LETTERS

ON

CHIVALRY AND ROMANCE.

1

1

LETTERS

ON

CHIVALRY AND ROMANCE:

SERVING TO ILLUSTRATE SOME

PASSAGES IN THE THIRD DIALOGUE.

Guarda, che mal fato

O giovenil vaghezza non ti meni
Al magazino de le ciancie, ab fuggi,
Fuggi quell incantato alloggiamento.
Quivi habitan le maghe, che incantande
Fan traveder, e traudir ciascuno.

TASSO.

VOL. IV.

3

CONTENTS OF THE LETTERS.

Letter 1. THE Subject proposed.
II. Origin of Chivalry.

III. Characteristics of, accounted for.

IV. Heroic and Gothic manners, com-

pared.

v. Their differences, noted.

VI. Gothic manners more poetical, than

the Heroic.

VII. Their effect on SPENSER, MILTON,

SHAKESPEAR.

VIII. Fairy Queen criticized—the method

of that poem explained and justi-

fied.

IX. TASSO'S Gier. Lib. considered-his-

tory of the Italian poetry.

x. Fairy way of writing-vindicated.

XI. Gothic poetry, whence fallen into

disrepute.

XII. Steps of its decline, traced.