See! Boccace sits, unfolding on his knees But from his mantle's fold, and near the heart, *Boccaccio claimed for himself the glory of having first introduced the works of Homer to his countrymen. Still in thy garden let me watch their pranks, I know few more striking or more interesting proofs of the And see in Dian's vest between the ranks overwhelming influence which the study of the Greek and Ro-Of the trim vines, some maid that half believes man classics exercised on the judgments, feelings, and imagi pations of the literati of Europe at the commencement of the The vestal fires, of which her lover grieves, restoration of literature, than the passage in the Filocopo of With that sly satyr peering through the leaves! Boccaccio: where the sage instructor, Racheo, as soon as the young prince and the beautiful girl Biancafiore had learned their letters, sets them to study the Holy Book, Ovid's Art of nato a conoscer le lettere, fece legere il santo libro d' Ovvidio, Leve. Incominciò Racheo a mettere il suo officio in essecu- nel quale il sommo poeta mostra, come i santi fuochi di Venere zione con intera sollecitudine. E loro, in breve tempo, inseg-si debbano ne freddi cuori occendere." 235 THE END OF COLERIDGE'S POETICAL WORKS. |