the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第14部分

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ows；　which　he　described；　were　derived　from　the　passion　which　of　all　passions　exerts　the　widest　influence；　and　which　of　all　passions　borrows　most　from　the　imagination。　　He　had　also　another　immense　advantage。　　He　was　the　first　eminent　amatory　poet　who　appeared　after　the　great　convulsion　which　had　changed；　not　only　the　political；　but　the　moral；　state　of　the　world。　　The　Greeks；　who；　in　their　public　institutions　and　their　literary　tastes；　were　diametrically　opposed　to　the　oriental　nations；　bore　a　considerable　resemblance　to　those　nations　in　their　domestic　habits。　　Like　them；　they　despised　the　intellects　and　immured　the　persons　of　their　women；　and　it　was　among　the　least　of　the　frightful　evils　to　which　this　pernicious　system　gave　birth；　that　all　the　accomplishments　of　mind；　and　all　the　fascinations　of　manner；　which；　in　a　highly　cultivated　age；　will　generally　be　necessary　to　attach　men　to　their　female　associates；　were　monopolised　by　the　Phrynes　and　the　Lamais。　　The　indispensable　ingredients　of　honourable　and　chivalrous　love　were　nowhere　to　be　found　united。　　The　matrons　and　their　daughters　confined　in　the　harem；insipid；　uneducated；　ignorant　of　all　but　the　mechanical　arts；　scarcely　seen　till　they　were　married；could　rarely　excite　interest；　afterwards　their　brilliant　rivals；　half　Graces；　half　Harpies；　elegant　and　informed；　but　fickle　and　rapacious；　could　never　inspire　respect。

The　state　of　society　in　Rome　was；　in　this　point；　far　happier；　and　the　Latin　literature　partook　of　the　superiority。　　The　Roman　poets　have　decidedly　surpassed　those　of　Greece　in　the　delineation　of　the　passion　of　love。　　There　is　no　subject　which　they　have　treated　with　so　much　success。　　Ovid；　Catullus；　Tibullus；　Horace；　and　Propertius；　in　spite　of　all　their　faults；　must　be　allowed　to　rank　high　in　this　department　of　the　art。　　To　these　I　would　add　my　favourite　Plautus；　who；　though　he　took　his　plots　from　Greece；　found；　I　suspect；　the　originals　of　his　enchanting　female　characters　at　Rome。

