THE NURSE, A Poem

London: J. M. McCreery, For Cadell and Davies, 1800. Second Edition. Hardcover. Good. 16mo; 31, 89, 34 pages, full calf, extra-gilt spine, covers and spine very rubbed, marbled endpapers

Tansillo was a highly respected poet and sonnetteer by his contemporaries, and arguably a better lyrical poet than Petrarch himself. But, rather few of his writings appeared in his lifetime, and not a few of them were put on the Index Expurgatorius by Pope Pius IV. This text, LA BALIA, was translated from the Italian by William Roscoe, based in the iItalian edition edited by Giovanni Antonia Ranza: Ranza is credited with most of the "Notes" in the final section. Roscoe contributed an Introduction, a sonnet, and a closing poem, "Inscription". This bi-lingual edition has the texts on facing pages. The poem presents a good view of the customs and state of society at Italy in the 16th century. The handsome wood engravings: a title-page vignette, one before each canto, one at the head of the Inscription, and a small tailpiece afterwards, have by some been attributed to Thomas Bewick, but are more likely by Bewick's apprentice, Henry Hole. [ The Bewick Collector #197 - citing the 1804 3rd edition ].