the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第22部分

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eral　phases　of　　life　and　culture　of　this　period；　we　may　here；　on　the　threshold　of　the　　fifteenth　century；　consider　for　a　moment　the　figure　of　one　of　these　　giants　　Leon　Battista　Alberti　（b。　1404；　d。　1472）。　His　biography；　　which　is　only　a　fragment；　speaks　of　him　but　little　as　an　artist　；　and　　makes　no　mention　at　all　of　his　great　significance　in　the　history　of　　architecture。　We　shall　now　see　what　he　was；　apart　from　these　special　　claims　to　distinction。

In　all　by　which　praise　is　won；　Leon　Battista　was　from　his　childhood　the　　first。　Of　his　various　gymnastic　feats　and　exercises　we　read　with　　astonishment　how；　with　his　feet　together；　he　could　spring　over　a　man's　　head；　how　in　the　cathedral；　he　threw　a　coin　in　the　air　till　it　was　　heard　to　ring　against　the　distant　roof；　how　the　wildest　horses　trembled　　under　him。　In　three　things　he　desired　to　appear　faultless　to　others；　in　　walking；　in　riding；　and　in　speaking。　He　learned　music　without　a　master；　　and　yet　his　compositions　were　admired　by　professional　judges。　Under　the　　pressure　of　poverty；　he　studied　both　civil　and　canonical　law　for　many　　years；　till　exhaustion　brought　on　a　severe　illness。　In　his　twenty…　fourth　year；　finding　his　memory　for　words　weakened；　but　his　sense　of　　facts　unimpaired；　he　set　to　work　at　physics　and　mathematics。　And　all　　the　while　he　acquired　every　sort　of　accomplishment　and　dexterity；　　cross…examining　artists；　scholars　and　artisans　of　all　descriptions；　　down　to　the　cobblers；　about　the　secrets　and　peculiarities　of　their　　craft。　Painting　and　modelling　he　practiced　by　the　way；　and　especially　　excelled　in　admirable　likenesses　from　memory。　Great　admiration　was　　excited　by　his　mysterious　'camera　obscura；'　in　which　he　showed　at　one　　time　the　stars　and　the　moon　rising　over　rocky　hills；　at　another　wide　　landscapes　with　mountains　and　gulfs　receding　into　dim　perspective；　and　　with　fleets　advancing　on　the　waters　in　shade　or　sunshine。　And　that　　which　others　created　he　welcomed　joyfully；　and　held　every　human　　achievement　which　followed　the　laws　of　beauty　for　something　almost　　divine。　To　all　this　must　be　added　his　literary　works；　first　of　all　　those　on　art；　which　are　landmarks　and　authorities　of　the　first　order　　for　the　Renaissance　of　Form；　especially　in　architecture；　then　his　Latin　　prose　writings　　novels　and　other　works　　of　which　some　have　been　　taken　for　productions　of　antiquity；　his　elegies；　eclogues；　and　humorous　　dinner…speeches。　He　also　wrote　an　Italian　treatise　on　domestic　life　in　　four　books；　and　even　a　funeral　oration　on　his　dog。　His　serious　and　　witty　sayings　were　thought　worth　collecting；　and　specimens　of　them；　　many　columns　long；　are　quoted　in　his　biography。　And　all　that　he　had　and　　knew　he　imparted；　as　rich　natures　always　do；　without　the　least　reserve；　　giving　away　his　chief　discoveries　for　nothing。　But　the　deepest　spring　　of　his　nature　has　yet　to　be　spoken　of　　the　sympathetic　intensity　with　　which　he　entered　into　the　whole　life　around　him。　At　the　sight　of　noble　　trees　and　waving　cornfields　he　shed　tears；　handsome　and　dignified　old　　men　he　honored　as　'a　delight　of　nature；'　and　could　never　look　at　them　　enough。　Perfectly　formed　animals　won　his　goodwill　as　being　specially　　favored　by　nature；　and　more　than　once；　when　he　was　ill；　the　sight　of　a　　beautiful　landscape　cured　him。　No　wonder　that　those　who　saw　him　in　this　　close　and　mysterious　communion　with　the　world　ascribed　to　him　the　gift　　of　prophecy。　He　was　said　to　have　foretold　a　bloody　catastrophe　in　the　　family　of　Este；　the　fate　of　Florence　and　that　of　the　Popes　many　years　　beforehand；　and　to　be　able　to　read　in　the　countenances　and　the　hearts　　of　men。　It　need　not　be　added　that　an　iron　will　pervaded　and　sustained　　his　whole　personality；　like　all　the　great　men　of　the　Renaissance；　he　　said；　'Men　can　do　all　things　if　they　will。'

And　Leonardo　da　Vinci　was　to　Alberti　as　the　finisher　to　the　beginner；　　as　the　master　to　the　_dilettante_。　Would　only　that　Vasari's　work　were　　here　supplemented　by　a　description　like　that　of　Alberti！　The　colossal　　outlines　of　Leonardo's　nature　can　never　be　more　than　dimly　and　　distantly　conceived。

Glory

To　this　inward　development　of　the　individual　corresponds　a　new　sort　of　　outward　distinctionthe　modern　form　of　glory。

In　the　other　countries　of　Europe　the　different　classes　of　society　lived　　apart；　each　with　its　own　medieval　caste　sense　of　honour。　The　poetical　　fame　of　the　Troubadours　and　Minnesanger　was　peculiar　to　the　knightly　　order。　But　in　Italy　social　equality　had　appeared　before　the　time　of　the　　tyrannies　or　the　democracies。　We　there　find　early　traces　of　a　general　　society；　having；　as　will　be　shown　more　fully　later　on；　a　common　ground　　in　Latin　and　Italian　literature；　and　such　a　ground　was　needed　for　this　　new　element　in　life　to　grow　in。　To　this　must　be　added　that　the　Roman　　authors；　who　were　not　zealously　studied；　are　filled　and　saturated　with　　the　conception　of　fame；　and　that　their　subject　itselfthe　universal　　empire　of　Rome　stood　as　a　permanent　ideal　before　the　minds　of　　Italians。　From　henceforth　all　the　aspirations　and　achievements　of　the　　people　were　governed　by　a　moral　postulate；　which　was　still　unknown　　elsewhere　in　Europe。

Here；　again；　as　in　all　essential　points；　the　first　witness　to　be　called　　is　Dante。　He　strove　for　the　poet's　garland　with　all　the　power　of　his　　soul。33　As　publicist　and　man　of　letters；　he　laid　stress　on　the　fact　　that　what　he　did　was　new；　and　that　he　wished　not　only　to　be；　but　to　be　　esteemed　the　first　in　his　own　walks。34　But　in　his　prose　writings　he　　touches　also　on　the　inconveniences　of　fame；　he　knows　how　often　personal　　acquaintance　with　famous　men　is　disappointing；　and　explains　how　this　is　　due　partly　to　the　childish　fancy　of　men；　partly　to　envy；　and　partly　to　　the　imperfections　of　the　hero　himself。　And　in　his　great　poem　he　firmly　　maintains　the　emptiness　of　fame；　although　in　a　manner　which　betrays　　that　his　heart　was　not　free　from　the　longing　for　it。　In　Paradise　the　　sphere　of　Mercury　is　the　seat　of　such　blessed　ones　as　on　earth　strove　　after　glory　and　thereby　dimmed　'the　beams　of　true　love。'　It　is　　characteristic　that　the　lost　souls　in　hell　beg　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