A R I O S T O. 37 [D], which the duke of Ferrara was fo plcafcJ with, that he ercdtcd a magnificent ftapcin the hall of Ferrara, for fhc representation of th< in, and made the author fevcral con- iuierable prefents. At his defire, Ariollo tranflated the Mjcivjchmi of Plautus into Italian, which was exhibited with, freat fuccefs : all his other comedies were frequently a61ed by pcrfons of the hiheft quality; and when his Lena was firft reprcfented, Ferdinand of Efte, afterwards marquis of Mafia, fo far honoured the piece, as to fpealc the prologue. Ariofto ufcd to rend his verfes to his friends and the ladies of his acquaintance ; his manner of reading was excellent, fo that he thereby gave a peculiar grace to everything he pro- nounced [R], He was honoured with the laurel by the em- peror Charles V. in the year 1533. Arioflo was of an amorous difpofition, and left two natu- ral fons. He was affable, eafy, and condescending in his temper. He enjoyed the friendship of the moft eminent fcholars of his time, moll of whom he mentions with great rcfpedt in the laft canto of his Orlando Furiofo. His confti- tution was but weakly, fo that he was obliged to have recourfe to phyficiahs the greateft part of his life. He bore his laft iicknefs with great refolution and ferenity, and died at Fer- rara the 8th of July, 1533, according to fir John Harrington, Life of AH- ofto, p fpeak, the thought came into his head, to oblerve him with the utmoft atten- tion, in order that he might draw the reprcfentation after nature; fo that he only regarded his tone of voicrj and geftures, and exprelfions, without any concern to defend himfelf, [E] He is faid likewife to have been extremely vexed, if he heard his own writings repeated with an ill grace and accent. As he was parting one day by a potter's fliop, it happened that the: potter was finging a Aanza out or thr. Orlando Furiofo ; which he pnnounccd in fo bad a manner, that Aii'ifto, btring ion heard him with great attention, in an excefiive pfiion, with a little [D] They are intituled, i. " La Caf-
- c faria; in profe and verfe : printed
profe 2. " La Lena in in 1536. and verfe. ^. " Jl Negro'mante ;" in profe and verfe. 4. "Gli Suppofiti;" in profe and verfe. 5. " La Scholal-
- ' tica ;" in verfe.
Ltii'ovico Riccoboni, in his " Hif-
- ' toire dc Theatre Italian," gives a
very high character of thele comedies ; and we find in his book a very agreeable .t,)p. relating to Ariofio (p. 137;. His lather one day w?s in a violent paffion with him, and talked to him for a con- siderable time with vaft feveiity j the without 'making any anfwer, rnd tney parted without Ariofto's fpeak- ing one word to defend himfelf againfr. the reproaches which were made to him. "When hi? father was gone, Ariofto's brother a/ked him, what was the reafon that he did not fay any thing to his fa- ther in his own defence ? He replied, that he was then actually compolinga 'omedy, and had flopped inert at a Icene,
- n '.vhich an (,ld mm w.'s reprimanding
his Ln ; that wiitn his father Le^.ui i > ftick he had in his hand, broke feveral of the pots which flood expofed to laic. The potter expcftuhted with him in very fevere terms, for injuring a poor roan who had never done him the K-aft harm in his whole life ; " Yes," rtplu.i Ariofto, " 1 have not jet lufficien'lv " revenged myfelf upon you, tor tin- " inji:ry which you have done me to " my face." Sir John Harrii Life of Ariofto, p. ie . ,i.
