the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第26节

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e　by　Petrarch　in　his　'Trionfo　della　Fama；'　and　Boccaccio　in　　the　'Amorosa　Visione；'　with　hundreds　of　names；　of　which　three…fourths　　at　least　belong　to　antiquity　and　the　rest　to　the　Middle　Ages。　By　and　by　　this　new　and　comparatively　modern　element　was　treated　with　greater　　emphasis；　the　historians　began　to　insert　descriptions　of　character；　and　　collections　arose　of　the　biographies　of　distinguished　contemporaries；　　like　those　of　Filippo　Villani；　Vespasiano　Fiorentino；　Bartolommeo　I　　Fazio；　and　lastly　of　Paolo　Giovio。

The　North　of　Europe；　until　Italian　influence　began　to　tell　upon　its　　writers　for　instance；　on　Trithemius；　the　first　German　who　wrote　the　　lives　of　famous　men…　…possessed　only　either　legends　of　the　saints；　or　　descriptions　of　princes　and　churchmen　partaking　largely　of　the　　character　of　legends　and　showing　no　traces　of　the　idea　of　fame；　that　　is；　of　distinction　won　by　a　man's　personal　efforts。　Poetical　glory　was　　still　confined　to　certain　classes　of　society；　and　the　names　of　northern　　artists　are　only　known　to　us　at　this　period　in　so　far　as　they　were　　members　of　certain　guilds　or　corporations。

The　poet…scholar　in　Italy　had；　as　we　have　already　said；　the　fullest　　consciousness　that　he　was　the　giver　of　fame　and　immortality；　or；　if　he　　chose；　of　oblivion。　Boccaccio　complains　of　a　fair　one　to　whom　he　had　　done　homage；　and　who　remained　hard…hearted　in　order　that　he　might　go　on　　praising　her　and　making　her　famous；　and　he　gives　her　a　hint　that　he　　will　try　the　effect　of　a　little　blame。　Sannazaro；　in　two　magnificent　　sonnets；　threatens　Alfonso　of　Naples　with　eternal　obscurity　on　account　　of　his　cowardly　flight　before　Charles　VIII。　Angelo　Poliziano　seriously　　exhorts　（1491）　King　John　of　Portugal　to　think　betimes　of　his　　immortality　in　reference　to　the　new　discoveries　in　Africa；　and　to　send　　him　materials　to　Florence；　there　to　be　put　into　shape　_（operosius　　excolenda）；　_otherwise　it　would　befall　him　as　it　had　befallen　all　the　　others　whose　deeds；　unsupported　by　the　help　of　the　learned；　'lie　hidden　　in　the　vast　heap　of　human　frailty。'　The　king；　or　his　humanistic　　chancellor；　agreed　to　this；　and　promised　that　at　least　the　Portuguese　　chronicles　of　African　affairs　should　be　translated　into　Italian；　and　　sent　to　Florence　to　be　done　into　Latin。　Whether　the　promise　was　kept　is　　not　known。　These　pretensions　are　by　no　means　so　groundless　as　they　may　　appear　at　first　sight；　for　the　form　in　which　events；　even　the　greatest；　　are　told　to　the　living　and　to　posterity　is　anything　but　a　matter　of　　indifference。　The　Italian　humanists；　with　their　mode　of　exposition　and　　their　Latin　style；　had　long　the　complete　control　of　the　reading　world　　of　Europe；　and　till　last　century　the　Italian　poets　were　more　widely　　known　and　studied　than　those　of　any　other　nation。　The　baptismal　name　of　　the　Florentine　Amerigo　Vespucci　was　given；　on　account　of　his　book　of　　travels；　to　a　new　quarter　of　the　globe；　and　if　Paolo　Giovio；　with　all　　his　superficiality　and　graceful　caprice；　promised　himself　immortality；　　his　expectation　has　not　altogether　been　disappointed。

Amid　all　these　preparations　outwardly　to　win　and　secure　fame；　the　　curtain　is　now　and　then　drawn　aside；　and　we　see　with　frightful　evidence　　a　boundless　ambition　and　thirst　after　greatness；　regardless　of　all　　means　and　consequences。　Thus；　in　the　preface　to　Machiavelli's　　Florentine　history；　in　which　he　blames　his　predecessors　Leonardo；　　Aretino　and　Poggio　for　their　too　considerate　reticence　with　regard　to　　the　political　parties　in　the　city：　'They　erred　greatly　and　showed　that　　they　understood　little　the　ambition　of　men　and　the　desire　to　perpetuate　　a　name。　How　many　who　could　distinguish　themselves　by　nothing　　praiseworthy；　strove　to　do　so　by　infamous　deeds！　'　Those　writers　did　　not　consider　that　actions　which　are　great　in　themselves；　as　is　the　case　　with　the　actions　of　rulers　and　of　States；　always　seem　to　bring　more　　glory　than　blame；　of　whatever　kind　they　are　and　whatever　the　result　of　　them　may　be。　In　more　than　one　remarkable　and　dreadful　undertaking　the　　motive　assigned　by　serious　writers　is　the　burning　desire　to　achieve　　something　great　and　memorable。　This　motive　is　not　a　mere　extreme　case　　of　ordinary　vanity；　but　something　demonic；　involving　a　surrender　of　the　　will；　the　use　of　any　means；　however　atrocious；　and　even　an　indifference　　to　success　itself。　In　this　sense；　for　example；　Machiavelli　conceives　　the　character　of　Stefano　Porcari；　of　the　murderers　of　Galeazzo　Maria　　Sforza　（1476）；　the　documents　tell　us　about　the　same；　and　the　　assassination　of　Duke　Alessandro　of　Florence　（1537）　is　ascribed　by　　Varchi　himself　to　the　thirst　for　fame　which　tormented　the　murderer　　Lorenzino　Medici。　Still　more　stress　is　laid　on　this　motive　by　Paolo　　Giovio。　Lorenzino；　according　to　him；　pilloried　by　a　pamphlet　of　Molza；　　broods　over　a　deed　whose　novelty　shall　make　his　disgrace　forgotten；　and　　ends　by　murdering　his　kinsman　and　prince。　These　are　characteristic　　features　of　this　age　of　overstrained　and　despairing　passions　and　　forces；　and　remind　us　of　the　burning　of　the　temple　of　Diana　at　Ephesus　　in　the　time　of　Philip　of　Macedon

