representing　the　judgement　of　Paris。
  Not　till　then　was　the　second　half　of　the　fable　of　Amphitruo　performed；　　with　unmistakable　references　to　the　future　birth　of　a　Hercules　of　the　　House　of　Este。　At　a　former　representation　of　the　same　piece　in　the　　courtyard　of　the　palace　（1487）；　'a　paradise　with　stars　and　other　　wheels；'　was　constantly　burning；　by　which　is　probably　meant　an　　illumination　with　fireworks；　that；　no　doubt；　absorbed　most　of　the　　attention　of　the　spectators。　It　was　certainly　better　when　such　　performances　were　given　separately；　as　was　the　case　at　other　courts。　We　　shall　have　to　speak　of　the　entertainments　given　by　the　Cardinal　Pietro　　Riario；　by　the　Bentivogli　at　Bologna；　and　by　others；　when　we　come　to　　treat　of　the　festivals　in　general。
  This　scenic　magnificence；　now　become　universal；　had　a　disastrous　effect　　on　Italian　tragedy。　'In　Venice　formerly；'　writes　Francesco　Sansovino；　　about　1570；　'besides　comedies；　tragedies　by　ancient　and　modern　writers　　were　put　on　the　stage　with　great　pomp。　The　fame　of　the　scenic　　arrangements　_（apparati）　_brought　spectators　from　far　and　near。　　Nowadays；　performances　are　given　by　private　individuals　in　their　own　　houses；　and　the　custom　has　long　been　fixed　of　passing　the　carnival　in　　comedies　and　other　cheerful　entertainments。'　In　other　words；　scenic　　display　had　helped　to　kill　tragedy。
  The　various　starts　or　attempts　of　these　modern　tragedians；　among　which　　the　'Sofonisba'　of　Trissino　（1515）　was　the　most　celebrated；　belong　in　　the　history　of　literature。　The　same　may　be　said　of　genteel　comedy；　　modelled　on　Plautus　and　Terence。　Even　Ariosto　could　do　nothing　of　the　　first　order　in　this　style。　On　the　other　hand；　popular　prose…comedy；　as　　treated　by　Machiavelli；　Bibbiena；　and　Aretino；　might　have　had　a　future；　　if　its　matter　had　not　condemned　it　to　destruction。　This　was；　on　the　one　　hand；　licentious　to　the　last　degree；　and　on　the　other；　aimed　at　certain　　classes　in　society；　which；　after　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　century；　　ceased　to　afford　a　ground　for　public　attacks。　If　in　the　'Sofonisba'　the　　portrayal　of　character　gave　place　to　brilliant　declamation；　the　latter；　　with　its　half…sister；　caricature；　was　used　far　too　freely　in　comedy　　also。
  The　writing　of　tragedies　and　comedies；　and　the　practice　of　putting　both　　ancient　and　modern　plays　on　the　stage；　continued　without　intermission；　　but　they　served　only　as　occasions　for　display。　The　national　genius　　turned　elsewhere　for　living　interest。　When　the　opera　and　the　pastoral　　fable　came　up；　these　attempts　were　at　length　wholly　abandoned。
  One　form　of　comedy　only　was　and　remained　nationalthe　unwritten；　　improvised　'Commedia　dell'　Arte。'　It　was　of　no　great　service　in　the　　delineation　of　character；　since　the　masks　used　were　few　in　number　and　　familiar　to　everybody。　But　the　talent　of　the　nation　had　such　an　　affinity　for　this　style；　that　often　in　the　middle　of　written　comedies　　the　actors　would　throw　themselves　on　their　own　inspiration；　so　that　a　　new　mixed　form　of　comedy　came　into　existence　in　some　places。　The　plays　　given　in　Venice　by　Burchiello；　and　afterwards　by　the　company　of　　Armonio；　Val。　Zuccato；　Lod。　Dolce；　and　others；　were　perhaps　of　this　　character。　Of　Burchiello　we　know　expressly　that　he　used　to　heighten　the　　comic　effect　by　mixing　Greek　and　Slavonic　words　with　the　Venetian　　dialect。　A　complete　'Commedia　dell'　Arte；'　or　very　nearly　so；　was　　represented　by　Angelo　Beolco；　known　as　'Il　Ruzzante'　（1502…42）；　whose　　customary　masks　were　Paduan　peasants；　with　the　names　Menato；　Vezzo；　　Billora；　etc。　He　studied　their　dialect　when　spending　the　summer　at　the　　villa　of　his　patron　Luigi　Cornaro　（Aloysius　Cornelius）　at　Codevico。　　Gradually　all　the　famous　local　masks　made　their　appearance；　whose　　remains　still　delight　the　Italian　populace　in　our　day：　Pantalone；　the　　Doctor；　Brighella；　Pulcinella；　Arlecchino；　and　the　rest。　Most　of　them　　are　of　great　antiquity；　and　possibly　are　historically　connected　with　　the　masks　in　the　old　Roman　farces；　but　it　was　not　till　the　sixteenth　　century　that　several　of　them　were　combined　in　one　piece。　At　the　present　　time　this　is　less　often　the　case；　but　every　great　city　still　keeps　to　　its　local　maskNaples　to　the　Pulcinella；　Florence　to　the　Stentorello；　　Milan　to　its　often　so　admirable　Meneghino。
  This　is　indeed　scanty　compensation　for　a　people　which　possessed　the　　power；　perhaps　to　a　greater　degree　than　any　other；　to　reflect　and　　contemplate　its　own　highest　qualities　in　the　mirror　of　the　drama。　But　　this　power　was　destined　to　be　marred　for　centuries　by　hostile　forces；　　for　whose　predominance　the　Italians　were　only　in　part　responsible。　The　　universal　talent　for　dramatic　representation　could　not　indeed　be　　uprooted；　and　in　music　Italy　long　made　good　its　claim　to　supremacy　in　　Europe。　Those　who　can　find　in　this　world　of　sound　a　compensation　for　　the　drama；　to　which　all　future　was　denied；　have；　at　all　events；　no　　meagre　source　of　consolation。
