Page:Amyntas, a tale of the woods; from the Italien of Torquato Tasso (IA amyntastaleofwoo00tass).pdf/11



1567, when Tasso was an aspiring young poet at the court of Ferrara, he was present at the representation of a pastoral drama, entitled Lo Sfortunato, the Unfortunate, which was written by Agostino degli Arienti, a gentleman of that city. To the sight of this drama, in which Verato, the Roscius of his time, was the principal actor, and which was performed with great splendour before princes and ladies, in the month of May, and perhaps in the Open air, is attributed, with great probability, the first conception of the Aminta. Tasso was passionately fond of glory: he had not long arrived in Ferraro, for the first time, in the