Ridicule　and　Wit

The　corrective；　not　only　of　this　modern　desire　for　fame；　but　of　all　　highly　developed　individuality；　is　found　in　ridicule；　especially　when　　expressed　in　the　victorious　form　of　wit。　We　read　in　the　Middle　Ages　how　　hostile　armies；　princes；　and　nobles；　provoked　one　another　with　　symbolical　insult；　and　how　the　defeated　party　was　loaded　with　　symbolical　outrage。　Here　and　there；　too；　under　the　influence　of　　classical　literature；　wit　began　to　be　used　as　a　weapon　in　theological　　disputes；　and　the　poetry　of　Provence　produced　a　whole　class　of　　satirical　compositions。　Even　the　Minnesanger；　as　their　political　poems　　show；　could　adopt　this　tone　when　necessary。　But　wit　could　not　be　an　　independent　element　in　life　till　its　appropriate　victim；　the　developed　　individual　with　personal　pretensions；　had　appeared。　Its　weapons　were　　then　by　no　means　limited　to　the　tongue　and　the　pen；　but　included　tricks　　and　practical　jokes　　the　so…called　'burle'　and　'beffe'　which　form　a　　chief　subject　of　many　collections　of　novels。

The　'Hundred　Old　Novels；'　which　must　have　been　composed　about　the　end　　of　the　thirteenth　century；　have　as　yet　neither　wit；　the　fruit　of　　contrast；　nor　the　'burla；'　for　their　subject；　their　aim　is　merely　to　　give　simple　and　elegant　expression　to　wise　sayings　and　pretty　stories　　or　fables。　But　if　anything　proves　the　great　antiquity　of　the　　collection；　it　is　precisely　this　absence　of　satire。　For　with　the　　fourteenth　century　comes　Dante；　who；　in　the　utterance　of　scorn；　leaves　　all　other　poets　in　the　world　far　behind；　and　who；　if　only　on　account　of　　his　great　picture　of　the　deceivers；　must　be　called　the　chief　master　of　　colossal　comedy。　With　Petrarch　begin　the　collections　of　witty　sayings　　after　the　pattern　of　Plutarch　（Apophthegmata；　etc。）。

What　stores　of　wit　were　concentrated　in　Florence　during　this　century　is　　most　characteristically　shown　in　the　novels　of　Franco　Sacchetti。　These　　are；　for　the　most　part；　not　stories　but　answers；　given　under　certain　　circumstances　shocking　pieces　of　_naivete；_with　which　silly　folks；　　court　jesters；　rogues；　and　profligate　women　make　their　retort。　The　　comedy　of　the　tale　lies　in　the　startling　contrast　of　this　real　or　　assumed　naivete　with　conventional　morality　and　the　ordinary　relations　　of　the　worldthings　are　made　to　stand　on　their　heads。　All　means　of　　picturesque　representation　are　made　use　of；　including　the　introduction　　of　certain　North　Italian　dialects。　Often　the　place　of　wit　is　taken　by　　mere　insolence；　clumsy　trickery；　blasphemy；　and　obscenity；　one　or　two　　jokes　told　of　Condottieri　are　among　the　most　brutal　and　malicious　which　　are　recorded。　Many　of　the　'burle'　are　thoroughly　comic；　but　many　are　　only　real　or　supposed　evidence　of　personal　superiority；　of　triumph　over　　another。　How　much　people　were　willing　to　put　up　with；　how　often　the　　victim　was　satisfied　with　getting　the　laugh　on　his　side　by　a　　retaliatory　trick；　cannot　be　said；　there　was　much　heartless　and　　pointless　malice　mixed　up　with　it　all；　and　life　in　Florence　was　no　　doubt　often　made　unpleasant　enough　from　this　cause。　The　inventors　and　　retailers　of　jokes　soon　became　inevitable　figures；　and　among　them　there　　must　have　been　some　who　were　classical　far　superior　to　all　the　mere　　court…jesters；　to　whom　competition；　a　changing　public；　and　the　quick　　apprehension　of　the　audience；　all　advantages　of　life　in　Florence；　were　　wanting。　Some　Florentine　wits　went　starring　among　the　despotic　courts　　of　Lombardy　and　Romagna；　and　found　themselves　much　better　rewarded　than　　at　home；　where　their　talent　was　cheap　and　plentiful。　The　better　type　of　　these　people　is　the　amusing　man　（l'uomo　piacevole）；　the　worse　is　the　　buffoon　and　the　vulgar　parasite　who　presents　himself　at　weddings　and　　banquets　with　the　argument；　'If　I　am　not　invited；　the　fault　is　not　　mine。'　Now　and　then　the　latter　combine　to　pluck　a　young　spendthrift；　　but　in　general　they　are　treated　and　despised　as　parasites；　while　wits　　of　higher　position　bear　themselves　like　princes；　and　consider　their　　talent　as　something　sovereign。　Dolcibene；　whom　Charles　IV　had　　pronounced　to　be　the　'king　of　Italian　jesters；'　said　to　him　at　Ferrara：　　'You　will　conquer　th