ple, is the Chorus on the Golden Age which closes the fourth
act. Such, too, is the long description by Mirtillo of the kiss he stole
from Amarilli (act ii. sc. 1). The motive here is taken from _Rinaldo_
(canto v.), and the spirit from _Aminta_ (act i. sc. 2). Guarini's Satyr
is a studied picture from the sketch in Tasso's pastoral. The dialogue
between Silvio and Linco (act i. sc. 1) with its lyrical refrain:

Lascia, lascia le selve,
Folle garzon, lascia le fere, ed ama:

reproduces the dialogue between Silvia and Dafne (act i. sc. 1) with its
similar refrain:

Cangia, cangia consiglio,
Pazzarella che sei.

In all these instances Guarini works up Tasso's motives into more
elaborate forms. He expands the simple suggestions of his model; and
employs the artifices of rhetoric where Tasso yielded to inspiration.
One example will suffice to contrast the methods of the spontaneous and
the reflective poet. Tasso with divine impulse had exclaimed:

Odi quell'usignuolo,
Che va di ramo in ramo
Cantando: Io amo, io amo!

This, in Guarini's hands, becomes:

Quell'augellin, che canta
Si dolcemente, e lascivetto vola
Or dall'abete al faggio,
Ed or dal faggio al mirto,
S'avesse umano spirto,
Direbbe: Ardo d'amore, ardo d'amore.

Here a laborious effort of the constructive fancy has been substituted
for a single flash of sympathetic imagination. Tasso does not doubt that
the nightingale is pouring out her love in song. Guarini says that if
the bird had human soul, it would exclaim, _Ardo d'amore_. Tasso sees it
flying from branch to branch. Guarini teases our sense of mental vision
by particularizing pine and beech and myrtle. The same is true of
Linco's speech in general when compared with Dafne's on the ruling power
of love in earth and heaven.

Of imagination in the true sense of the term Guarini had none. Of
fancy, dwelling gracefully, ingeniously, suggestively, upon externals he
had plenty. The minute care with which he worked out each vein of
thought and spun each thread of sentiment, was that of the rhetorician
rather than the poet. Tasso had made Aminta say:

La semplicetta Silvia
Pietosa del mio male,
S'offri di dar aita
Alla finta ferita, ahi lassole fece
Piu cupa, e piu mortale
La mia piaga verace,
Quando le labbra sue
Giunse alle labbra mie.
Ne l'api d'alcun fiore
Colgan si dolce il sugo,
Come fa dolce i