TORQUATO, a celebrated Italian poet, was born at Sorrento in the kingdom of Naples, in 1544. He was the son of Bernardo Tasso, and of Portia de Rossi, a lady of an illustrious family of Naples.

At three years of age Tasso was committed by his father to the care of Angeluzza, a man of great learning, who at this tender age, it is said, began to teach him grammar; at four he was sent to the Jesuits college, and at seven was well acquainted with Latin and Greek. At the age of 12 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 matter of Aristotle's Ethics. He was soon after sent to the university of Padua; and at 18, published his Rinaldo, a poem on the plan of Homer's Odyssey. This extended his fame through all Italy; but his father went to Padua, to remonstrate against his apparent purpose of giving himself up to philosophy and poetry, and made use of many harsh expressions, which Tasso heard with great patience. "Of what use is that philosophy on which you value yourself so much?" "It has enabled me (replied Tasso) to endure the hardships of your reproofs."

He soon after went to Bologna, by the invitation of the city and college; but in a short time he returned to Padua at the urgent desire of Scipio Gonzaga, who had been elected prince of the academy established in that city under the name of the Aetheri. 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; and being pressed to reside at Ferrara, he gave his consent. The duke of Ferrara gave him an apartment in his palace, where he lived in peace and affluence, and prosecuted his work, which he determined to dedicate to the duke, and which was published book by book, as he finished them.

At the age of 30 he finished his Jerusalem, and the whole was reprinted and published together, the success of which was astonishing. It was translated into Latin, French, Spanish, and even the oriental languages, almost as soon as it appeared. Soon after the publication of his Jerusalem he lost his father, who had been appointed governor of Ostia on the Po by the duke of Mantua; and a pretended friend to Tasso, belonging to Ferrara, to whom he had incautiously committed some transcriptions of a very delicate nature concerning his patron the duke, had the perfidy to betray him. This coming to the ears of the duke, he shut up Tasso in prison, from which, however, he found means to escape, after a year's confinement, and retired to Turin, being then about 34 years of age, and was recommended to the duke of Savoy, who showed him many marks of esteem and regard. Fearing, however, that he might be delivered up to the duke of Mantua, he secretly retired to Rome, and went directly to his friend Maurizio Cataneo, by whom he was received with great kindness, and his presence made the whole city rejoice. Here he endeavoured to make his peace with the duke, and was fortunate enough to succeed.

After this he lived at Mantua about a year, in great favour with the prince; but growing weary of a state of dependence, he resolved to go to Naples, and endeavour to recover his mother's jointure, which had been seized by her relations; but as this law suit had no appearance of being soon determined, he went from Naples to Rome, where he continued about a year, in high favour with Pope Sextus Quintus, and then went to Florence, at the earnest desire of Ferdinando, grand duke of Tuscany, who had been cardinal at Rome when Tasso first resided there.

Having spent another year at Florence, he returned to Naples, where he corrected his Jerusalem Delivered.

Cardinal Cynthio, who was a great patron of learning and genius, and knew Tasso when he first resided at Rome, prevailed with him once more to leave his retreat at Naples and live with him in that city, where he continued till he was 50, and then returned to Naples to prosecute his law suit, from which place, however, he was soon recalled; and being introduced to the pope, his holiness said, "that his merit would confer as much honour on the laurel he was about to receive, as the laurel had formerly conferred on others."

It happened that while they waited for fair weather, for the purpose of celebrating the solemnity of Tasso's coronation with laurel, that great poet took his last illness, and died on the 15th day of his sickness, aged 51. His poems have acquired him an immortal reputation, the chief of which are, 1. Jerusalem Delivered. 2. Jerusalem Conquered. 3. Rinaldo. 4. The Seven Days of the Creation. 5. The Tragedy of Torimond. 6. Aminta, &c. All his works were printed together at Florence in 1724, in 6 vols, folio, with the pieces for and against his Jerusalem Delivered.