and the deserted fair, in a transport of grief and jealousy, throws herself out of a window of her father's palace.

(14) Astolpho, the son of Otho, King of Britain, already mentioned, and first cousin of Orlando, Rinaldo, and Malagigi. His character is preserved with tolerable consistency in most of the romances founded on Turpin's Chronicle: enthusiastically brave, and honest; but blunt in manner, somewhat pertinacious in opinion, and mightily given to the art of making prac tical bulls.

(15) Sansonetto, son of the Soldan of Mecca, had been converted to Christianity by Orlando in one of his Asiatic adventures, and thenceforward attached himself to the fortunes of the hero with undeviating constancy.

(16) Baldwin, only son of Ganellon, the most zealous of Orlando's friends and followers, who had just before been knighted by Charlemagne on account of the valour he displayed in the battle of Paris. His unfortunate history will be fully explained in the sequel.

(17) "At Fontarabia on the Gascon seas."] In the original romances it is at St. Jean Pied de Port that Charlemagne encamps to await the ratification of the

treaty at Roncesvalles. I have substituted Fontarabia for more than one reason: first, because it is hard to. conceive that, at so short a distance as the town of St. Jean, Charlemagne could have remained ignorant of the advance of 300,000 Moors to surprise the Paladins in Roncesvalles; secondly, because the name of Fontarabia is more poetical and more familiar; and because Milton tells us (although not consistently with the legendary Chronicle of Turpin, or with the history which forms the basis of this poem,) that

Charlemagne with all his peerage fell

By Fontarabia.

(18) "Avino, Avolio, e 'l gentil Berlinghieri,"— a verse that occurs in Pulci, Boyardo and Ariosto, as often as the rhyme or the metre requires it, like the

fortemque Gyan, fortemque Cloanthum.

The other Paladins here noticed are Matthew and Mark the brother lords of St. Michel, Richard of Normandy, Walter (Gualtieri) of Montleon, one Egibard (of whom I know nothing more than that he is constantly honoured with the appellation of " Il buon Duca Egibardo"), and the two Anjolins, of Bourdeaux and Bellande. I need not repeat that Turpin, the warlike archbishop, is the same with the pseudo-chronicler of Charlemagne and Roland.

Upon referring to the "Reali di Francia,” lib. v. c. 9.

I find Berlinghieri and Gualteri named as brothers, sons of a certain Amerigo di Verbona, who was himself grandson to the famous Buovo d'Antona, and of the race of Mongrana. The brothers lords of St. Michel, it seems, trace their descent also from the same stock, but through a different branch which takes its name from one Ricardo di Conturbia (Richard of Canterbury). A more diligent genealogist might, doubtless, trace some family connexion between all the Paladins here mentioned,

་་་་

Now to Montalban's raven haunted tower,
Genius of old romance! direct my way;
Where, erst, against the leagued imperial power
The sons of Aymon held rebellious sway (').
Then, proud Montalban, was thy courtly bower
Throng'd with the pomp of chivalrous array:
But now, since peace has seal'd the fatal strife
That arm'd a vassal 'gainst his sovereign's life,

For many a slow revolving year, no more
Thy walls have echoed any earthly sound ;
While, far from thee, to Asia's distant shore
Thy chiefs are gone, on wild adventure bound:
Now waves the rank grass from thy turrets hoar,
Erewhile with Aymon's feudal banner crown'd;
The sun, whose setting beams reflected shone
From buckler, casque and spear, now warms the
mouldering stone.

Yet not untenanted,-so fame reports

Among the credulous peasants of the plain,-
Though Silence in thy halls and spacious courts
Upholds her ancient solitary reign:"
But thither oft at midnight hour resorts
From central caves of earth a viewless train,
At Malagigi's potent spell, to wait

His bidding, and lay bare the womb of fate.

'Tis said, and, courteous hearers, if I seem
On fancy's wing to take too bold a flight,
The reverend Turpin vouches for my theme (2);
And who can doubt what reverend churchmen write?-
Oft from the banks of Seine's imperial stream,
Borne on the rapid coursers of the night,
The wise enchanter, in one little hour,

Would cleave the sky to gray Montalban's tower ;