Privately issued, the poem had a great success.

'In less than a year,' writes the author, 'more MS.

copies were in circulation than are usually sent forth from the press in ten years of the most famous works.' One professional scribe made 200 ducats in the course of a few months by reproducing it; and the price paid for each copy was eight crowns.

It became necessary to publish the _Secchia Rapita_.

But now arose innumerable difficulties.