the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第51部分

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e　insignificance　and　imperfect　　representation　of　its　characters。

Other　merits　are　allowed　to　belong　to　it；　among　the　rest；　that　for　　three　centuries　it　has　been　actually　read　and　constantly　reprinted；　　while　nearly　the　whole　of　the　epic　poetry　of　other　nations　has　become　a　　mere　matter　of　literary　or　historical　curiosity。　Does　this　perhaps　lie　　in　the　taste　of　the　readers；　who　demand　something　different　from　what　　would　satisfy　a　northern　public？　Certainly；　without　the　power　of　　entering　to　some　degree　into　Italian　sentiment；　it　is　impossible　to　　appreciate　the　characteristic　excellence　of　these　poems；　and　many　　distinguished　men　declare　that　they　can　make　nothing　of　them。　And　in　　truth；　if　we　criticize　Pulci；　Boiardo；　Ariosto；　and　Berni　solely　with　　an　eye　to　their　thought　and　matter；　we　shall　fail　to　do　them　justice。　　They　are　artists　of　a　peculiar　kind；　who　write　for　a　people　which　is　　distinctly　and　eminently　artistic。

The　mediaeval　legends　had　lived　on　after　the　gradual　extinction　of　the　　poetry　of　chivalry；　partly　in　the　form　of　rhyming　adaptations　and　　collections；　and　partly　of　novels　in　prose。　The　latter　was　the　case　in　　Italy　during　the　fourteenth　century；　but　the　newly…awakened　memories　of　　antiquity　were　rapidly　growing　up　to　a　gigantic　size；　and　soon　cast　　into　the　shade　all　the　fantastic　creations　of　the　Middle　Ages。　　Boccaccio；　for　example；　in　his　'Visione　Amorosa；'　names　among　the　　heroes　in　his　enchanted　palace　Tristram；　Arthur；　Galeotto；　and　others；　　but　briefly；　as　if　he　were　ashamed　to　speak　of　them；　and　following　　writers　either　do　not　name　them　at　all；　or　name　them　only　for　purposes　　of　ridicule。　But　the　people　kept　them　in　its　memory；　and　from　the　　people　they　passed　into　the　hands　of　the　poets　of　the　fifteenth　　century。　These　were　now　able　to　conceive　and　represent　their　subjects　　in　a　wholly　new　manner。　But　they　did　more。　They　introduced　into　it　a　　multitude　of　fresh　elements；　and　in　fact　recast　it　from　beginning　to　　end。　It　must　not　be　expected　of　them　that　they　should　treat　such　　subjects　with　the　respect　once　felt　for　them。　All　other　countries　must　　envy　them　the　advantage　of　having　a　popular　interest　of　this　kind　to　　appeal　to；　but　they　could　not　without　hypocrisy　treat　these　myths　with　　any　respect。

