SHAKSPEARE ILLUSTRATED. THE NINTH NOVEL OF BANDELLO. VOLUME THE SECOND. MATTHEW BANDELLO, the author of the following beautiful tale, was born, towards the close of the fifteenth century, at Castleneuvo of Scrivia, in the Milanese, and was distinguished as a writer of novels. He entered into the society of Dominicans, in imitation of his uncle Vincenzo, who was general of that order, and resided for some time at the convent at Milan. He however shortly quitted it, and took up his residence at the palace of Pirro Gonzaga, lord of Gazzuolo, whose daughter, the fair Lucretia Gonzaga, he instructed in polite literature. During the war carried on in the Milanese by the French and Spaniards, between 1520 and 1525, he suffered in common with many others, lost all his books, and was brought into great hazard of his life, which he only preserved by taking flight in disguise. After wandering some time, and exposing himself to incessant dangers, he formed an intimacy with Cæsar Fregoso, whom he accompanied into France. In that country he lived many years; and in 1550 he was appointed, by Henry II, bishop of Agen. He, however, neglected his episcopal duties, and left the care of his see to the bishop of Grasse. The exact time of his death is not accurately known: he was living in 1561. The novels and tales which have chiefly made his name celebrated, were first printed in Lucca, 1554, in eight volumes, entitled Novels of Bandello. volume was afterwards printed at Lyons, in 1573. Another Bandello, in his writings, endeavoured to imitate the style of Boccacio, and is said to have written in a lively and agreeable A manner. The translation of his novels from their original language bears ample testimony of their value; and it is certain that Bandello, Boccacio, and Cinthio were the favourite Italian writers of Shakspeare. WHEN the Scaligers were lords of Verona, a fierce and bloody enmity subsisted between two noble families of that city, of greater dignity and riches than the rest : the name of the one was Montecchio, the other Capellet. This violent hatred was the cause of frequent bloody engagements between the relations and dependants of those two lords; and the numbers that were killed of both parties on these occasions, kept up and augmented the fury of their several descendants. Bartholomew Scaliger, then at the head of this republic, laboured with the utmost diligence to suppress these disorders; but all his cares could never wholly prevent them, so deeply was their hatred of each other rooted in their bosoms. Finding it impossible entirely to reconcile them, in order to put an end to the affronts which each party gave and received from the other, and which were always followed by the deaths of some amongst them, he commanded that the youngest of one faction should always give way to the eldest of the other, whenever they happened to meet, by which means many disorders were avoided. About this time Romeo, the younger heir of the Montecchio family, was violently enamoured of a lady in Verona, who, notwithstanding the extraordinary beauty and accomplishments he was possessed of, treated him with great disdain. Romeo, during two years, pursued the inexorable beauty, employing all the rhetoric of sighs, tears, presents, and entertainments, to move her heart; but all in vain. His friends, who saw him languish out his days in a hopeless passion, were greatly alarmed; but neither their remonstrances nor intreaties were able to effect his cure. One of his companions, who was dearer to him than the rest, greatly afflicted to behold him losing thus the vigour of youth in following a woman without hopes of obtaining her, often took occasion to blame his rance. perseve Romeo, said he one day to him, I love you as my brother; and it gives me great pain to see you thus consume away like snow melting in the sun; don't you see you waste your time and spend your fortune, without obtaining either honour or advantage? Your endeavours to win this woman are all ineffectual; the more you solicit her, the more rigid she becomes: certainly it is a great folly to attempt a thing which is not only difficult to do, but impossible; you may be convinced she neither cares for you, or any thing you can do to please her; perhaps she has some other lover, who is so dear to her, she would not quit him for an emperor. You are young, my dear Romeo; your person is more lovely than any youth's in this city; you are (let me speak it, since it is truth, to your face), you are generous, virtuous, and elegant; to these amiable qualities are added the more solid advantages of learning and wit you are the only son of one of the greatest and richest of our noblemen; does he restrain you in your expences? does he controul you in your pleasures? is |