the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第34部分

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Alfonso　was　far　surpassed　in　learning　by　Federigo　of　Urbino；　who　had　　but　few　courtiers　around　him；　squandered　nothing；　and　in　his　　appropriation　of　antiquity；　as　in　all　other　things；　went　to　work　　considerately。　It　was　for　him　and　for　Nicholas　V　that　most　of　the　　translations　from　the　Greek；　and　a　number　of　the　best　commentaries　and　　other　such　works；　were　written。　He　spent　much　on　the　scholars　whose　　services　he　used；　but　spent　it　to　good　purpose。　There　were　no　traces　of　　a　poets'　court　at　Urbino；　where　the　Duke　himself　was　the　most　learned　　in　the　whole　court。　Classical　antiquity；　indeed；　only　formed　a　part　of　　his　culture。　An　accomplished　ruler；　captain；　and　gentleman；　he　had　　mastered　the　greater　part　of　the　science　of　the　day；　and　this　with　a　　view　to　its　practical　application。　As　a　theologian；　he　was　able　to　　compare　Scotus　with　Aquinas；　and　was　familiar　with　the　writings　of　the　　old　Fathers　of　the　Eastern　and　Western　Churches；　the　former　in　Latin　　translations。　In　philosophy；　he　seems　to　have　left　Plato　altogether　to　　his　contemporary　Cosimo；　but　he　knew　thoroughly　not　only　the　Ethics　and　　Politics　of　Aristotle　but　the　Physics　and　some　other　works。　The　rest　of　　his　reading　lay　chiefly　among　the　ancient　historians；　all　of　whom　he　　possessed；　these；　and　not　the　poets；　'he　was　always　reading　and　having　　read　to　him。'

The　Sforza；　too；　were　all　of　them　men　of　more　or　less　learning　and　　patrons　of　literature；　they　have　been　already　referred　to　in　passing。　　Duke　Francesco　probably　looked　on　humanistic　culture　as　a　matter　of　　course　in　the　education　of　his　children；　if　only　for　political　reasons。　　It　was　felt　universally　to　be　an　advantage　if　a　prince　could　mix　with　　the　most　instructed　men　of　his　time　on　an　equal　footing。　Lodovico　il　　Moro；　himself　an　excellent　Latin　scholar；　showed　an　interest　in　　intellectual　matters　which　extended　far　beyond　classical　antiquity。

Even　the　petty　rulers　strove　after　similar　distinctions；　and　we　do　them　　injustice　by　thinking　that　they　only　supported　the　scholars　at　their　　courts　as　a　means　of　diffusing　their　own　fame。　A　ruler　like　Borso　of　　Ferrara；　with　all　his　vanity；　seems　by　no　means　to　have　looked　for　　immortality　from　the　poets；　eager　as　they　were　to　propitiate　him　with　a　　'Borseid'　and　the　like。　He　had　far　too　proud　a　sense　of　his　own　　position　as　a　ruler　for　that。　But　intercourse　with　learned　men；　　interest　in　antiquarian　matters；　and　the　passion　for　elegant　Latin　　correspondence　were　necessities　for　the　princes　of　that　age。　What　　bitter　complaints　are　those　of　Duke　Alfonso；　competent　as　he　was　in　　practical　matters；　that　his　weakliness　in　youth　had　forced　him　to　seek　　recreation　in　manual　pursuits　only！　or　was　this　merely　an　excuse　to　　keep　the　humanists　at　a　distance？　A　nature　like　his　was　not　　intelligible　even　to　contemporaries。

Even　the　most　insignificant　despots　of　Romagna　found　it　hard　to　do　　without　one　or　two　men　of　letters　about　them。　The　tutor　and　secretary　　were　often　one　and　the　same　person；　who　sometimes；　indeed；　acted　as　a　　kind　of　court　factotum。　We　are　apt　to　treat　the　small　scale　of　these　　courts　as　a　reason　for　dismissing　them　with　a　too　ready　contempt；　　forgetting　that　the　highest　spiritual　things　are　not　precisely　matters　　of　measurement。