Instead　of　this；　they　moved　with　victorious　freedom　in　the　new　field　　which　poetry　had　won。　What　they　chiefly　aimed　at　seems　to　have　been　　that　their　poems；　when　recited；　should　produce　the　most　harmonious　and　　exhilarating　effect。　These　works　indeed　gain　immensely　when　they　are　　repeated；　not　as　a　whole；　but　piecemeal；　and　with　a　slight　touch　of　　comedy　in　voice　and　gesture。　A　deeper　and　more　detailed　portrayal　of　　character　would　do　little　to　enhance　this　effect；　though　the　reader　may　　desire　it；　the　hearer；　who　sees　the　rhapsodist　standing　before　him；　and　　who　hears　only　one　piece　at　a　time；　does　not　think　about　it　at　all。　　With　respect　to　the　figures；　which　the　poet　found　ready　made　for　him；　　his　feeling　was　of　a　double　kind；　his　humanistic　culture　protested　　against　their　mediaeval　character；　and　their　combats　as　counterparts　of　　the　battles　and　tournaments　of　the　poet's　own　age　exercised　all　his　　knowledge　and　artistic　power；　while　at　the　same　time　they　called　forth　　all　the　highest　qualities　in　the　reciter。　Even　in　Pulci；　accordingly；　　we　find　no　parody；　strictly　speaking；　of　chivalry；　nearly　humour　of　his　　paladins　at　times　approaches　it。　By　their　side　stands　the　ideal　of　　pugnacitythe　droll　and　jovial　Morgantewho　masters　whole　armies　with　　his　bellclapper；　and　who　is　himself　thrown　into　relief　by　contrast　with　　the　grotesque　and　most　interesting　monster　Margutte。　Yet　Pulci　lays　no　　special　stress　on　these　two　rough　and　vigorous　characters；　and　his　　story；　long　after　they　had　disappeared　from　it；　maintains　its　singular　　course。　Boiardo　treats　his　characters　with　the　same　mastery；　using　them　　for　serious　or　comic　purposes　as　he　pleases；　he　has　his　fun　even　out　of　　supernatural　beings；　whom　he　sometimes　intentionally　depicts　as　louts。　　But　there　is　one　artistic　aim　which　he　pursues　as　earnestly　as　Pulci；　　namely；　the　lively　and　exact　description　of　all　that　goes　forward。　　Pulci　recited　his　poem；　as　one　book　after　another　was　finished；　before　　the　society　of　Lorenzo　il　Magnifico；　and　in　the　same　way　Boiardo　　recited　his　at　the　court　of　Ercole　of　Ferrara。　It　may　be　easily　　imagined　what　sort　of　excellence　such　an　audience　demanded；　and　how　　little　thanks　a　profound　exposition　of　character　would　have　earned　for　　the　poet。　Under　these　circumstances　the　poems　naturally　formed　no　　complete　whole；　and　might　just　as　well　be　half　or　twice　as　long　as　they　　now　are。　Their　composition　is　not　that　of　a　great　historical　picture；　　but　rather　that　of　a　frieze；　or　of　some　rich　festoon　entwined　among　　groups　of　picturesque　figures。　And　precisely　as　in　the　figures　or　　tendrils　of　a　frieze　we　do　not　look　for　minuteness　of　execution　in　the　　individual　forms；　or　for　distant　perspectives　and　different　planes；　so　　we　must　as　little　expect　anything　of　the　kind　from　these　poems。

The　varied　richness　of　invention　which　continually　astonishes　us；　most　　of　all　in　the　case　of　Boiardo；　turns　to　ridicule　all　our　school　　definitions　as　to　the　essence　of　epic　poetry。　For　that　age；　this　form　　of　literature　was　the　most　agreeable　diversion　from　archaeological　　studies；　and；　indeed；　the　only　possible　means　of　re…establishing　an　　independent　class　of　narrative　poetry。　For　the　versification　of　ancient　　history　could　only　lead　to　the　false　tracks　which　were　trodden　by　　Petrarch　in　his　'Africa；'　written　in　Latin　hexameters；　and　a　hundred　　and　fifty　years　later　by　Trissino　in　his　'Italy　delivered　from　the　　Goths；'　composed　in　'versi　sciolti'a　never…ending　poem　of　faultless　　language　and　versification；　which　only　makes　us　doubt　whether　this　　unlucky　alliance　has　been　more　disastrous　to　history　or　to　poetry。

And　whither　did　the　example　of　Dante　beguile　those　who　imitated　him？　　The　visionary　'Trionfi'　of　Petrarch　were　the　last　of　the　works　written　　under　this　influence　which　satisfy　our　taste。　The　'Amorosa　Visione'　of　　Boccaccio　is　at　bottom　no　more　than　an　enumeration　of　historical　or　　fabulous　characters；　arranged　under　allegorical　categories。　Others　　preface　what　they　have　to　tell　with　a　baroque　imitation　of　Dante's　　first　canto；　and　provide　themselves　with　some　allegorical　comparison；　　to　take　the　place　of　Virgil。　Uberti；　for　example；　chose　Solinus　for　his　　geographical　poemthe　'Dittamondo'and　Giovanni　Santi；　Plutarch　for　　his　encomium　on　Federigo　of　Urbino。　The　only　salvation　of　the　time　from　　these　false　tendencies　lay　in　the　new　epic　poetry　which　was　represented　　by　Pulci　and　Boiardo。　The　admiration　and　curiosity　with　which　it　was　　received；　and　the　like　of　which　will　perhaps　never　fall　again　to　the　　lot　of　epic　poetry　to　the　end　of　time；　is　a　brilliant　proof　of　how　　great　was　the　need　of　it。　It　is　idle　to　ask　whether　that　epic　ideal　　which　our　own　day　has　formed　from　Homer　and　the　'Nibelungenlied'　is　or　　is　not　realized　in　these　works；　an　ideal　of　their　own　age　certainly　　was。　By　their　endless　descriptions　of　combats；　which　to　us　are　the　most　　fatiguing　part　of　these　poems；　they　satisfied；　as　we　have　already　said；　　a　practical　interest　of　which　it　is　hard　for　us　to　form　a　just　　conceptionas　hard；　indeed；　as　of　the　esteem　in　which　a　lively　and　　faithful　reflection　of　the　passing　moment　was　then　held。