  But　perhaps　we　can　find　in　epic　poetry　what　the　stage　fails　to　offer　　us。　Yet　the　chief　reproach　made　against　the　heroic　poetry　of　Italy　is　　precisely　on　the　score　of　the　insignificance　and　imperfect　　representation　of　its　characters。
  Other　merits　are　allowed　to　belong　to　it；　among　the　rest；　that　for　　three　centuries　it　has　been　actually　read　and　constantly　reprinted；　　while　nearly　the　whole　of　the　epic　poetry　of　other　nations　has　become　a　　mere　matter　of　literary　or　historical　curiosity。　Does　this　perhaps　lie　　in　the　taste　of　the　readers；　who　demand　something　different　from　what　　would　satisfy　a　northern　public？　Certainly；　without　the　power　of　　entering　to　some　degree　into　Italian　sentiment；　it　is　impossible　to　　appreciate　the　characteristic　excellence　of　these　poems；　and　many　　distinguished　men　declare　that　they　can　make　nothing　of　them。　And　in　　truth；　if　we　criticize　Pulci；　Boiardo；　Ariosto；　and　Berni　solely　with　　an　eye　to　their　thought　and　matter；　we　shall　fail　to　do　them　justice。　　They　are　artists　of　a　peculiar　kind；　who　write　for　a　people　which　is　　distinctly　and　eminently　artistic。
  The　mediaeval　legends　had　lived　on　after　the　gradual　extinction　of　the　　poetry　of　chivalry；　partly　in　the　form　of　rhyming　adaptations　and　　collections；　and　partly　of　novels　in　prose。　The　latter　was　the　case　in　　Italy　during　the　fourteenth　century；　but　the　newly…awakened　memories　of　　antiquity　were　rapidly　growing　up　to　a　gigantic　size；　and　soon　cast　　into　the　shade　all　the　fantastic　creations　of　the　Middle　Ages。　　Boccaccio；　for　example；　in　his　'Visione　Amorosa；'　names　among　the　　heroes　in　his　enchanted　palace　Tristram；　Arthur；　Galeotto；　and　others；　　but　briefly；　as　if　he　were　ashamed　to　speak　of　them；　and　following　　writers　either　do　not　name　them　at　all；　or　name　them　only　for　purposes　　of　ridicule。　But　the　people　kept　them　in　its　memory；　and　from　the　　people　they　passed　into　the　hands　of　the　poets　of　the　fifteenth　　century。　These　were　now　able　to　conceive　and　represent　their　subjects　　in　a　wholly　new　manner。　But　they　did　more。　They　introduced　into　it　a　　multitude　of　fresh　elements；　and　in　fact　recast　it　from　beginning　to　　end。　It　must　not　be　expected　of　them　that　they　should　treat　such　　subjects　with　the　respect　once　felt　for　them。　All　other　countries　must　　envy　them　the　advantage　of　having　a　popular　interest　of　this　kind　to　　appeal　to；　but　they　could　not　without　hypocrisy　treat　these　myths　with　　any　respect。
  Instead　of　this；　they　moved　with　victorious　freedom　in　the　new　field　　which　poetry　had　won。　What　they　chiefly　aimed　at　seems　to　have　been　　that　their　poems；　when　recited；　should　produce　the　most　harmonious　and　　exhilarating　effect。　These　works　indeed　gain　immensely　when　they　are　　repeated；　not　as　a　whole；　but　piecemeal；　and　with　a　slight　touch　of　　comedy　in　voice　and　gesture。　A　deeper　and　more　detailed　portrayal　of　　character　would　do　little　to　enhance　this　effect；　though　the　reader　may　　desire　it；　the　hearer；　who　sees　the　rhapsodist　standing　before　him；　and　　who　hears　only　one　piece　at　a　time；　does　not　think　about　it　at　all。　　With　respect　to　the　figures；　which　the　poet　found　ready　made　for　him；　　his　feeling　was　of　a　double　kind；　his　humanistic　culture　protested　　against　their　mediaeval　character；　and　their　combats　as　counterparts　of　　the　battles　and　tournaments　of　the　poet's　own　age　exercised　all　his　　knowledge　and　artistic　power；　while　at　the　same　time　they　called　forth　　all　the　highest　qualities　in　the　reciter。　Even　in　Pulci；　accordingly；　　we　find　no　parody；　strictly　speaking；　of　chivalry；　nearly　humour　of　his　　paladins　at　times　approaches　it。　By　their　side　stands　the　ideal　of　　pugnacitythe　droll　and　jovial　Morgantewho　masters　whole　armies　with　　his　bellclapper；　and　who　is　himself　thrown　into　relief　by　contrast　with　　the　grotesque　and　most　interesting　monster　Margutte。　Yet　Pulci　lays　no　　special　stress　on　these　two　rough　and　vigorous　characters；　and　his　　story；　long　after　they　had　disappeared　from　it；　maintains　its　singular　　course。　Boiardo　treats　his　characters　with　the　same　mastery；　using　them　　for　serious　or　comic　purposes　as　he　pleases；　he　has　his　fun　even　out　of　　supernatural　beings；　whom　he　sometimes　intentionally　depicts　as　louts。　　But　there　is　one　artistic　aim　which　he　pursues　as　earnestly　as　Pulci；　　namely；　the　lively　and　exact　description　of　all　that　goes　forward。　　Pulci