the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第23部分

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for　which　reason　they　begged　him　to　　spare　them；　and；　in　fact；　he　had　to　be　content　with　erecting　a　　cenotaph。　And　even　Dante；　in　spite　of　all　the　applications　to　which　　Boccaccio　urged　the　Florentines　with　bitter　emphasis；　remained　sleeping　　tranquilly　in　San　Francesco　at　Ravenna；　'among　ancient　tombs　of　　emperors　and　vaults　of　saints；　in　more　honorable　company　than　thou；　O　　Florence；　couldst　offer　him。'　It　even　happened　that　a　man　once　took　　away　unpunished　the　lights　from　the　altar　on　which　the　crucifix　stood；　　and　set　there　by　the　grave；　with　the　words；　'Take　them；　thou　art　more　　worthy　of　them　than　He；　the　Crucified　One！　'　（Franco　Sacchetti；　Novella　　121。）

And　now　the　Italian　cities　began　again　to　remember　their　ancient　　citizens　and　inhabitants。　Naples；　perhaps；　had　never　forgotten　its　tomb　　of　Virgil；　since　a　kind　of　mythical　halo　had　become　attached　to　the　　name。

The　Paduans；　even　in　the　sixteenth　century；　firmly　believed　that　they　　possessed　not　only　the　genuine　bones　of　their　founder；　Antenor；　but　　also　those　of　the　historian　Livy。　'Sulmona；'　says　Boccaccio；　'bewails　　that　Ovid　lies　buried　far　away　in　exile；　and　Parma　rejoices　that　　Cassius　sleeps　within　its　walls。'　The　Mantuans　coined　a　medal　in　1257　　with　the　bust　of　Virgil；　and　raised　a　statue　to　represent　him。　In　a　fit　　of　aristocratic　insolence；　the　guardian　of　the　young　Gonzaga；　Carlo　　Malatesta；　caused　it　to　be　pulled　down　in　1392；　and　was　afterwards　　forced；　when　he　found　the　fame　of　the　old　poet　too　strong　for　him；　to　　set　it　up　again。　Even　then；　perhaps；　the　grotto；　a　couple　of　miles　from　　the　town；　where　Virgil　was　said　to　have　meditated；　was　shown　to　　strangers；　like　the　'Scuola　di　Virgilio'　at　Naples。　Como　claimed　both　　the　Plinys　for　its　own；　and　at　the　end　of　the　fifteenth　century　erected　　statues　in　their　honour；　sitting　under　graceful　baldachins　on　the　　facade　of　the　cathedral。

History　and　the　new　topography　were　now　careful　to　leave　no　local　　celebrity　unnoticed。　At　the　same　period　the　northern　chronicles　only　　here　and　there；　among　the　list　of　popes；　emperors；　earthquakes；　and　　comets；　put　in　the　remark；　that　at　such　a　time　this　or　that　famous　man　　'flourished。'　We　shall　elsewhere　have　to　show　how；　mainly　under　the　　influence　of　this　idea　of　fame；　an　admirable　biographical　literature　　was　developed。　We　must　here　limit　ourselves　to　the　local　patriotism　of　　the　topographers　who　recorded　the　claims　of　their　native　cities　to　　distinction。

In　the　Middle　Ages；　the　cities　were　proud　of　their　saints　and　of　the　　bones　and　relics　in　their　churches。　With　these　the　panegyrist　of　Padua　　in　1450；　Michele　Savonarola；　begins　his　list；　from　them　he　passes　to　　'the　famous　men　who　were　no　saints；　but　who；　by　their　great　intellect　　and　force　（virtus）　deserve　to　be　added　_（adnecti）　_to　the　saints'just　　as　in　classical　antiquity　the　distinguished　man　came　close　upon　the　　hero。　The　further　enumeration　is　most　characteristic　of　the　time。　First　　comes　Antenor；　the　brother　of　Priam；　who　founded　Padua　with　a　band　of　　Trojan　fugitives；　King　Dardanus；　who　defeated　Attila　in　the　Euganean　　hills；　followed　him　in　pursuit；　and　struck　him　dead　at　Rimini　with　a　　chessboard；　the　Emperor　Henry　IV；　who　built　the　cathedral；　a　King　　Marcus；　whose　head　was　preserved　in　Monselice；　then　a　couple　of　　cardinals　and　prelates　as　founders　of　colleges；　churches；　and　so　forth；　　the　famous　Augustinian　theologian；　Fra　Alberto；　a　string　of　　philosophers　beginning　with　Paolo　Veneto　and　the　celebrated　Pietro　of　　Abano；　the　jurist　Paolo　Padovano；　then　Livy　and　the　poets　Petrarch；　　Mussato；　Lovato。　If　there　is　any　want　of　military　celebrities　in　the　　list；　the　poet　consoles　himself　for　it　by　the　abundance　of　learned　men　　whom　he　has　to　show；　and　by　the　more　durable　character　of　intellectual　　glory；　while　the　fame　of　the　soldier　is　buried　with　his　body；　or；　if　it　　lasts；　owes　its　permanence　only　to　the　scholar。　It　is　nevertheless　　honorable　to　the　city　that　foreign　warriors　lie　buried　here　by　their　　own　wish；　like　Pietro　de'　Rossi　of　Parma；　Filippo　Arcelli　of　Piacenza；　　and　especially　Gattemelata　of　Narni　（d。　1443）；　whose　brazen　equestrian　　statue；　'like　a　Caesar　in　triumph；'　already　stood　by　the　church　of　the　　Santo。　The　author　then　names　a　crowd　of　jurists　and　physicians；　nobles　　'who　had　not　only；　like　so　many　others；　received；　but　deserved；　the　　honour　of　knighthood。'　Then　follows　a　list　of　famous　mechanicians；　　painters；　and　musicians；　and　in　conclusion　the　name　of　a　fencing…master　　Michele　Rosso；　who；　as　the　most　distinguished　man　in　his　profession；　　was　to　be　seen　painted　in　many　places。

By　the　side　of　these　local　temples　of　fame；　which　myth；　legend；　popular　　admiration；　and　literary　tradition　combined　to　create；　the　poet…　scholars　built　up　a　great　Pantheon　of　worldwide　celebrity。　They　made　　collections　of　famous　men　and　famous　women；　often　in　direct　imitation　　of　Cornelius　Nepos；　the　pseudo…Suetonius；　Valerius　Maximus；　Plutarch　　_（Mulierum　virtutes）；　_Jerome　_（De　viris　illustribus）；　_and　others：　or　　they　wrote　of　imaginary　triumphal　processions　and　Olympian　assemblies；　　as　was　done　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