the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第43部分

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osition　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　the　misdeeds　they　had　done；　and　for　the　excess　of　honour　which　had　　hitherto　fallen　to　their　lot。　Their　evil　fate　willed　it　that　the　　greatest　poet　of　the　nation；　Ariosto；　wrote　of　them　in　a　tone　of　calm　　and　sovereign　contempt。

Of　the　reproaches　which　combined　to　excite　so　much　hatred；　many　were　　only　too　well　founded。　Yet　a　clear　and　unmistakable　tendency　to　　strictness　in　matters　of　religion　and　morality　was　alive　in　many　of　the　　philologists；　and　it　is　a　proof　of　small　knowledge　of　the　period；　if　　the　whole　class　is　condemned。　Yet　many；　and　among　them　the　loudest　　speakers；　were　guilty。

Three　facts　explain　and　perhaps　diminish　their　guilt：　the　overflowing　　excess　of　fervour　and　fortune；　when　the　luck　was　on　their　side；　the　　uncertainty　of　the　future；　in　which　luxury　or　misery　depended　on　the　　caprice　of　a　patron　or　the　malice　of　an　enemy；　and　finally；　the　　misleading　influence　of　antiquity。　This　undermined　their　morality；　　without　giving　them　its　own　instead；　and　in　religious　matters；　since　　they　could　never　think　of　accepting　the　positive　belief　in　the　old　　gods；　it　affected　them　only　on　the　negative　and　sceptical　side。　Just　　because　they　conceived　of　antiquity　dogmaticallythat　is；　took　it　as　　the　model　or　all　thought　and　actionits　influence　was　here　pernicious。　　But　that　an　age　existed　which　idolized　the　ancient　world　and　its　　products　with　an　exclusive　devotion　was　not　the　fault　of　individuals。　　It　was　the　work　of　an　historical　providence；　and　if　the　culture　of　the　　ages　which　have　followed；　and　of　the　ages　to　come；　rests　upon　the　fact　　that　it　was　so；　and　that　all　the　ends　of　life　but　this　one　were　then　　deliberately　put　aside。

The　career　of　the　humanists　was；　as　a　rule；　of　such　a　kind　hat　only　the　　strongest　characters　could　pass　through　it　unscathed。　The　first　danger　　came；　in　some　cases；　from　the　parents；　rho　sought　to　turn　a　precocious　　child　into　a　miracle　of　learning；　with　an　eye　to　his　future　position　in　　that　class　which　then　was　supreme。　Youthful　prodigies；　however；　seldom　　rise　above　a　certain　level；　or；　if　they　do；　are　forced　to　achieve　their　　further　progress　and　development　at　the　cost　of　the　bitterest　trials。　　For　an　ambitious　youth；　the　fame　and　the　brilliant　position　of　the　　humanists　were　a　perilous　temptation；　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　too　　'through　inborn　pride　could　no　longer　regard　the　low　and　common　things　　of　life。'　He　was　thus　led　to　plunge　into　a　life　of　excitement　and　　vicissitude；　in　which　exhausting　studies；　tutorships；　secretaryships；　　professorships；　offices　in　princely　households；　mortal　enmities　and　　perils；　luxury　and　beggary；　boundless　admiration　and　boundless　　contempt；　followed　confusedly　one　upon　the　other；　and　in　which　the　most　　solid　worth　and　learning　were　often　pushed　aside　by　superficial　　impudence。　But　the　worst　of　all　was；　that　the　position　of　the　humanist　　was　almost　incompatible　with　a　fixed　home；　since　it　either　made　　frequent　changes　of　dwelling　necessary　for　a　livelihood；　or　so　affected　　the　mind　of　the　individual　that　he　could　never　be　happy　for　long　in　one　　place。　He　grew　tired　of　the　people；　and　had　no　peace　among　the　enmities　　which　he　excited；　while　the　people　themselves　in　their　turn　demanded　　something　new。　Much　as　this　life　reminds　us　of　the　Greek　sophists　of　　the　Empire；　as　described　to　us　by　Philostratus；　yet　the　position　of　the　　sophists　was　more　favourable。　They　often　had　money；　or　could　more　　easily　do　without　it　than　the　humanists；　and　as　professional　teachers　　of　rhetoric；　rather　than　men　of　learning；　their　life　was　freer　and　　simpler。　But　the　scholar　of　the　Renaissance　was　forced　to　combine　great　　learning　with　the　power　of　resisting　the　influence　of　ever…changing　　pursuits　and　situations。　Add　to　this　the　deadening　effect　of　licentious　　excess；　andsince　do　what　he　might；　the　worst　was　believed　of　hima　　total　indifference　to　the　moral　laws　recognized　by　others。　Such　men　can　　hardly　be　conceived　to　exist　without　an　inordinate　pride。　They　needed　　it；　if　only　to　keep　their　heads　above　water；　and　were　confirmed　in　it　　by　the　admiration　which　alternated　with　hatred　in　the　treatment　they　　received　from　the　world。　They　are　the　most　striking　examples　and　　victims　of　an　unbridled　subjectivity。