Life　and　manners　at　the　court　of　Rimini　must　have　been　a　singular　　spectacle　under　the　bold　pagan　Condottiere　Sigismondo　Malatesta。　He　had　　a　number　of　scholars　around　him；　some　of　whom　he　provided　for　　liberally；　even　giving　them　landed　estates；　while　others　earned　at　　least　a　livelihood　as　officers　in　his　army。　In　his　citadel'arx　　Sismundea'they　used　to　hold　discussions；　often　of　a　very　venomous　　kind；　in　the　presence　of　the　'rex；'　as　they　termed　him。　In　their　Latin　　poems　they　sing　his　praises　and　celebrate　his　amour　with　the　fair　　Isotta；　in　whose　honour　and　as　whose　monument　the　famous　rebuilding　of　　San　Francesco　at　Rimini　took　place　'Divae　Isottae　Sacrum。'　When　the　　humanists　themselves　came　to　die；　they　were　laid　in　or　under　the　　sarcophagi　with　which　the　niches　of　the　outside　walls　of　the　church　　were　adorned；　with　an　inscription　testifying　that　they　were　laid　here　　at　the　time　when　Sigismundus；　the　son　of　Pandulfus；　ruled。　It　is　hard　　for　us　nowadays　to　believe　that　a　monster　like　this　prince　felt　　learning　and　the　friendship　of　cultivated　people　to　be　a　necessity　of　　life；　and　yet　the　man　who　excommunicated　him；　made　war　upon　him；　and　　burnt　him　in　effigy；　Pope　Pius　II；　says：　'Sigismondo　knew　history　and　　had　a　great　store　of　philosophy；　he　seemed　born　to　all　that　he　　undertook。'

Propagators　of　Antiquity

We　have　here　first　to　speak　of　those　citizens；　mostly　Florentines；　who　　made　antiquarian　interests　one　of　the　chief　objects　of　their　lives；　and　　who　were　themselves　either　distinguished　scholars；　or　else　　distinguished　_dilettanti_　who　maintained　the　scholars。　They　were　of　　peculiar　significance　during　the　period　of　transition　at　the　beginning　　of　the　fifteenth　century；　since　it　was　in　them　that　humanism　first　　showed　itself　practically　as　an　indispensable　element　in　daily　life。　It　　was　not　till　after　this　time　that　the　popes　and　princes　began　seriously　　to　occupy　themselves　with　it。　

