“I perch upon an humbler promontory,
Amidst Life’s infinite variety;
With no great care for what is nicknamed Glory.”[256]
At the end of nearly every canto of the Morgante is a promise of continuation, so phrased as to seem conventional: e. g.,
“Come io diro ne l’altro mio cantare.”
The same custom became common with Byron, in such lines as,
“Let this fifth canto meet with due applause,
The sixth shall have a touch of the sublime.”[257]
There is, however, one important distinction between the two poets in their use of the digression: Pulci employs it for cursory comment on his story, or for chat about himself; Byron utilizes it not only for these purposes, but also for the expression of satire. It is in his digressions that he speaks out directly against individuals, institutions, and society in general. The Morgante is a tale, with an occasional remark by the author; Don Juan is a monologue, sustained by a narrative framework.
Pulci’s comparison of his poetry to a boat is introduced so frequently that it may possibly have suggested the figure to Byron. A typical instance of its usage may be quoted in the lines:—