the spirit in which it is written could have been learnt. This can only be understood from a few specimens. Tne hermit, Count William, having knighted his young son, stops in the midst of a battle, and gives him a Moor of unusual stature, whom he had taken prisoner, that the boy may try his hand at killing him. This proves a long piece of butchery for the urchin ; when, however, he has at last accomplished it, the Count throws him upon the dead body, and rubs his face upon it, till his eyes and cheeks are covered with blood, and makes him dip his hands in the wounds, et cosi lo rincorò, incarnandolo nel sangue di quel Moro. An English knight, and a right brave one, having been overpowered by Tirante in a tournament, refuses to kneel down and beg his life, as the conqueror requires. "God forbid, (he says that I should ever do an act of such dishonour;..do with me as you think fit; I would rather die bravely than live with shame.' When Tirante heard this his evil resolution, he said, all knights who will follow arms, and perform the rules of arms for the sake of renown, ought to be cruel, and to have a seat in the midst of Hell;' and he took out his dagger, and placed the point of it upon one of the knight's eyes, holding it in one hand, and with the other hand he struck a great blow upon the head of the hilt of the dagger, so that he drove it through and through." The judges of the field were twelve in number, six of them had a book of the conquerors, and the other six had à book of the vanquished, and those who died without yielding were written down as martyrs of arms; but those who yielded and cried for mercy had their process made as bad knights, and were held in great dishonour and infamy. Tirante fights the Lord of Vill'Ermes, according to the terms of the combat, in his shirt, with a garland on his head, and a paper shield; the weapon * A combat as savage, and still more shocking in appearance is described in that most interesting work, the life of Scanderbeg, by Barletius. It is one of that extraordinary man's first exploits, and is thus related in the original latin. "Reverso Adrianopolim, quum fris sublatus esset hostis, domi non defuit; venerat namque ex Scythia quidam ferox magis et insunus, quam fortis beliator, qui fumiliam omnem Tyranni provocubat, si quis ferro secum veliet decernere. Genus vero certuminis id proposuerat, ut in ungusto loco nudi ambo relicti, singulis tantum gladiis fortunam erpe irentur. Ceperat tum stolidum consilium Barbarus, vel quod prodigus vite et sanguinis sui esset, vel ea fortasse inɑni spe, quod nullum tam ancipitem impendentis periculi sortem petiturum credebat, indeque et laudem eam se et præmia sine certamine laturum sperabat. Nam proposuerat non indigna quoque munera victori Amurathes, ut illorum saltem spe, excitaretur aliquis, quum nude tantum gli ie fructus segnius alliciat homines. Omnes tamen tum funestum decus, præmiaque eodem tenore aspernabantur. Sed surgens, stupentibus singulis, plenus animi Epirensis; non incruentus, inquit, Scytha, hac præmia laudemque domum feres, aut honoratior me occiso, et iis quoque spoliis onustior ibis. Agedum igitur, arcipe tamdiu quæsitum hostem. Licet accommodatius feris bestiis hoc crtuminis genus, sperni à fortibus viris, salvó pudore, et possit et debeat; verunsamen liceat semel et mihi hoc corpus contemnere, quippe is a Genoese knife, two palms in length, quum par membrorum et sanguinis servandi ratio tibi esse debuerit; sed nihil vilius est homini quarenti laudem. Donabo proinde hoc et ipse cruoris hodie Amurathi, sociisque. "Scytha nihil territus, ferocioribus adhuc verbis in, jicere pavorem ei conabatur, puerum appellans : adhuc enim in annis pubertatis erat, neque dum hispida prorsus la nugo grata ora exasperaverat. Tum deducti ad Tyrannum ingenti clamore vulgi sunt, et assignatus, ut petie at Barbarus, certamini locus, depositá ocius ambo veste ultimisque tunicis, nudi prosilientes in medium, novo genere spectaculi omnium oculos hausere. Et quamvis fiduciam ingentem vultu verbisque ostende et Castriotus, ingens tamen cura mixto dolore spectantium animos incessit: et simul atas simul pulchritudo ipse corporis, ac decor mem-. brorum subjectus oculis, multum et pietatis et favoris excitaverunt. Statura celsa proceraque, brachia in homine pulchrira non visa, collum robustum obstippumque, ut laudatur in athletis, humerorum mira latitudo, color. candidus, latente velut purpura suffusus; aspectus ocuforum non torvus, non vanus, sed gratissimus. Adjuva bant hæc multum cæteras virtutes, atque animi bona augere videbantur. Intrepidi acceptis brevibus gladiis, non enim ongiores loci angustia putiebatur, ingressi locum, ac ibi dimissi sunt maximo populi silentio. Non consilio ullo ibi, no multum animo, sed impigra quadam et veloci dextera agendum erat. Erecti ad ictus ambo, Scytha prior with a sharp point, and a double edge. The shirts were made a little longer than usual, but with sleeves which reached only to the elbow. But the most extraordinary single combat in which this hero engages is with a great dog. The dog attacks him, and runs away when Tirante alights and draws his sword to defend himself. "Seeing that thou art afraid of my arms, (said incubuit in hostem, et punctim intenso ferro ilia ejuš petiit. Scanderbegus toto maxime carpore inflexus, ac velut in arcum deductus, et lava simul apprehendens barbari dexteram, ictum inhibuit, et adacto casim gladio, guttur illi cum singulis arteriis impig e ahscidit." Bal butienti adhuc lingua, ille collapsus humi locum ferme kotum corporis mole complevit. Sublatus repente ab his qui spectaculo aderant, et accurrentes regii juvenem illasum invio atumque læti ad Amurathem perducunt. Caput casi hostis oruentis ipse manibus Tyranno alacer obtulit. Premia invitus accepit, quum non argenti aurive causa, sed domestici decoris tuendi, et reprimenda barbaricë arroganta, susceptum sibi id oneris diceret. De Vita et Gestis Scanderbegi. Apud |