Taylor, Edgar [Hrsg.]; Austin, Sarah [Hrsg.]: Lays of the minnesingers or German troubadours of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries: Illustr. by specimens of the contemporary lyric poetry of Provence and other parts of Europe ; With histor. and crit. notes, and engravings from the ms. of the minnesingers in the king's library at Paris, and from other sources (London, 1825)

60 ITALY. "

appeared. Ciullo d'Alcamo, a Sicilian, at the end of
the 12th century, sings in no very despicable strain,
as quoted by M. Ginguene from Allacci's Poeti
Antichi—

Rosa fresca aulentissima

Capari in vcr 1' estate

Le domic te desiano

Pulcelle e raaritate,

Traheme deste focora

Se teste a bolontate,
Per te non aio abento nocte e dia
Pensando pur di voi, Madonna mia !

But Frederic II. himself was one of the earliest
Italian rimers, and thus commences a canzone in a
style remarkable neither for its purity nor poetic
fire:—

Poiche ti piace, amore
• Ch' eo deggia trovarc,

Faron de mia possanza

Ch' co venga a compimento.

Dato haggio lo meo core

In voi, Madonna, amare;

E tutta mia speranza

In vostro piacimento.

E no mi partiraggio

Da voi, donna valente;

Ch' eo v' amo dolcementc;
E piace a voi ch' eo haggia intcndimcnto;
Valimento mi date, donna fina;
Che lo meo core adesso a voi s' inchina.

With him we must place his learned but unfortu-
nate chancellor Petrus de Vineis, who uses a purer