The Dance of Death.

*S7

''Youth's Tragedy, by T. S." 1671 and 1707, 4to. in whichthe interlocutors are, Youth, the Devil, Wisdom, Time,Death, and the Soul. It is miserable stuff.

"La Historia della Morte," Trevigi, 1674, 4to. fourleaves only. It is a poem in octave stanzas. The author,wandering in a wood, is overwhelmed with tears in re-flecting on the approach of Death, and his omnipotentdominion over mankind. He is suddenly accosted by theking of terrors, who is thus described :—

Un ombra mi coperse prestamenteChe mi fece tremar in cotal sorte;Ell'era magra, e longa in sua figura,Che chi la vede perde gioco, e festa.Dente d'acciaio haveva in bocca oscura,Corna di ferro due sopra la testa,Ella mi fe tremar dalla paura, &c.

The work consists of a long dialogue between the parties.The author inquires of Death if he was born of father andmother. Death answers that he was created by JesusChrist, " che e signor giocondo," with the other angels;that after Adam's sin he was called Death. The authortells him that he seems rather to be a malignant spirit, andpresses for some further information. He is referred to theBible, and the account of David's destroying angel :—

Quando Roma per me fu tribulataGregorio videmi con suo occhio honestoCon una spada ch'era insanguinataAl castel de Sant Angelo chiamatoDa 1' hora in qua cosi fu appellate

This corresponds with the usual story, that during a plagueGregory saw an angel hovering over the castle, who, on thePope's looking up to him, immediately sheathed his flamingsword. More questions are then propounded by Death,particularly as to the use of his horns and teeth, and thecuriosity of the author is most condescendingly gratified.

Bishop Warburton and Mr. Malone have referred to oldMoralities, in which the fool escaping from the pursuit ofDeath is introduced. Ritson has denied the existence ofany such farces, and he is perhaps right with respect toprinted ones; but vestiges of such a drama were observedseveral years ago at the fair of Bristol by the present