the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第47节

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us　and　　Martial　in　his　flattery　of　Clement　VII　and　the　Farnesi；　gives　us　in　his　　elegy　to　his　'comrades；'　written　from　a　sick…bed；　thoughts　on　death　as　　beautiful　and　genuinely　antique　as　can　be　found　in　any　of　the　poets　of　　antiquity；　and　this　without　borrowing　anything　worth　speaking　of　from　　them。　The　spirit　and　range　of　Roman　elegy　were　best　understood　and　　reproduced　by　Sannazaro；　and　no　other　writer　of　his　time　offers　us　so　　varied　a　choice　of　good　poems　in　this　style　as　he。　We　shall　have　　occasion　now　and　then　to　speak　of　some　of　these　elegies　in　reference　to　　the　matter　they　treat　of。

The　Latin　epigram　finally　became　in　those　days　an　affair　of　serious　　importance；　since　a　few　clever　lines；　engraved　on　a　monument　or　quoted　　with　laughter　in　society；　could　lay　the　foundation　of　a　scholar's　　celebrity。　This　tendency　showed　itself　early　in　Italy。　When　it　was　　known　that　Guido　da　Polenta　wished　to　erect　a　monument　at　Dante's　　grave；　epitaphs　poured　in　from　all　directions；　'written　by　such　as　　wished　to　show　themselves；　or　to　honour　the　dead　poet；　or　to　win　the　　favour　of　Polenta。'　On　the　tomb　of　the　Archbishop　Giovanni　Visconti　（d。　　1354）；　in　the　Cathedral　at　Milan；　we　read　at　the　foot　of　thirty…six　　hexameters：　'Master　Gabrius　de　Zamoreis　of　Parma；　Doctor　of　Laws；　wrote　　these　verses。'　In　course　of　time；　chiefly　under　the　influence　of　　Martial；　and　partly　of　Catullus；　an　ex…　tensive　literature　of　this　sort　　was　formed。　It　was　held　the　greatest　of　all　triumphs；　if　an　epigram　was　　mistaken　for　a　genuine　copy　from　some　old　marble；　or　if　it　was　so　good　　that　all　Italy　learned　it　by　heart；　as　happened　in　the　case　of　some　of　　Bembo's。　When　the　Venetian　government　paid　Sannazaro　600　ducats　for　a　　eulogy　in　three　distichs；　no　one　thought　it　an　act　of　generous　　prodigality。　The　epigram　was　prized　for　what　it　was；　in　truth；　to　all　　the　educated　classes　of　that　agethe　concentrated　essence　of　fame。　　Nor；　on　the　other　hand；　was　any　man　then　so　powerful　as　to　be　above　the　　reach　of　a　satirical　epigram；　and　even　the　most　powerful　needed；　for　　every　inscription　which　they　set　before　the　public　eye；　the　aid　of　　careful　and　learned　scholars；　lest　some　blunder　or　other　should　qualify　　it　for　a　place　in　the　collections　of　ludicrous　epitaphs。　Epigraphy　and　　literary　epigrams　began　to　link　up；　the　former　was　based　on　a　most　　diligent　study　of　the　ancient　monuments。