Nor　can　a　more　inappropriate　test　be　applied　to　Ariosto　than　the　degree　　in　which　his　'Orlando　Furioso'　serves　for　the　representation　of　　character。　Characters；　indeed；　there　are；　and　drawn　with　an　　affectionate　care；　but　the　poem　does　not　depend　on　these　for　its　　effect；　and　would　lose；　rather　than　gain；　if　more　stress　were　laid　upon　　them。　But　the　demand　for　them　is　part　of　a　wider　and　more　general　　desire　which　Ariosto　fails　to　satisfy　as　our　day　would　wish　it　　satisfied。　From　a　poet　of　such　fame　and　such　mighty　gifts　we　would　　gladly　receive　something　better　than　the　adventures　of　Orlando。　From　　him　we　might　have　hoped　for　a　work　expressing　the　deepest　conflicts　of　　the　human　soul；　the　highest　thoughts　of　his　time　on　human　and　divine　　thingsin　a　word；　one　of　those　supreme　syntheses　like　the　'Divine　　Comedy'　or　'Faust。'　Instead　of　which　he　goes　to　work　like　the　visual　　artists　of　his　own　day；　not　caring　for　originality　in　our　sense　of　the　　word；　simply　reproducing　a　familiar　circle　of　figures；　and　even；　when　　it　suits　his　purpose；　making　use　of　the　details　left　him　by　his　　predecessors。　The　excellence　which；　in　spite　of　all　this；　can　　nevertheless　be　attained；　will　be　the　more　incomprehensible　to　people　　born　without　the　artistic　sense；　the　more　learned　and　intelligent　in　　other　respects　they　are。　The　artistic　aim　of　Ariosto　is　brilliant；　　living　action；　which　he　distributes　equally　through　the　whole　of　his　　great　poem。　For　this　end　he　needs　to　be　excused；　not　only　from　all　　deeper　expression　of　character；　but　also　from　maintaining　any　strict　　connection　in　his　narrative。　He　must　be　allowed　to　take　up　lost　and　　forgotten　threads　when　and　where　he　pleases；　his　heroes　must　come　and　　go；　not　because　their　character；　but　because　the　story　requires　it。　Yet　　in　this　apparently　irrational　and　arbitrary　style　of　composition　he　　displays　a　harmonious　beauty；　never　losing　himself　in　description；　but　　giving　only　such　a　sketch　of　scenes　and　persons　as　does　not　hinder　the　　flowing　movement　of　the　narrative。　Still　less　does　he　lose　himself　in　　conversation　and　monologue；　but　maintains　the　lofty　privilege　of　the　　true　epos；　by　transforming　all　into　living　narrative。　His　pathos　does　　not　lie　in　the　words；　not　even　in　the　famous　twentythird　and　following　　cantos；　where　Roland's　madness　is　described。　That　the　love…stories　in　　the　heroic　poem　are　without　all　lyrical　tenderness；　must　be　reckoned　a　　merit；　though　from　a　moral　point　of　view　they　cannot　always　be　　approved。　Yet　at　times　they　are　of　such　truth　and　reality；　　notwithstanding　all　；　and　romance　which　surrounds　them；　that　we　might　　think　them　personal　affairs　of　the　poet　himself。　In　the　full　　consciousness　of　his　own　genius；　he　does　not　scruple　to　interweave　t　he　　events　of　his　own　day　into　the　poem；　and　to　celebrate　the　fame　of　the　　house　of　Este　in　visions　and　prophecies。　The　wonderful　strea