The　attacks　and　the　satirical　pictures　began；　as　we　have　said；　at　an　　early　period。　For　all　strongly　marked　individuality；　for　every　kind　of　　distinction；　a　corrective　was　at　hand　in　the　national　taste　for　　ridicule。　And　in　this　case　the　men　themselves　offered　abundant　and　　terrible　materials　which　satire　had　but　to　make　use　of。　In　the　　fifteenth　century；　Battista　Mantovano；　in　discoursing　of　the　seven　　monsters；　includes　the　humanists；　with　any　others；　under　the　head　　'Superbia。'　He　describes　how；　fancying　themselves　children　of　Apollo；　　they　walk　along　with　affected　solemnity　and　with　sullen；　malicious　　looks；　now　gazing　t　their　own　shadow；　now　brooding　over　the　popular　　praise　they　hunted　after；　like　cranes　in　search　of　food。　But　in　the　　sixteenth　century　the　indictment　was　presented　in　full。　Besides　　Ariosto；　their　own　historian　Gyraldus　gives　evidence　of　this；　whose　　treatise；　written　under　Leo　X；　was　probably　revised　about　the　year　　1540。　Warning　examples　from　ancient　and　modern　times　the　moral　disorder　　and　the　wretched　existence　of　the　scholars　meet　us　in　astonishing　　abundance；　and　along　with　these；　accusations　of　the　most　serious　nature　　are　brought　formally　against　them。　Among　these　are　anger；　vanity；　　obstinacy；　self…adoration；　dissolute　private　life；　immorality　of　all　　descriptions；　heresy；　theism；　further；　the　habit　of　speaking　without　　conviction；　a　sinister　influence　on　government；　pedantry　of　speech；　　thanklessness　towards　teachers；　and　abject　flattery　of　the　great；　who　　st　give　the　scholar　a　taste　of　their　favours　and　then　leave　m　to　　starve。　The　description　is　closed　by　a　reference　to　the　den　age；　when　　no　such　thing　as　science　existed　on　the　earth。　these　charges；　that　of　　heresy　soon　became　the　most　dangers；　and　Gyraldus　himself；　when　he　　afterwards　republished　a　perfectly　harmless　youthful　work；　was　　compelled　to　take　refuge　neath　the　mantle　of　Duke　Ercole　II　of　Ferrara；　　since　men　had　the　upper　hand　who　held　that　people　had　better　spend　　their　time　on　Christian　themes　than　on　mythological　researches。　　justifies　himself　on　the　ground　that　the　latter；　on　the　contrary；　were　　at　such　a　time　almost　the　only　harmless　branches　of　study；　as　they　deal　　with　subjects　of　a　perfectly　neutral　character。

But　if　it　is　the　duty　of　the　historian　to　seek　for　evidence　in　which　　moral　judgement　is　tempered　by　human　sympathy；　he　11　find　no　authority　　comparable　in　value　to　the　work　so　often　quoted　of　Pierio　Valeriano；　　'On　the　Infelicity　of　the　Scholar。'　It　was　written　under　the　gloomy　　impressions　left　by　the　sack　of　Rome；　which　seems　to　the　writer；　not　　only　the　direct　cause　of　untold　misery　to　the　men　of　learning；　but；　as　　it　were；　the　fulfilment　of　an　evil　destiny　which　had　long　pursued　them。　　Pierio　is　here　led　by　a　simple　and；　on　the　whole；　just　feeling。　He　does　　not　introduce　a　special　power；　which　plagued　the　men　of　genius　on　　account　of　their　genius；　but　he　s