Bernardo, the father of Torquato Tasso, drew noble blood from both his parents.  The Tassi claimed to be a branch of that ancient Guelf house of Delia Torre, lords of Milan, who were all but extirpated by the Visconti in the fourteenth century.  A remnant established themselves in mountain strongholds between Bergamo and Como, and afterwards took rank among the more distinguished families of the former city.  Manso affirms that Bernardo’s mother was a daughter of those Venetian Cornari who gave a queen to Cyprus.[1] He was born at Venice in the year 1493; and, since he died in 1568, his life covered the whole period of national glory, humiliation, and attempted reconstruction which began with the invasion of Charles VIII. and ended with the closing of the Council of Trent.  Born in the pontificate of Alexander VI., he witnessed the reigns of Julius II., Leo X., Clement VII., Paul IV., Pius IV., and died in that of Pius V.

All the illustrious works of Italian art and letters were produced while he was moving in the society of princes and scholars.  He saw the Renaissance in its splendor and decline.  He watched the growth, progress, and final triumph of the Catholic Revival.  Having stated that the curve of his existence led upward from a Borgia and down to a Ghislieri Vicar of Christ, the merest tyro in Italian history knows what vicissitudes it spanned.

[Footnote 1:  This is doubtful.  Serrassi believed that Bernardo’s mother was also a Tasso.]

Though the Tassi were so noble, Bernardo owned no wealth.  He was left an orphan at an early age under the care of his uncle, Bishop of Recanati.  But in 1520 the poignard of an assassin cut short this guardian’s life; and, at the age of seventeen, he was thrown upon the world.  After studying at Padua, where he enjoyed the patronage of Bembo, and laid foundations for his future fame as poet, Bernardo entered the service of the Modenese Rangoni in the capacity of secretary.  Thus began the long career of servitude to princes, of which he frequently complained, but which only ended with his death.[2] The affairs of his first patrons took him to Paris at the time when a marriage was arranged between Renee of France and Ercole d’Este.  He obtained the post of secretary to this princess, and having taken leave of the Rangoni, he next established himself at Ferrara.  Only for three years, however; for in 1532 reasons of which we are ignorant, but which may have been connected with the heretical sympathies of Renee, induced him to resign his post.  Shortly after this date, we find him attached to the person of Ferrante Sanseverino, Prince of Salerno, one of the chief feudatories and quasi-independent vassals of the Crown of Naples.  In the quality of secretary he attended this patron through the campaign of Tunis in 1535, and accompanied him on all his diplomatic expeditions.

[Footnote 2:  He speaks in his letters of the difficulty ’di sottrarre il collo all difficile noioso arduo giogo della servitu dei Principi.’ Lettere Ined. Bologna, Romagnoli, p. 34.]