Niccol？Niccoli　and　Giannozzo　Manetti　have　been　already　spoken　of　more　　than　once。　Niccoli　is　described　to　us　by　Vespasiano　as　a　man　who　would　　tolerate　nothing　around　him　out　of　harmony　with　his　own　classical　　spirit。　His　handsome　long…robed　figure；　his　kindly　speech；　his　house　　adorned　with　the　noblest　remains　of　antiquity；　made　a　singular　　impression。　He　was　scrupulously　cleanly　in　everything；　most　of　all　at　　table；　where　ancient　vases　and　crystal　goblets　stood　before　him　on　the　　whitest　linen。　The　way　in　which　he　won　over　a　pleasure…loving　young　　Florentine　to　intellectual　interests　is　too　charming　not　to　be　here　　described。　Piero　de'　Pazzi；　son　of　a　distinguished　merchant；　and　　himself　destined　to　the　same　calling；　fair　to　behold；　and　much　given　to　　the　pleasures　of　the　world；　thought　about　anything　rather　than　　literature。　One　day；　as　he　was　passing　the　Palazzo　del　Podest？　Niccol？　called　the　young　man　to　him；　and　although　they　had　never　before　　exchanged　a　word；　the　youth　obeyed　the　call　of　one　so　respected。　　Niccol？asked　him　who　his　father　was。　He　answered；　'Messer　Andrea　de'　　Pazzi'。　When　he　was　further　asked　what　his　pursuit　was；　Piero　replied；　　as　young　people　are　wont　to　do；　'I　enjoy　myself'　（'attendo　a　darmi　buon　　tempo'）。　Niccol？said　to　him；　'As　son　of　such　a　father；　and　so　fair　to　　look　upon；　it　is　a　shame　that　thou　knowest　nothing　of　the　Latin　　language；　which　would　be　so　great　an　ornament　to　thee。　If　thou　learnest　　it　not；　thou　wilt　be　good　for　nothing；　and　as　soon　as　the　flower　of　　youth　is　over；　wilt　be　a　man　of　no　consequence'　（_virt鵢）。　When　Piero　　heard　this；　he　straightway　perceived　that　it　was　true；　and　said　that　he　　would　gladly　take　pains　to　learn；　if　only　he　had　a　teacher。　Whereupon　　Niccol？answered　that　he　would　see　to　that。　And　he　found　him　a　learned　　man　for　Latin　and　Greek；　named　Pontano；　whom　Piero　treated　as　one　of　　his　own　house；　and　to　whom　he　paid　100　gold　florins　a　year。　Quitting　　all　the　pleasures　in　which　he　had　hitherto　lived；　he　studied　day　and　　night；　and　became　a　friend　of　all　learned　men　and　a　noble…minded　　statesman。　He　learned　by　heart　the　whole　AEneid　and　many　speeches　of　　Livy；　chiefly　on　the　way　between　Florence　and　his　country　house　at　　Trebbio。　Antiquity　was　represented　in　another　and　higher　sense　by　　Giannozzo　Maneeti　（1393…1459）。　Precocious　from　his　first　years；　he　was　　hardly　more　than　a　child　when　he　had　finished　his　apprenticeship　in　　commerce；　and　became　book…keeper　in　a　bank。　But　soon　the　life　he　led　　seemed　to　him　empty　and　perishable；　and　he　began　to　yearn　after　　science；　through　which　alone　man　can　secure　immortality。　He　then　busied　　himself　with　books　as　few　laymen　had　done　before　him；　and　became；　as　　has　been　said；　one　of　the　most　profound　scholars　of　his　time。　When　　appointed　by　the　government　as　its　representative　magistrate　and　tax…　collector　at　Pescia　and　Pistoia；　he　furfilled　his　duties　in　accordance　　with　the　lofty　ideal　with　which　his　religious　feeling　and　humanistic　　studies　combined　to　inspire　him。　He　succeeded　in　collecting　the　most　　unpopular　taxes　which　the　Florentine　State　imposed；　and　declined　　payment　for　his　services。　As　provincial　governor　he　refused　all　　presents；　abhorred　all　bribes；　checked　gambling；　kept　the　country　well　　supplied　with　corn；　was　indefatigable　in　settling　law…suits　amicably；　　and　did　wonders　in　calming　inflamed　passions　by　his　goodness。　The　　Pistoiese　were　never　able　to　discover　to　which　of　the　two　political　　parties　he　leaned。　As　if　to　symbolize　the　common　rights　and　interests　　of　all；　he　spent　his　leisure　hours　in　writing　the　history　of　the　city；　　which　was　preserved；　bound　in　a　purple　cover；　as　a　sacred　relic　in　the　　town　hall。　When　he　took　his　leave　the　city　presented　him　with　a　banner　　bearing　the　municipal　arms　and　a　splendid　silver　helmet。　

For　further　information　as　to　the　learned　citizens　of　Florence　at　this　　period　the　reader　must　all　the　more　be　referred　to　Vespasiano；　who　knew　　them　all　personally；　because　the　tone　and　atmosphere　in　which　he　　writes；　and　the　terms　and　conditions　on　which　he　mixed　in　their　　society；　are　of　even　more　importance　than　the　facts　which　he　records。　　Even　in　a　translation；　and　still　more　in　the　brief　indications　to　which　　we　are　here　compelled　to　limit　ourselves；　this　chief　merit　of　his　book　　is　lost。　Without　being　a　great　writer；　he　was　thoroughly　familiar　with　　the　subject　he　wrote　on；　and　had　a　deep　sense　of　its　intellectual　　significance。　

If　we　seek　to　analyse　the　charm　which　the　Medici　of　the　fifteenth　　century；　especially　Cosimo　the　Elder　（d。　1464）　and　Lorenzo　the　　Magnificent　（d。　1492）　exercised　over　Florence　and　over　all　their　　contemporaries；　we　shall　find　that　it　lay　less　in　their　political　　capacity　than　in　their　leadership　in　the　culture　of　the　age。　A　man　in　　Cosimo's　position　　a　great　merchant　and　party　leader；　who　also　had　on　　his　side　all　the　thinkers；　writers　and　investigators；　a　man　who　was　the　　first　of　the　Florentines　by　birth　and　the　first　of　the　Italians　by　　culture　　such　a　man　was　to　all　intents　and　purposes　already　a　prince。　　To　Cosimo　belongs　the　special　glory　of　reco