the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第25节

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of　Dante　to　keep　alive　　for　them　their　memory　and　fame　on　earth；　while　those　in　Purgatory　only　　entreat　his　prayers　and　those　of　others　for　their　deliverance。37　And　in　　a　famous　passage；　the　passion　for　fame'lo　gran　disio　dell'eccellenza'　　（the　great　desire　of　excelling）is　reproved　for　the　reason　that　　intellectual　glory　is　not　absolute；　but　relative　to　the　times；　and　may　　be　surpassed　and　eclipsed　by　greater　successors。

The　new　race　of　poet…scholars　which　arose　soon　after　Dante　quickly　made　　themselves　masters　of　this　fresh　tendency。　They　did　so　in　a　double　　sense；　being　themselves　the　most　acknowledged　celebrities　of　Italy；　and　　at　the　same　time；　as　poets　and　historians；　consciously　disposing　of　the　　reputation　of　others。　An　outward　symbol　of　this　sort　of　fame　was　the　　coronation　of　the　poets；　of　which　we　shall　speak　later　on。

A　contemporary　of　Dante；　Albertinus　Musattus　or　Mussatus；　crowned　poet　　at　Padua　by　the　bishop　and　rector；　enjoyed　a　fame　which　fell　little　　short　of　deification。　Every　Christmas　Day　the　doctors　and　students　of　　both　colleges　at　the　University　came　in　solemn　procession　before　his　　house　with　trumpets　and；　it　seems；　with　burning　tapers；　to　salute　him　　and　bring　him　presents。　His　reputation　lasted　till；　in　1318；　he　fell　　into　disgrace　with　the　ruling　tyrant　of　the　House　of　Carrara。

This　new　incense；　which　once　was　offered　only　to　saints　and　heroes；　was　　given　in　clouds　to　Petrarch；　who　persuaded　himself　in　his　later　years　　that　it　was　but　a　foolish　and　troublesome　thing。　His　letter　'To　　Posterity'　is　the　confession　of　an　old　and　famous　man；　who　is　forced　to　　gratify　the　public　curiosity。　He　admits　that　he　wishes　for　fame　in　the　　times　to　come；　but　would　rather　be　without　it　in　his　own　day。　In　his　　dialogue　on　fortune　and　misfortune；　the　interlocutor；　who　maintains　the　　futility　of　glory；　has　the　best　of　the　contest。　But；　at　the　same　time；　　Petrarch　is　pleased　that　the　autocrat　of　Byzantium　knows　him　as　well　by　　his　writings　as　Charles　IV　knows　him。　And　in　fact；　even　in　his　　lifetime；　his　fame　extended　far　beyond　Italy。　And　the　emotion　which　he　　felt　was　natural　when　his　friends；　on　the　occasion　of　a　visit　to　his　　native　Arezzo　（1350）；　took　him　to　the　house　where　he　was　born；　and　told　　him　how　the　city　had　provided　that　no　change　should　be　made　in　it。　In　　former　times　the　dwellings　of　certain　great　saints　were　preserved　and　　revered　in　this　way；　like　the　cell　of　St。　Thomas　Aquinas　in　the　　Dominican　convent　at　Naples；　and　the　Portincula　of　St。　Francis　near　　Assisi；　and　one　or　two　great　jurists　so　enjoyed　the　half…mythical　　reputation　which　led　to　this　honour。　Towards　the　close　of　the　　fourteenth　century　the　people　at　Bagnolo；　near　Florence；　called　an　old　　building　the　'Studio　of　Accursius'　（died　in　1260）；　but；　nevertheless；　　suffered　it　to　be　destroyed。　It　is　probable　that　the　great　incomes　and　　the　political　influence　which　some　jurists　obtained　as　consulting　　lawyers　made　a　lasting　impression　on　the　popular　imagination。

