sort of pendant ornament at the corners of a cushion or the like. In buildings, tassels denote those pieces of board that lie under the ends of the mantlet trees.

Tasso (Torquato), a justly celebrated Italian poet, was born at Sorrento in the kingdom of Naples, in 1544. He was the son of Bernardo Tasso, the author of several ingenious compositions both in verse and prose; and of Portia de Rossi, a lady of an illustrious family of Naples.

His father being obliged to accompany the prince of Salerno to the emperor Charles V., upon a deputation from Naples to remonstrate against erecting the inquisition there, committed the care of his son, then three years old, to Angeluzza, a man of great learning; who, we are told, at this tender age began to teach him grammar; at four he was sent to the Jesuit's college, and at seven was well acquainted with Latin and Greek. At 12 years of age he went from Rome to Mantua, where his father had entered into the service of the duke Guglielmo Gonzaga; he had then completed his knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages; he was well acquainted with rhetoric and poetry, and a master of Aristotle's ethics; he had also studied the precepts of Mauritio Cataneo with particular attention, and ever after reverenced him as a second father.

He was soon after sent to the university of Padua; and, in his 18th year, published his Rinaldo, a poem written upon the plan of Homer's Odyssey. This extended his reputation throughout all Italy; but greatly displeased his father, who foresaw that it would seduce him from studies of more advantage. He went to Padua, to remonstrate against his apparent purpose of giving himself up to philosophy and poetry, and made use of many very harsh expressions, which Tasso heard with a patience and tranquillity that made the old gentleman still more angry: "Of what use is that philosophy on which you value yourself so much?" "It has enabled me (replied Tasso) to endure the harshness of your reproaches."

He soon after went to Bologna, by the invitation of the city and college; but in a little time returned to Padua at the pressing instances of Scipio Gonzaga, who had been elected prince of the academy that had been established in that city by the name of the Accademia. He was incorporated into this society, and took upon himself the name of Penitio.

In this retreat he formed the design of his Jerusalem Delivered, invented the fable, disposed the parts, and determined to dedicate it to the house of Este; but whether to Alfonso II., the last duke of Ferrara, or his brother the cardinal Luigi, to whom he had already dedicated his Rinaldo, he was yet in doubt. Being pressed by both the brothers to reside with them at Ferrara, he consented. The duke duke gave him an apartment in his palace, where he lived in peace and affluence, and prosecuted his work; which he now determined to dedicate to the duke, and which was published by his patrons, book by book, as he finished them.

When he was about 27, he published a pastoral comedy called *Aminta*; which was received with universal applause, as a masterpiece in its kind, and is the original of the *Pastor Fido* and *Filii di Sciro*.

In the 30th year of his age he finished his *Jerusalem*, and the whole was reprinted and published together: the success of it was astonishing; it was translated into Latin, French, Spanish, and even the Oriental languages, almost as soon as it appeared.

But it was Tasso's fate to become wretched from the moment that he gained the summit of reputation: very soon after his *Jerusalem* was published, he lost his father, who died at Ostia upon the Po, the government of which place had been given him by the duke of Mantua; his *Jerusalem* was attacked by a swarm of ignorant but pelulant critics, who gave the preference to the rhapsodies of Pulci and Boyardo; and the perfidy of a friend drew upon him much greater misfortunes.

This friend was a gentleman of Ferrara, to whom Tasso had indiscreetly communicated some transactions of a very delicate nature concerning his patron the duke, with whom he lived. This secret being betrayed, Tasso reproached his friend for his treachery; and this reproach was retorted in such a manner as provoked Tasso to strike him. A challenge immediately ensued, and the opponents met and engaged; but during the encounter, three brothers of Tasso's antagonist came up, and all fell upon him together: Tasso defended himself so well, that he wounded two of them, and kept his ground against the others till some people came up and parted them. This made a great noise at Ferrara, where nothing was talked of but the valour of Tasso; and it became a kind of proverb, "That Tasso, with his pen and his sword, was superior to all men."

The duke being informed of the quarrel, banished the brothers from his dominions, confiscated their estates, and Tasso himself he shut up in prison, under pretence of securing him from any future attacks of his enemies.