Note 79 — Chapter XXXIII
Reading edition
It was first printed, I believe, at Naples, in 1602, but was improved in the edition at Valencia, 1609, 12mo, pp. 278, from which I transcribe the opening of Act III.:—
O primavera, juventud del año, Nueva madre de flores, De nuevas yervezillas y d’ amores, Tu buelves, mas contigo No buelven los serenos Y aventurosos dias de mis gustos; Tu buelves, sí, tu buelves, Mas contigo no torna Sino la remembrança Miserable y doliente De mi caro tesoro ya perdido. p. 94.
This passage is so nearly word for word, that it is not worth while to copy the Italian, and yet its fluency and ease are admirable.
There is a translation of the “Pastor Fido,” by a Jewess, Doña Isabel de Correa, of which I know only the third edition, that of Antwerp, 1694, 12mo. It is one of the few trophies in poetry claimed by the fair sex of its author’s faith; but it is not worthy of much praise. Ginguené complains of the original, which extends to seven thousand lines, for being too long. It is so; but this translation of Doña Isabel is much longer, containing, I think, above eleven thousand lines. Its worst fault, however, is its bad taste. There is a drama with the same title, “El Pastor Fido,” in the Comedias Escogidas, Tom. VIII., 1657, f. 106;—but, though it is said to be written by three poets no less famous than Solís, Coello, and Calderon, it has very little value.