To　the　cult　of　the　birthplaces　of　famous　men　must　be　added　that　of　　their　graves；　and；　in　the　case　of　Petrarch；　of　the　spot　where　he　died。　　In　memory　of　him　Arqua　became　a　favorite　resort　of　the　Paduans；　and　was　　dotted　with　graceful　little　villas。　At　this　time　there　were　no　'classic　　spots'　in　Northern　Europe；　and　pilgrimages　were　only　made　to　pictures　　and　relics。　It　was　a　point　of　honour　for　the　different　cities　to　　possess　the　bones　of　their　own　and　foreign　celebrities；　and　it　is　most　　remarkable　how　seriously　the　Florentines；　even　in　the　fourteenth　　century　long　before　the　building　of　Santa　Crocelabored　to　make　　their　cathedral　a　Pantheon。　Accorso；　Dante；　Petrarch；　Boccaccio；　and　　the　jurist　Zanobi　della　Strada　were　to　have　had　magnificent　tombs　there　　erected　to　them。　Late　in　the　fifteenth　century；　Lorenzo　il　Magnifico　　applied　in　person　to　the　Spoletans；　asking　them　to　give　up　the　corpse　　of　the　painter　Fra　Filippo　Lippi　for　the　cathedral；　and　received　the　　answer　that　they　had　none　too　many　ornaments　to　the　city；　especially　in　　the　shape　of　distinguished　people；　for　which　reason　they　begged　him　to　　spare　them；　and；　in　fact；　he　had　to　be　content　with　erecting　a　　cenotaph。　And　even　Dante；　in　spite　of　all　the　applications　to　which　　Boccaccio　urged　the　Florentines　with　bitter　emphasis；　remained　sleeping　　tranquilly　in　San　Francesco　at　Ravenna；　'among　ancient　tombs　of　　emperors　and　vaults　of　saints；　in　more　honorable　company　than　thou；　O　　Florence；　couldst　offer　him。'　It　even　happened　that　a　man　once　took　　away　unpunished　the　lights　from　the　altar　on　which　the　crucifix　stood；　　and　set　there　by　the　grave；　with　the　words；　'Take　them；　thou　art　more　　worthy　of　them　than　He；　the　Crucified　One！　'　（Franco　Sacchetti；　Novella　　121。）

And　now　the　Italian　cities　began　again　to　remember　their　ancient　　citizens　and　inhabitants。　Naples；　perhaps；　had　never　forgotten　its　tomb　　of　Virgil；　since　a　kind　of　mythical　halo　had　become　attached　to　the　　name。

The　Paduans；　even　in　the　sixteenth　century；　firmly　believed　that　they　　possessed　not　only　the　genuine　bones　of　their　founder；　Antenor；　but　　also　those　of　the　historian　Livy。　'Sulmona；'　says　Boccaccio；　'bewails　　that　Ovid　lies　buried　far　away　in　exile；　and　Parma　rejoices　that　　Cassius　sleeps　within　its　walls。'　The　Mantuans　coined　a　medal　in　1257　　with　the　bust　of　Virgil；　and　raised　a　statue　to　represent　him。　In　a　fit　　of　aristocratic　insolence；　the　guardian　of　the　young　Gonzaga；　Carlo　　Malatesta；　caused　it　to　be　pulled　down　in　1392；　and　was　afterwards　　forced；　when　he　found　the　fame　of　the　old　poet　too　strong　for　him；　to　　set　it　up　again。　Even　then；　perhaps；　the　grotto；　a　couple　of　miles　from　　the　town；　where　Virgil　was　said　to　have　meditated；　was　shown　to　　strangers；　like　the　'Scuola　di　Virgilio'　at　Naples。　Como　claimed　both　　the　Plinys　for　its　own；　and　at　the　end　of　the　fifteenth　century　erected　　statues　in　their　honour；　sitting　under　graceful　baldachins　on　the　　facade　of　the　cathedral。