Still　many　evils　remained：　　and；　in　the　decline　of　the　great　empire；　all　that　was　pernicious　in　its　domestic　institutions　appeared　more　strongly。　　Under　the　influence　of　governments　at　once　dependent　and　tyrannical；　which　purchased；　by　cringing　to　their　enemies；　the　power　of　trampling　on　their　subjects；　the　Romans　sunk　into　the　lowest　state　of　effeminacy　and　debasement。　Falsehood；　cowardice；　sloth；　conscious　and　unrepining　degradation；　formed　the　national　character。　　Such　a　character　is　totally　incompatible　with　the　stronger　passions。　　Love；　in　particular；　which；　in　the　modern　sense　of　the　word；　implies　protection　and　devotion　on　the　one　side；　confidence　on　the　other；　respect　and　fidelity　on　both；　could　not　exist　among　the　sluggish　and　heartless　slaves　who　cringed　around　the　thrones　of　Honorius　and　Augustulus。　　At　this　period　the　great　renovation　commenced。　The　warriors　of　the　north；　destitute　as　they　were　of　knowledge　and　humanity；　brought　with　them；　from　their　forests　and　marshes；　those　qualities　without　which　humanity　is　a　weakness　and　knowledge　a　curse；energyindependencethe　dread　of　shamethe　contempt　of　danger。　　It　would　be　most　interesting　to　examine　the　manner　in　which　the　admixture　of　the　savage　conquerors　and　the　effeminate　slaves；　after　many　generations　of　darkness　and　agitation；　produced　the　modern　European　character；to　trace　back；　from　the　first　conflict　to　the　final　amalgamation；　the　operation　of　that　mysterious　alchemy　which；　from　hostile　and　worthless　elements；　has　extracted　the　pure　gold　of　human　nature　to　analyse　the　mass；　and　to　determine　the　proportion　in　which　the　ingredients　are　mingled。　　But　I　will　confine　myself　to　the　subject　to　which　I　have　more　particularly　referred。　　The　nature　of　the　passion　of　love　had　undergone　a　complete　change。　　It　still　retained；　indeed；　the　fanciful　and　voluptuous　character　which　it　had　possessed　among　the　southern　nations　of　antiquity。　　But　it　was　tinged　with　the　superstitious　veneration　with　which　the　northern　warriors　had　been　accustomed　to　regard　women。　　Devotion　and　war　had　imparted　to　it　their　most　solemn　and　animating　feelings。　　It　was　sanctified　by　the　blessings　of　the　Church；　and　decorated　with　the　wreaths　of　the　tournament。　　Venus；　as　in　the　ancient　fable；　was　again　rising　above　the　dark　and　tempestuous　waves　which　had　so　long　covered　her　beauty。　　But　she　rose　not　now；　as　of　old；　in　exposed　and　luxurious　loveliness。　　She　still　wore　the　cestus　of　her　ancient　witchcraft；　but　the　diadem　of　Juno　was　on　her　brow；　and　the　aegis　of　Pallas　in　her　hand。　　Love　might；　in　fact；　be　called　a　new　passion；　and　it　is　not　astonishing　that　the　first　poet　of　eminence　who　wholly　devoted　his　genius　to　this　theme　should　have　excited　an　extraordinary　sensation。　　He　may　be　compared　to　an　adventurer　who　accidentally　lands　in　a　rich　and　unknown　island；　and　who；　though　he　may　only　set　up　an　ill…shaped　cross　upon　the　shore；　acquires　possession　of　its　treasures；　and　gives　it　his　name。　　The　claim　of　Petrarch　was　indeed　somewhat　like　that　of　Amerigo　Vespucci　to　the　continent　which　should　have　derived　its　appellation　from　Columbus。　　The　Provencal　poets　were　unquestionably　the　masters　of　the　Florentine。　　But　they　wrote　in　an　age　which　could　not　appreciate　their　merits；　and　their　imitator　lived　at　the　very　period　when　composition　in　the　vernacular　language　began　to　attract　general　attention。　　Petrarch　was　in　literature　what　a　Valentine　is　in　love。　　The　public　preferred　him；　not　because　his　merits　were　of　a　transcendent　order；　but　because　he　was　the　first　person　whom　they　saw　after　they　awoke　from　their　long　sleep。

Nor　did　Petrarch　gain　less　by　comparison　with　his　immediate　successors　than　with　those　who　had　preceded　him。　　Till　more　than　a　century　after　his　death　Italy　produced　no　poet　who　could　be　compared　to　him。　　This　decay　of　genius　is　doubtless　to　be　ascribed；　in　a　great　measure；　to　the　influence　which　his　own　works　had　exercised　upon　the　literature　of　his　country。　　Yet　it　has　conduced　much　to　his　fame。　　Nothing　is　more　favourable　to　the　reputation　of　a　writer　than　to　be　succeeded　by　a　race　inferior　to　himself；　and　it　is　an　advantage；　from　obvious　causes；　much　more　frequently　enjoyed　by　those　who　corrupt　the　national　taste　than　by　those　who　improve　it。

Another　cause　has　co…operated　with　those　which　I　have　mentioned　to　spread　the　renown　of　Petrarch。　　I　mean　the　interest　which　is　inspired　by　the　events　of　his　lifean　interest　which　must　have　been　strongly　felt　by　his　contemporaries；　since；　after　an　interval　of　five　hundred　years；　no　critic　can　be　wholly　exempt　from　its　influence。　　Among　the　great　men　to　whom　we　owe　the　resuscitation　of　science　he　deserves　the　foremost　place；　and　his　enthusiastic　attachment　to　this　great　cause　constitutes　his　most　just　and　splendid　title　to　the　gratitude　of　posterity。　　He　was　the　votary　of　literature。　　He　loved　it　with　a　perfect　love。　　He　worshipped　it　with　an　almost　fanatical　devotion。　　He　was　the　missionary；　who　proclaimed　its　discoveries　to　distant　countries　the　pilgrim；　who　travelled　far　and　wide　to　collect　its　reliques　the　hermit；　who　retired　to　seclusion　to　meditate　on　its　beauties…　…the　champion；　who　fought　its　battlesthe　conqueror；　who；　in　more　than　a　metaphorical　sense；　led　barbarism　and　ignorance　in　triumph；　and　received　in　the　Capitol　the　laurel　which　his　magnificent　victory　had　earned。