The　city　of　epigrams　and　inscriptions　was；　above　all　others；　Rome。　In　　this　state　without　hereditary　honours；　each　man　had　to　look　after　his　　own　immortality；　and　at　the　same　time　found　the　epigram　an　effective　　weapon　against　competitors。　Pius　II　enumerates　with　satisfaction　the　　distichs　which　his　chief　poet　Campanus　wrote　on　any　event　of　his　　government　which　could　be　turned　to　poetical　account。　Under　the　　following　popes　satirical　epigrams　came　into　fashion；　and　reached；　in　　the　opposition　to　Alexander　VI　and　his　family；　the　highest　pitch　of　　defiant　invective。　Sannazaro；　it　is　true；　wrote　his　verses　in　a　place　　of　comparative　safety；　but　others　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　the　　court　ventured　on　the　most　reckless　attacks。　On　one　occasion　when　eight　　threatening　distichs　were　found　fastened　to　the　doors　of　the　library；　　Alexander　strengthened　his　guard　by　800　men；　we　can　imagine　what　he　　would　have　done　to　the　poet　if　he　had　caught　him。　Under　Leo　X；　Latin　　epigrams　were　like　daily　bread。　For　complimenting　or　for　reviling　the　　Pope；　for　punishing　enemies　and　victims；　named　or　unnamed；　for　real　or　　imaginary　subjects　of　wit；　malice；　grief；　or　contemplation；　no　form　was　　held　more　suitable。　On　the　famous　group　of　the　Virgin　with　Saint　Anne　　and　the　Child；　which　Andrea　Sansovino　carved　for　Sant'　Agostino；　no　　fewer　than　120　persons　wrote　Latin　verses；　not　so　much；　it　is　true；　　from　devotion；　as　from　regard　for　the　patron　who　ordered　the　work。　This　　man；　Johann　Goritz　of　Luxemburg；　papal　referendary　of　petitions；　not　　only　held　a　religious　service　on　the　feast　of　Saint　Anne；　but　gave　a　　great　literary　dinner　in　his　garden　on　the　slopes　of　the　Capitol。　It　　was　then　worth　while　to　pass　in；　review；　in　a　long　poem　'De　poetis　　urbanis；'　the　whole　crowd　of　singers　who　sought　their　fortune　at　the　　court　of　Leo。　This　was　done　by　Franciscus　Arsillusa　man　who　needed　　the　patronage　neither　of　pope　nor　prince；　and　who　dared　to　speak　his　　mind；　even　against　his　colleagues。　The　epigram　survived　the　pontificate　　of　Paul　III　only　in　a　few　rare　echoes；　while　epigraphy　continued　to　　flourish　till　the　seventeenth　century；　when　it　perished　finally　of　　bombast。

In　Venice；　also；　this　form　of　poetry　had　a　history　of　its　own；　which　we　　are　able　to　trace　with　the　help　of　the　'Venezia'　of　Francesco　　Sansovino。　A　standing　task　for　the　epigram…writers　was　offered　by　the　　mottoes　（Brievi）　on　the　pictures　of　the　Doges　in　the　great　hall　of　the　　ducal　palacetwo　or　four　hexameters；　setting　forth　the　most　noteworthy　　facts　in　the　government　of　each。　In　addition　to　this；　the　tombs　of　the　　Doges　in　the　fourteenth　century　bore　short　inscriptions　in　prose；　　recording　merely　facts；　and　beside　them　turgid　hexameters　or　leonine　　verses。　In　the　fifteenth　century　more　care　was　taken　with　the　style；　in　　the　sixteenth　century　it　is　seen　at　its　best；　and　then　coon　after　came　　pointless　antithesis；　prosopopceia；　false　pathos；　praise　of　abstract　　qualities　in　a　word；　affectation　and　bombast。　A　good　many　traces　of　　satire　can　be　detected；　and　veiled　criticism　of　the　living　is　implied　　in　open　praise　of　the　dead。　At　a　much　later　period　we　find　a　few　　instances　of　deliberate　recurrence　to　the　old；　simple　style。

Architectural　works　and　decorative　works　in　general　were　constructed　　with　a　view　to　receiving　inscriptions；　often　in　frequent　repetition；　　while　the　Northern　Gothic　seldom；　and　with　difficulty；　offered　a　　suitable　place　for　them；　and　in　sepulchral　monuments；　for　example；　left　　free　only　the　most　exposed　parts　　namely　the　edges。