History　and　the　new　topography　were　now　careful　to　leave　no　local　　celebrity　unnoticed。　At　the　same　period　the　northern　chronicles　only　　here　and　there；　among　the　list　of　popes；　emperors；　earthquakes；　and　　comets；　put　in　the　remark；　that　at　such　a　time　this　or　that　famous　man　　'flourished。'　We　shall　elsewhere　have　to　show　how；　mainly　under　the　　influence　of　this　idea　of　fame；　an　admirable　biographical　literature　　was　developed。　We　must　here　limit　ourselves　to　the　local　patriotism　of　　the　topographers　who　recorded　the　claims　of　their　native　cities　to　　distinction。

In　the　Middle　Ages；　the　cities　were　proud　of　their　saints　and　of　the　　bones　and　relics　in　their　churches。　With　these　the　panegyrist　of　Padua　　in　1450；　Michele　Savonarola；　begins　his　list；　from　them　he　passes　to　　'the　famous　men　who　were　no　saints；　but　who；　by　their　great　intellect　　and　force　（virtus）　deserve　to　be　added　_（adnecti）　_to　the　saints'just　　as　in　classical　antiquity　the　distinguished　man　came　close　upon　the　　hero。　The　further　enumeration　is　most　characteristic　of　the　time。　First　　comes　Antenor；　the　brother　of　Priam；　who　founded　Padua　with　a　band　of　　Trojan　fugitives；　King　Dardanus；　who　defeated　Attila　in　the　Euganean　　hills；　followed　him　in　pursuit；　and　struck　him　dead　at　Rimini　with　a　　chessboard；　the　Emperor　Henry　IV；　who　built　the　cathedral；　a　King　　Marcus；　whose　head　was　preserved　in　Monselice；　then　a　couple　of　　cardinals　and　prelates　as　founders　of　colleges；　churches；　and　so　forth；　　the　famous　Augustinian　theologian；　Fra　Alberto；　a　string　of　　philosophers　beginning　with　Paolo　Veneto　and　the　celebrated　Pietro　of　　Abano；　the　jurist　Paolo　Padovano；　then　Livy　and　the　poets　Petrarch；　　Mussato；　Lovato。　If　there　is　any　want　of　military　celebrities　in　the　　list；　the　poet　consoles　himself　for　it　by　the　abundance　of　learned　men　　whom　he　has　to　show；　and　by　the　more　durable　character　of　intellectual　　glory；　while　the　fame　of　the　soldier　is　buried　with　his　body；　or；　if　it　　lasts；　owes　its　permanence　only　to　the　scholar。　It　is　nevertheless　　honorable　to　the　city　that　foreign　warriors　lie　buried　here　by　their　　own　wish；　like　Pietro　de'　Rossi　of　Parma；　Filippo　Arcelli　of　Piacenza；　　and　especially　Gattemelata　of　Narni　（d。　1443）；　whose　brazen　equestrian　　statue；　'like　a　Caesar　in　triumph；'　already　stood　by　the　church　of　the　　Santo。　The　author　then　names　a　crowd　of　jurists　and　physicians；　nobles　　'who　had　not　only；　like　so　many　others；　received；　but　deserved；　the　　honour　of　knighthood。'　Then　follows　a　list　of　famous　mechanicians；　　painters；　and　musicians；　and　in　conclusion　the　name　of　a　fencing…master　　Michele　Rosso；　who；　as　the　most　distinguished　man　in　his　profession；　　was　to　be　seen　painted　in　many　places。

By　the　side　of　these　local　temples　of　fame；　which　myth；　legend；　popular　　admiration；　and　literary　tradition　combined　to　create；　the　poet…　scholars　built　up　a　great　Pantheon　of　worldwide　celebrity。　They　made　　collections　of　famous　men　and　famous　women；　often　in　direct　imitation　　of　Cornelius　Nepos；　the　pseudo…Suetonius；　Valerius　Maximus；　Plutarch　　_（Mulierum　virtutes）；　_Jerome　_（De　viris　illustribus）；　_and　others：　or　　they　wrote　of　imaginary　triumphal　processions　and　Olympian　assemblies；　　as　was　done　by　Petrarch　in　his　'Trionfo　della　Fama；'　and　Boccaccio　in　　the　'Amorosa　Visione；'　with　hundreds　of