the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第32节
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braries by means of copies； and the rapid multiplication of translations from the Greek。
Had it not been for the enthusiasm of a few collectors of that age； who shrank from no effort or privation in their researches； we should certainly possess only a small part of the literature； especially that of the Greeks； which is now in our hands。 Pope Nicholas V； when only a simple monk； ran deeply into debt through buying manuscripts or having them copied。 Even then he made no secret of his passion for the two great interests of the Renaissance； books and buildings。 As Pope he kept his word。 Copyists wrote and spies searched for him through half the world。 Perotto received 500 ducats for the Latin translation of Polybius； Guarino； 1；000 gold florins for that of Strabo； and he would have been paid 500 more but for the death of the Pope。 Filelfo was to have received 10；000 gold florins for a metrical translation of Homer； and was only prevented by the Pope's death from coming from Milan to Rome。 Nicholas left a collection of 5；000 or； according to another way of calculating； of 6；000 volumes； for the use of the members of the Curia； which became the foundation of the library of the Vatican。 It was to be preserved in the palace itself； as its noblest ornament； the library of Ptolemy Philadelphus at Alexandria。 When the plague （1450） drove him and his court to Fabriano； whence then； as now； the best paper was procured； he took his translators and compilers with him； that he might run no risk of losing them。
The Florentine Niccolo Niccoli； a member of that accomplished circle of friends which surrounded the elder Cosimo de' Medici； spent his whole fortune in buying books。 At last； when his money was all gone； the Medici put their purse at his disposal for any sum which his purpose might require。 We owe to him the later books of Ammianus Marcellinus； the 'De Oratore' of Cicero； and other works； he persuaded Cosimo to buy the best manuscript of Pliny from a monastery at Lubeck。 With noble confidence he lent his books to those who asked for them； allowed all comers to study them in his own house； and was ready to converse with the students on what they had read。 His collection of 800 volumes； valued at 6；000 gold florins； passed after his death； through Cosimo's intervention； to the monastery of San Marco； on the condition that it should be accessible to the public。
Of the two great book…finders； Guarino and Poggio； the latter； on the occasion of the Council of Constance and acting partly as the agent of Niccoli； searched industriously among the abbeys of South Germany。 He there discovered six orations of Cicero； and the first complete Quintilian； that of St。 Gallen； now at Zurich； in thirty…two days he is said to have copied the whole of it in a beautiful handwriting。 He was able to make important additions to Silius Italicus； Manilius； Lucretius； Valerius Flaccus； Asconius Pedianus； Columella； Celsus； Aulus Gellius； Statius； and others； and with the help of Leonardo Aretino he unearthed the last twelve comedies of Plautus； as well as the Verrine orations。
The famous Greek； Cardinal Bessarion； in whom patriotism was mingled with a zeal for letters； collected； at a great sacrifice； 600 manuscripts of pagan and Christian authors。 He then looked round for some receptacle where they could safely lie until his unhappy country； if she ever regained her freedom； could reclaim her lost literature。 The Venetian government declared itself ready to erect a suitable building； and to this day the Biblioteca Marciana retains a part of these treasures。
The formation of the celebrated Medicean library has a history of its own； into which we cannot here enter。 The chief collector for Lorenzo il Magnifico was Johannes Lascaris。 It is well known that the collection； after the plundering in the year 1494； had to be recovered piecemeal by the Cardinal Giovanni Medici； afterwards Leo X。
The library of Urbino； now in the Vatican； was wholly the work of the great Federigo of Montefeltro。 As a boy he had begun to collect； in after years he kept thirty or forty 'scrittori' employed in various places； and spent in the course of time no less than 30；000 ducats on the collection。 It was systematically extended and completed； chiefly by the help of Vespasiano； and his account of it forms an ideal picture of a library of the Renaissance。 At Urbino there were catalogues of the libraries of the Vatican； of St。 Mark at Florence； of the Visconti at Pavia； and even of the library at Oxford。 It was noted with pride that in richness and completeness none could rival Urbino。 Theology and the Middle Ages were perhaps most fully represented。 There was a complete Thomas Aquinas； a complete Albertus Magnus； a complete Bonaventura。 The collection； however； was a many…sided one； and included every work on medicine which was then to be had。 Among the 'moderns' the great writers of the fourteenth centuryDante and Boccaccio； with their complete worksoccupied the first place。 Then followed twenty…five select humanists； invariably with both their Latin and Italian writings and with all their translations。 Among the Greek manuscripts the Fathers of the Church far outnumbered the rest； yet in the list of the classics we find all the works of Sophocles； all of Pindar； and all of Menander。 The last codex must have quickly disappeared from Urbino； else the philologists would have soon edited it。
We have； further； a good deal of information as to the way in which manuscripts and libraries were multiplied。 The purchase of an ancient manuscript； which contained a rare； or the only complete； or the only existing text of an old writer； was naturally a lucky accident of which we need take no further account。 Among the professional copyists those who understood Greek took the highest place； and it was they especially who bore the honorable name of 'scrittori。' Their number was always limited； and the pay they received very large。 The rest； simply called 'copisti；' were partly mere clerks who made their living by such work； partly schoolmasters and needy men of learning； who desired an addition to their income。 The copyists at Rome in the time of Nicholas V were mostly Germans or Frenchmen'barbarians' as the Italian humanists called them； probably men who were in search of favours at the papal court； and who kept themselves alive meanwhile by this means。 When Cosimo de' Medici was in a hurry to form a library for his favorite foundation； the Badia below Fiesole； he sent for Vespasiano； and received from him the advice to give up all thoughts of purchasing books； since those which were worth getting could not be had easily； but rather to make use of the copyists； whereupon Cosimo bargained to pay him so much a day； and Vespasiano； with forty…five writers under him； delivered 200 volumes in twenty…two months。 The catalogue of the works to be copied was sent to Cosimo by Nicholas V； who wrote it with his own hand。 Ecclesiastical literature and the books needed for the choral services naturally held the chief place in the list。
The handwriting was that beautiful modern Italian which was already in use in the preceding century； and which makes the sight of one of the books of that time a pleasure。 Pope Nicholas V； Poggio； Gianozzo Manetti； Niccolo Niccoli； and other distinguished scholars； themselves wrote a beautiful hand； and desired and tolerated none other。 The decorative adjuncts； even when miniatures formed no part of them； were full of taste； as may be seen especially in the Laurentian manuscripts； with the light and graceful scrolls which begin and end the lines。 The material used to write on； when the work was ordered by great or wealthy people； was always parchment； the binding； both in the Vatican and at Urbino； was a uniform crimson velvet with silver clasps。 Where there was so much care to show honour to the contents of a book by the beauty of its outward form； it is intelligible that the sudden appearance of printed books was greeted at first with anything but favour。 Federigo of Urbino 'would have been ashamed to own a printed book。'
But the weary copyistsnot those who lived by the trade； but the many who were forced to copy a book in order to have itrejoiced at the German invention。 It was soon applied in Italy to the multiplication first of the Latin and then of the Greek authors； and for a long period nowhere but in Italy； yet it spread with by no means the rapidity which might have been expected from the general enthusiasm for these works。 After a while the modern relation between author and publisher began to develop itself； and under Alexander VI； when it was no longer easy to destroy a book； as Cosimo could make Filelfo promise to do； the prohibitive censorship made its appearance。
The growth of textual criticism which accompanied the advancing study of languages and antiquity belongs as little to the subject of this book as the history of scholarship in general。 We are here occupied； not with the learning of the Italians in itself； but with the reproduction of antiquity in literature and life。 One word more on the studies themselves may still
