in
Literature
and Art.
321
tells us, that they are all fine gallants, and always in
girls.
Gentignlantex funt omnes irwudiantcs,
Er bella: garfasjkmper
love with the pfetty
He goes on to defcribe the fcholars as great quarrellers, as well as lovers
of the other fex, and after dwelling on their gaiety and love of the dance,
he proceeds to treat in the fame burlefque ityle on the fubject of dancing;
but I pafs over this to fpeak of Arena's principal piece, the fatirical
defcription of the invafion of Provence by the emperor Charles V. in
I536. This curious poem, which is entitled " Meygra Enterprifa Cato-
loqui imperatoris," and which extends to upwards of two thoufand lines,
opens with a laudatory addrefs to the king of France, Francois I., and
with a fneer at the pride of the emperor, who, believing himfelf to be
the matter of the whole world, had fooliihly thought to take away France
and the cities of Provence from their rightful monarch. It was Antonio
de Leyva, the boalter, who had put this project into the emperor's head,
and they had already pillaged and ravaged a good part of Provence, and
were dividing the plunder, when, haraffed continually by the peafantry,
the invaders were brought to a {land by the difficulty of fubfifting in a
devaitated country, and by the difeafes to which this difliculty gave rile.
Neverthelefs, the Spaniards and their allies committed terrible devafta-
tion, which is defcribed by Arena in Ptrong language. He commemorates
the valiant refiiiance of his native town of Soliers, which, however, was
taken and facked, and he loit in it his houfe and property. Arles held
the imperialilts at bay, while the French, under the coniiable Montmo-
rency, eiiablifhed themfelves firmly at Avignon. At length difeafe gained
poifeflion of Antonio de Leyva himfelf, and the emperor, who had been
making an unfuccefsful demonftration againti Marfeilles, came to him in
his ficknels. The firft lines of the defcription of this interview, will lerve
as a fpecimen of the language of the French macaronics
Fed dz Mnrfella brag-gnnti quando retornal,
For! male mntentus, gunnda npaffat cum,
Autnnium Lruam traba-uirjirte maladum,
Gui mar: tcrribilix rrwe nubile pnrat.
Ethira
J
