ing). The very characteristic Servian version (Wuk, No. 3) is better still, but the simplest of all is an African one in Kölle, p. 143. See further on.
XIII. 6. Good Times (Schmidt, 246). This has some affinity to the German story, Doctor Know-all, No. 98.
THE PENTAMERONE OF BASILE.
In the following century (the 17th) a collection of stories in the Neapolitan dialect appeared in Naples, by Giambattista Basile, which, in imitation of the Decamerone, was entitled Il Pentamerone. It is a book which is almost unknown in other countries, and was first brought into notice in Germany by Fernow.[1] The author, who by the transposition of the letters of his name, is also called Gian Alesio Abbatutis, lived in the beginning of the 17th century.[2] After he had spent his early youth in the island of Crete, he became acquainted with the Venetians, and was received into the Academia degli Stravaganti. He followed his sister Adriana, who was a celebrated singer, to Mantua, and entered the service of the Duke, whose favour he enjoyed. He travelled a great deal in Italy, and again went to Naples, where he must have died about the year 1637.
The first known edition of the Pentamerone, may, as it appeared in this very year, 1637, have been preceded by an earlier, which was entirely sold out. The number of editions through which the book has passed since then[3] is presumptive evidence of its
- ↑ Römische Studien, 3. 316, 317, 462, 475, 476, 536, 539. The various rare editions collected by Fernow, are now in the Grand-Ducal library at Weimar.
- ↑ Eustach. d'Afflitto, Memorie degli scrittori del regno di Napoli. Nap. 1794, 1. 68-72. According to Liebrecht 2. 322, his correct title was Giovanni Battista Basile, Knight, Count of Torrana and Pfalzgraf. Mazzuchelli says that his portrait is to be found in Le glorie degli incogniti, p. 209.
- ↑ According to Fernow and Galiani (Del dialetto napoletano, Nap. 1779), it was republished in Naples in 1645, 1674, 1714, 1722, 1728, 1788 (Collezione di tutti li poeti in lingua napoletana, T. 20 and 21), to which should be added one as yet unnoticed of the year 1749, which was in the possession of Cl. Brentano. Compare Bartol. Gamba's Delle novelle italiane, pp. 171-172, and Brunet's Manuel du libraire (Paris, 1842), 1. 260. According to Fernow, it appeared in Rome in 1679, and subsequently in Naples in 1754, complete in 12mo., with engravings after Brunet, and Ebert. Besides these editions there appeared an abridged, and in Liebrecht's opinion, very bad translation in ordinary Italian, Naples, 1769, 1794, and another in the Bolognese dialect, Bologna, 1742.