Nothing　can　be　conceived　more　noble　or　affecting　than　that　ceremony。　　The　superb　palaces　and　porticoes；　by　which　had　rolled　the　ivory　chariots　of　Marius　and　Caesar；　had　long　mouldered　into　dust。　　The　laurelled　fascesthe　golden　eaglesthe　shouting　legionsthe　captives　and　the　pictured　citieswere　indeed　wanting　to　his　victorious　procession。　　The　sceptre　had　passed　away　from　Rome。　　But　she　still　retained　the　mightier　influence　of　an　intellectual　empire；　and　was　now　to　confer　the　prouder　reward　of　an　intellectual　triumph。　　To　the　man　who　had　extended　the　dominion　of　her　ancient　languagewho　had　erected　the　trophies　of　philosophy　and　imagination　in　the　haunts　of　ignorance　and　ferocitywhose　captives　were　the　hearts　of　admiring　nations　enchained　by　the　influence　of　his　songwhose　spoils　were　the　treasures　of　ancient　genius　rescued　from　obscurity　and　decaythe　Eternal　City　offered　the　just　and　glorious　tribute　of　her　gratitude。　　Amidst　the　ruined　monuments　of　ancient　and　the　infant　erections　of　modern　art；　he　who　had　restored　the　broken　link　between　the　two　ages　of　human　civilisation　was　crowned　with　the　wreath　which　he　had　deserved　from　the　moderns　who　owed　to　him　their　refinementfrom　the　ancients　who　owed　to　him　their　fame。　Never　was　a　coronation　so　august　witnessed　by　Westminster　or　by　Rheims。

When　we　turn　from　this　glorious　spectacle　to　the　private　chamber　of　the　poet；when　we　contemplate　the　struggle　of　passion　and　virtue；the　eye　dimmed；　the　cheek　furrowed；　by　the　tears　of　sinful　and　hopeless　desire；when　we　reflect　on　the　whole　history　of　his　attachment；　from　the　gay　fantasy　of　his　youth　to　the　lingering　despair　of　his　age；　pity　and　affection　mingle　with　our　admiration。　　Even　after　death　had　placed　the　last　seal　on　his　misery；　we　see　him　devoting　to　the　cause　of　the　human　mind　all　the　strength　and　energy　which　love　and　sorrow　had　spared。　　He　lived　the　apostle　of　literature；he　fell　its　martyr：he　was　found　dead　with　his　head　reclined　on　a　book。

Those　who　have　studied　the　life　and　writings　of　Petrarch　with　attention；　will　perhaps　be　inclined　to　make　some　deductions　from　this　panegyric。　　It　cannot　be　denied　that　his　merits　were　disfigured　by　a　most　unpleasant　affectation。　　His　zeal　for　literature　communicated　a　tinge　of　pedantry　to　all　his　feelings　and　opinions。　　His　love　was　the　love　of　a　sonnetteer：his　patriotism　was　the　patriotism　of　an　antiquarian。　　The　interest　with　which　we　contemplate　the　works；　and　study　the　history；　of　those　who；　in　former　ages；　have　occupied　our　country；　arises　from　the　associations　which　connect　them　with　the　community　in　which　are　comprised　all　the　objects　of　our　affection　and　our　hope。　　In　the　mind　of　Petrarch　these　feelings　were　reversed。　　He　loved　Italy；　because　it　abounded　with　the　monuments　of　the　ancient　masters　of　the　world。　　His　native　citythe　fair　and　glorious　Florencethe　modern　Athens；　then　in　all　the　bloom　and　strength　of　its　youth；　could　not　obtain；　from　the　most　distinguished　of　its　citizens；　any　portion