Tasso's Relation To His Age--Balbi On That Period--The Life Of
Bernardo Tasso--Torquato's Boyhood--Sorrento, Naples, Rome,
Urbino--His First Glimpse Of The Court--Student Life At Padua And
Bologna--The _Rinaldo_--Dialogues On Epic Poetry--Enters The
Service Of Cardinal D'este--The Court Of Ferrara--Alfonso Ii. And
The Princesses--Problem Of Tasso's Love--Goes To France With
Cardinal D'este--Enters The Service Of Duke Alfonso--The
_Aminta_--Tasso At Urbino--Return To Ferrara--Revision Of The
_Gerusalemme_--Jealousies At Court--Tasso's Sense Of His Own
Importance--Plans A Change From Ferrara To Florence--First Symptoms
Of Mental Disorder--Persecutions Of The Ferrarese Courtiers--Tasso
Confined As A Semi-Madman--Goes With Duke Alfonso To
Belriguardo--Flies In Disguise From Ferrara To Sorrento--Returns To
Court Life At Ferrara--Problem Of His Madness--Flies Again--Mantua,
Venice, Urbino, Turin--Returns Once More To Ferrara--Alfonso's
Third Marriage--Tasso's Discontent--Imprisoned For Seven Years In
The Madhouse Of S. Anna--Character Of Tasso--Character Of Duke
Alfonso--Nature Of The Poet's Malady--His Course Of Life In
Prison--Released At The Intercession Of Vincenzo Gonzaga--Goes To
Mantua--The _Torrismondo_--An Odyssey Of Nine Years--Death At Sant
Onofrio In Rome--Constantini's Sonnet.