Indian leisure : Petrarch, On the character of Othello, Agamemnon, the Henriad, anthology

Front matter

INDIAN LEISUEE. INDIAN LEISURE. PETRARCH. ON THE CHAEACTEE OF OTHELLO. AGAMEMNON. THE HENRIAD. ANTHOLOGY. RY CAPTAIN ROBERT GUTHRIE MACGREGOR, OF THE BENGAL RETIRED LIST. LONDON : SMITH, ELDER, AND CO., 65, COIINHILL. MDCCTUV. The announcement by an enterprising publisher of his in tention to produce shortly an English Petrarch in one of his very useful Libraries, is the immediate cause of the appearance of the present volume. Three years ago I printed a translation of the Odes, and I had by me ready for the press a version of the Sonnets of Petrarch. As I intended, some time or other, to publish these also, and did not wish to be forestalled from any other quarter, as the edition of the Odes was exhausted, I determined to print both together and at once. To these I have added some other pieces, putting them all under a common title, in some degree descriptive of the circumstances under which they were composed.

I have been much benefited by reading with Professor Pistrucci, of King's College, somewhat more than one-third of the Sonnets, and I have great pleasure in thus acknowledging the courtesy and intelligence of that gentleman. R. G. M. Page a comma ERRATA. 37, Sonnet 36, line 13, for " thine" read " yours." 37, , 48, 45, — 12, — "yours" read " thy." 77, 74, — 14, — " to none is known" read " is all unknown." 80, 80, — 10, after " deceit" a comma: line 13 after " Reason" and after " beat" a comma. 81, 82, in the heading, for " Orsin" read " Orsini." 83, 86, line 2, after " day" a comma. 131, 137, — 6, " Love" 136, 147, — 11, "light" 137, 149, — 7, for " fee" read " fere." 189, 226, — 5, dele comma after "spring," insert one after "die, 207, 20, — 3, after "chain" a comma. 222, 50, — 8, " grows" a full stop. 241, 67, — 6, " mourn" a comma. 243, 71, read the last line as follows: Would that as this my death such life were thine ! 244, 72, — 4, " forlorn" a comma. 378, last line but two, for " Troy" read " Ivry." 395, one, — " touch" " torch." 400, first line, for " Canmont" read " Caumont." 405, line 16, after " roar'd" dele comma, and insert a , 430, last line, after " enslave" a comma. 462, line 17, for " dwelt" read " dwell." 477, — 9, for " mutual" read " martial." 531, — 15, for "joy" read "joys." 544, " these" read " those." 545, — 16, at the end, a comma.

PETRARCH. I. He asks compassion for his state, and penitently confesses the vanity of his love. Ye in my devious rhymes who hear the sound Of those oft sighs, wherewith, in hot youth's first And fondest error, I my weak heart nurst, When I unlike what now I am was found ; My song, where plaints and reveries abound, As with vain grief, with hopes as vain now curst, Shall, if one heart there is in true love vers'd, Be with your pity, if not pardon, crown'd. For now full well I see how I became A fable to the world, and, late and long Myself have lower'd in mine own esteem ! Thus of my vanity the fruit is shame, Repentance, and a knowledge clear and strong That mortal joy is all a passing dream ! Strong against so many former wiles of love, he could not defend himself against this last assault.