Brought off the choicest, gave away the rest.
Stanza lxxviii. line 4.
It is hardly necessary to observe, that when Constantine transferred the seat of empire to Constantinople, the riches left by him formed the endowment of the Latin Church. Ariosto is here evidently indulging in one of his quiet sneers; for, though a catholic, he was no more a papist than Dante, who has recorded his sentiments in the famous
‘Ahi! Costantin di quanto mal fu madre
Non tua conversion, ma quella dote,
Che da te prese il primo ricco padre!'
‘Ah! Constantine, how bitterly we rue,
Not thy conversion, but that evil dower,
Which erst from thee the first rich father drew!’
Nor that country blest,
Which many tales for many praises note,
If thou wouldst thither wend, is too remote.
Stanza lxxviii. lines 6, 7, 8.
What particular country in this Eastern land of fable is designated, is at least not obvious; but the Italian commentators who write notes to say that Libya means Africa, &c. have thrown no light upon the passage.
Thou mighty Lion, &c.
Stanza lxxix. line 1.
Pope Leo X. This piece of bad taste, the characterizing men by their names or armoric symbols, seems to have originated in Dante. His can della scala transformed into a greyhound (veltro) is a notorious instance of this; which is a common sin in the ancient Italians.