By　what　has　been　said　hitherto　we　have；　perhaps；　failed　to　convince　the　　reader　of　the　characteristic　value　of　this　Latin　poetry　of　the　　Italians。　Our　task　was　rather　to　indicate　its　position　and　necessity　in　　the　history　of　civilization。　In　its　own　day；　a　caricature　of　it　　appearedthe　so…called　macaronic　poetry。　The　masterpiece　of　this　　style；　the　'opus　macaronicorum；'　was　written　by　Merlinus　Coccaius　　（Teofilo　Folengo　of　Mantua）。　Vi/e　shall　now　and　then　have　occasion　to　　refer　to　the　matter　of　this　poem。　As　to　the　formhexameter　and　other　　verses；　made　up　of　Latin　words　and　Italian　words　with　Latin　endings　　its　comic　effect　lies　chiefly　in　the　fact　that　these　combinations　sound　　like　so　many　slips　of　the　tongue；　or　like　the　effusions　of　an　over…　hasty　Latin　'improvisatore。'　The　German　imitations　do　not　give　the　　smallest　notion　of　this　effect。

Fall　of　the　Humanists　in　the　Sixteenth　Century

Why；　it　may　be　asked；　were　not　these　reproaches；　whether　true　or　false；　　heard　sooner？　As　a　matter　of　fact；　they　were　heard　at　a　very　early　　period；　but　the　effect　they　produced　was　insignificant；　for　the　plain　　reason　that　men　were　far　too　dependent　on　the　scholars　for　their　　knowledge　of　antiquitythat　the　scholars　were　personally　the　　possessors　and　diffusers　of　ancient　culture。　But　the　spread　of　printed　　editions　of　the　classics；　and　of　large　and　well…arranged　handbooks　and　　dictionaries；　went　far　to　free　the　people　from　the　necessity　of　　personal　intercourse　with　the　humanists；　and；　as　soon　as　they　could　be　　but　partly　dispensed　with；　the　change　in　popular　feeling　became　　manifest。　It　was　a　change　under　which　the　good　and　bad　suffered　　indiscriminately。

The　first　to　make　these　charges　were　certainly　the　humanists　　themselves。　Of　all　men　who　ever　formed　a　class；　they　had　the　least　　sense　of　their　common　interests；　and　least　respected　what　there　was　of　　this　sense。　All　means　were　held　lawful；　if　one　of　them　saw　a　chance　of　　supplanting　another。　From　literary　discussion　they　passed　with　　astonishing　suddenness　to　the　fiercest　and　the　most　groundless　　vituperation。　Not　satisfied　with　refuting；　they　sought　to　annihilate　an　　opponent。　Something　of　this　must　be　put　to　the　account　of　their　　position　and　circumstances；　we　have　seen　how　fiercely　the　age；　whose　　loudest　spokesmen　they　were；　was　borne　to　and　fro　by　the　passion　for　　glory　and　the　passion　for　satire。　Their　position；　too；　in　practical　　life　was　one　that　they　had　continually　to　fight　for。　In　such　a　temper　　they　wrote　and　spoke　and　described　one　another。　Pog…　gio's　works　alone　　contain　dirt　enough　to　create　a　prejudice　against　the　whole　classand　　these　'Opera　Poggii'　were　just　those　most　often　printed；　on　the　north　　as　well　as　on　the　south　side　of　the　Alps。　We　must　take　care　not　to　　rejoice　too　soon；　when　we　meet　among　these　men　a　figure　which　seems　　immaculate；　on　further　inquiry　there　is　always　a　danger　of　meeting　with　　some　foul　charge；　which；　even　if　it　is　incredible；　still　discolors　the　　picture。　The　mass　of　indecent　Latin　poems　in　circulation；　and　such　　things　as　ribaldry　on　the　subject　of　one's　own　family；　as　in　Pontano's　　dialogue　'Antonius；'　did　the　rest　to　discredit　the　class。　The　sixteenth　　century　was　not　only　familiar　with　all　these　ugly　symptoms；　but　had　　also　grown　tired　of　the　type　of　the　humanist。　These　men　had　to　pay　both　　for　t