The books to which the writer has been chiefly indebted are enumerated in a special bibliography. He is obliged to Mr. W. M. Rossetti and to Messrs. Ellis and Elvey for permission to use the exquisite translations from the _Dante and his Circle_ of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, cited in the early chapters of the book. The graceful versions from Boiardo and other poets contributed by Miss Ellen Clerke have not, with one exception, been previously printed. Where no acknowledgment of indebtedness is made, translations are by the author of the volume. RICHARD GARNETT. _December 1897._ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE BEGINNINGS OF ITALIAN LITERATURE 1 II. THE EARLY ITALIAN LYRIC 12 III. DANTE’S LIFE AND MINOR WRITINGS 24 IV. THE DIVINE COMEDY 40 V. PETRARCH AS MAN OF LETTERS 53 VI. PETRARCH AND LAURA 66 VII. BOCCACCIO 82 VIII. THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY 97 IX. THE POETICAL RENAISSANCE OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY 110 X. CHIVALRIC POETRY 126 XI. ARIOSTO AND HIS IMITATORS 140 XII. MACHIAVELLI AND GUICCIARDINI 156 XIII. OTHER PROSE-WRITERS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 170 XIV. THE PETRARCHISTS 185 XV. HUMOROUS POETRY--THE MOCK-HEROIC 201 XVI. THE NOVEL 212 XVII. THE DRAMA 223 XVIII. TASSO 237 XIX. THE PROSE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 256 XX. THE POETRY OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 272 XXI. THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 288 XXII. THE COMEDY OF MASKS--THE OPERA--DRAMA OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 305 XXIII. THE REVIVAL 327 XXIV. THE REGENERATION 352 XXV. THE NINETEENTH CENTURY--MIDDLE PERIOD 375 XXVI. CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE 394 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 419 INDEX 425 A HISTORY OF ITALIAN LITERATURE