u.s.trious conquest, either in person, heart, or mind. To be summoned daily into the presence of a Princess thus beautiful and amiable, to read aloud his verses to her, to hear his own praises from her lips, to bask in her approving smiles, to a.s.sociate with her in her retirement, to behold her in all the graceful simplicity of her familiar life,--was a dangerous situation for Ta.s.so, and surely not less so for Leonora herself. That she was aware of his admiration, and perfectly understood his sentiments, and that a mysterious intelligence existed between them, consistent with the utmost reverence on his part, and the most perfect delicacy and dignity on hers, is apparent from the meaning and tendency of innumerable pa.s.sages scattered through his minor poems--too significant in their application to be mistaken. Though that application be not avowed, and even disguised--the very disguise, when once detected, points to the object.

Leonora knew, as well as her lover, that a Princess ”was no love-mate for a bard.” She knew far better than her lover, until _he_ too had been taught by wretched experience, the haughty and implacable temper of her brother Alphonso, who never was known to brook an injury or forgive an offender. She must have remembered too well the twelve years'

imprisonment and the narrow escape from death, of her unfortunate mother for a less cause. She was of a timid and reserved nature, increased by the extreme delicacy of her const.i.tution. Her hand had frequently been sought by princes and n.o.bles, whom she had uniformly rejected, at the risk of displeasing her brother; and the eyes of a jealous court were upon her. Ta.s.so, on the other hand, was imprudent, hot-headed, fearless, ardently attached. For both their sakes, it was necessary for Leonora to be guarded and reserved, unless she would have made herself the fable of all Italy. And in what glowing verse has Ta.s.so described all the delicious pain of such a situation! now proud of his fetters, now execrating them in despair. In allusion to his ambitious pa.s.sion, he is Phaeton, Icarus, Tantalus, Ixion.

Se d' Icro leggesti c di Fetonte, &c.

But though presumption flung to ruin Icarus and Phaeton, did not the power of love bring even Dian down ”from her amazing height?”

E che non puote Amor, che con catena il ciel unisce?

Egli gi trae delle celeste rote Di terrana belt Diana accesa, E d'Ida il bel Fanciul[125] al' ciel rapisce.

This at least is _clearly_ significant, however poetical the allusions; but what a world of pa.s.sion and of meaning breathes through the Sonnet which he has ent.i.tled ”The constrained Silence,” (”_Il Silenzio Imposto._”)

”She is content that I should love her; yet, O what hard restraint of galling silence has she imposed!”

Vuol che l' ami costei; ma duro freno Mi pone ancor d' aspro silenzio; or quale Avr da lei, se non conosce il male O medecina, o refrigerio almeno?

Tacer ben posso, e tacer! ch' io toglia Sangue alle piaghe, e luce al vivo foco Non brami gi; questa e impossibil voglia Troppo spinse pungenti a dentro i colpi, E troppo ardore accolse in picciol loco: S' apparir, natura, e s n' incolpi.[126]

”Yes, I can, I will keep silence; but to command that the wound shall not bleed nor the fire burn, is to command impossibility. Too, too deep hath the blow been struck; too ardently glows the flame; and if betrayed, the fault is in nature--not in me!”

And again, what can be more exquisitely tender, more beautiful in its fervent simplicity of expression, than the effusion which follows? How miserably does an inadequate prose translation halt after the glowing poetry, the rhythmical music, the ”linked sweetness” of the original!

Io non cedo in amar, Donna gentile A' chi mostra di fuor l' interno affetto; Perch 'l mio si nasconda in mezzo 'l petto, N co' fior s' apra del mio nuovo Aprile, Co' vaghi sguardi, e col sembiante umile, Co' detti sparsi in variando aspetto Altri si veggia al vostro amor soggetto, E co' sospiri, e con leggiadro stile.

E quando gela il cielo, e quando infiamma, E quando parte il sole, e quando riede, Vi segua; come il can selvaggia damma.

Ch' io se nel cor vi cerco, altri noi vede, E sol mi vanto di nascosa fiamma, E sol mi glorio di secreta fede.[127]

”I yield not in love, O gentlest lady! to those who dare to show their love more openly, though I conceal it within the centre of my heart, nor suffer it to spread forth, like the other flowers of my spring. Let others boast themselves subjects of love for your sake, and slaves of your beauty, with admiring looks, with humble aspect, with sighs, with eloquent words, with lofty verse! whether the winter freeze or the summer burn,--at set of sun, and when he laughs again in heaven, let them still pursue you, as dogs the shy and timid deer. But I--O, I seek you in my own heart, where none else behold you! My hidden love be my only boast: my secret faith, my only glory!”

Without multiplying quotations, which would extend this sketch from pages into volumes, it is sufficient to trace through Ta.s.so's verses the little incidents which varied this romantic intercourse. The frequent indisposition of Leonora, her absence when she went to visit her brother, the Cardinal d'Este, at Tivoli, form the subjects of several beautiful little poems; as the Sonnets

Dianzi al vostro languir, &c.

Donna! poich fortuna empia mi nega Seguirvi, &c.

Al n.o.bil colle, ove in antichi marmi Di Greco mano opre famose ammira Vaga LEONORA il mio pensier mi gira.

Here he names her expressly; while in the little lament--

Lunge da voi, ben mio!

Non ho vita ne core! e non son io Non sono, oim! non sono Quel ch' altra volta fui, ma un Ombra mesta, Un lagrimevol suono, &c.

--the tone is too pa.s.sionate to allow of it. He finds her looking up one night at the stars; it is sufficient to inspire that beautiful little song,