Meanwhile he carefully studied the text of Homer and the Latin epics, examined Horace and Aristotle, and perused the numerous romances of the Italian school.

Two conclusions were drawn from this preliminary course of reading: first, that Italy as yet possessed no proper epic; Trissino's _Italia Liberata_ was too tiresome, the _Orlando Furioso_ too capricious; secondly, that the _spolia opima_ in this field of art would be achieved by him who should combine the classic and romantic manners in a single work, enriching the unity of the antique epic with the graces of modern romance, choosing a noble and serious subject, sustaining style at a sublime altitude, but gratifying the prevalent desire for beauty in variety by the introduction of attractive episodes and the ornaments of picturesque description.

Tasso, in fact, declared himself an eclectic; and the deep affinity he felt for Virgil, indicated the lines upon which the Latin language in its romantic or Italian stage of evolution might be made to yield a second Aeneid adapted to the requirements of modern taste.

He had, indeed, already set before himself the high ambition of supplying this desideratum.

The note of prelude had been struck in _Rinaldo_; the subject of the _Gerusalemme_ had been chosen.