light, and spirited. The fault into which his master quality of elegance degenerates, is an affected length and tenuity of form, and this fault is often visible. His colouring, also, is too often subordinate to grace: he makes it low and moderate, thinking that strength and glare of light are inconsistent with elegance. He did not often tax his invention; for I have seen repetitions of his pictures, particularly of the marriage of St. Catharine, in every gallery in Italy. His women and children are generally as beautiful as those of Corregio. None of his faults appear in his Moses breaking the Tables, in the Madonna della Steccata, at Parma, or in the altar piece of Saint Marguerita, in Bologna. In the former, the grandeur of the conception, and the corectness of the drawing, leave nothing for the spectator to wish for; while the fine tone of the chiaroscuro is equal to any thing of Corregio; and such is the majestic grace of Moses, that I often heard the friends of Rafaello say, the spirit of Rafaello has transmigrated to Parmigiano. Scarcely inferior in merit to the Moses, are the Adam and the Sybils, which form part of the same composition. The altar pieces by Parmigiano are not numerous: but that which I have mentioned may be compared with advantage with the celebrated St. Cecilia of Rafaello.

He

Parmigiano died young. Fond as he was of his art, he sighed after quicker means of riches; and attached himself to the study of alchymy. He fell a victim to the demon of avarice. lost his money in the pursuit of imaginary gold; disappointment bred melancholy, he disregarded all the exterior decencies of life, and his neglected beard and hair gave him the look of a savage. The heat and the smells of the laboratory gradually ruined his constitution, and a fever closed his life at the early age of thirtysix, A. D. 1540. (33)

CHAPTER VIII.

FERRARA.

The D'Este Family as connected with Letters.

Visit to Ariosto. His Mother. Description of his House. His History as collected from his Conversation. Romantic Poetry of Italy. - The Primitive Productions of the Italian Epic. - The Orlando Innamorato. — The Orlando Furioso. - The Orlando Innamorato Reformato. Bentivoglio. Baasavola. Calvi. Leonicino. Giraldi. — Painting at Ferrara. - Visit to the Theatre. The Italian Drama.- History of the Stage in the Middle Ages.- Trissino's Tragedy. Tragedies of Rucellai and others.- Italian Comedy.