the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第31章

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re　　cautious；　with　a　view　to　the　consequences；　he　wishes　to　see　the　desire　　of　triumph　banished　altogether　from　jokes　and　'burle。'　He　is　the　herald　　of　a　reaction；　which　was　certain　sooner　or　later　to　appear。

Italy　had；　in　fact；　become　a　school　for　scandal；　the　like　of　which　the　　world　cannot　show；　not　even　in　France　at　the　time　of　Voltaire。　In　him　　and　his　comrades　there　was　assuredly　no　lack　of　the　spirit　of　negation；　　but　where；　in　the　eighteenth　century；　was　to　be　found　the　crowd　of　　suitable　victims；　that　countless　assembly　of　highly　and　　characteristically　developed　human　beings；　celebrities　of　every　kind；　　statesmen；　churchmen；　inventors；　and　discoverers；　men　of　letters；　poets　　and　artists；　all　of　whom　then　gave　the　fullest　and　freest　play　to　their　　individuality。　This　host　existed　in　the　fifteenth　and　sixteenth　　centuries；　and　by　its　side　the　general　culture　of　the　time　had　educated　　a　poisonous　brood　of　impotent　wits；　of　born　critics　and　railers；　whose　　envy　called　for　hecatombs　of　victims；　and　to　all　this　was　added　the　　envy　of　the　famous　men　among　themselves。　In　this　the　philologists　　notoriously　led　the　wayFilelfo；　Poggio；　Lorenzo　Valla；　and　others　while　the　artists　of　the　fifteenth　century　lived　in　peaceful　and　　friendly　competition　with　one　another。　The　history　of　art　may　take　note　　of　the　fact。

Florence；　the　great　market　of　fame；　was　in　this　point；　as　we　have　said；　　in　advance　of　other　cities。　'Sharp　eyes　and　bad　tongues'　is　the　　description　given　of　the　inhabitants。　An　easygoing　contempt　of　　everything　and　everybody　was　probably　the　prevailing　tone　of　society。　　Machiavelli；　in　the　remarkable　prologue　to　his　'Mandragola；'　refers　　rightly　or　wrongly　the　visible　decline　of　moral　force　to　the　general　　habit　of　evil…speaking；　and　threatens　his　detractors　with　the　news　that　　he　can　say　sharp　things　as　well　as　they。　Next　to　Florence　comes　the　　Papal　court；　which　had　long　been　a　rendezvous　of　the　bitterest　and　　wittiest　tongues。　Poggio's　'Facetiae'　are　dated　from　the　Chamber　of　　Lies　_（bugiale）　_of　the　apostolic　notaries；　and　when　we　remember　the　　number　of　disappointed　place…hunters；　of　hopeless　competitors　and　　enemies　of　the　favorites；　of　idle；　profligate　prelates　there　assembled；　　it　is　intelligible　how　Rome　became　the　home　of　the　savage　pasquinade　as　　well　as　of　more　philosophical　satire。　If　we　add　to　this　the　widespread　　hatred　borne　to　the　priests；　and　the　well…known　instinct　of　the　mob　to　　lay　any　horror　to　the　charge　of　the　great；　there　results　an　untold　mass　　of　infamy。　Those　who　were　able；　protected　themselves　best　by　contempt　　both　of　the　false　and　true　accusations；　and　by　brilliant　and　joyous　　display。　More　sensitive　natures　sank　into　utter　despair　when　they　found　　themselves　deeply　involved　in　guilt；　and　still　more　deeply　in　slander。　　In　course　of　time　calumny　became　universal；　and　the　strictest　virtue　　was　most　certain　of　all　to　challenge　the　attacks　of　malice。　Of　the　　great　pulpit　orator；　Fra　Egidio　of　Viterbo；　whom　Leo　made　a　cardinal　on　　account　of　his　merits；　and　who　showed　himself　a　man　of　the　people　and　a　　brave　monk　in　the　calamity　of　1527；　Giovio　gives　us　to　understand　that　　he　preserved　his　ascetic　pallor　by　the　smoke　of　wet　straw　and　other　　means　of　the　same　kind。　Giovio　is　a　genuine　Curial　in　these　matters。　He　　generally　begins　by　telling　his　story；　then　adds　that　he　does　not　　believe　it；　and　then　hints　at　the　end　that　perhaps　after　all　there　may　　be　something　in　it。　But　the　true　scapegoat　of　Roman　scorn　was　the　pious　　and　moral　Adrian　VI。　A　general　agreement　seemed　to　be　made　to　take　him　　only　on　the　comic　side。　He　fell　out　from　the　first　with　the　formidable　　Francesco　Berni；　threatening　to　have　thrown　into　the　Tiber　not；　as　　people　said；　the　statue　of　Pasquino；　but　the　writers　of　the　satires　　themselves。　The　vengeance　for　this　was　the　famous　'Capitolo'　against　　Pope　Adriano；　inspired　not　exactly　by　hatred；　but　by　contempt　for　the　　comical　Dutch　barbarian；　the　more　savage　menaces　were　reserved　for　the　　cardinals　who　had　elected　him。　The　plague；　which　then　was　prevalent　in　　Rome；　was　ascribed　to　him；　Berni　and　others　sketch　the　environment　of　　the　Pope　with　the　same　sparkling　untruthfulness　with　which　the　modern　　_feuilletoniste　_turns　black　into　white；　and　everything　into　anything。　　The　biography　which　Paolo　Giovio　was　commissioned　to　write　by　the　　cardinal　of　Tortosa；　and　which　was　to　have　been　a　eulogy；　is　for　anyone　　who　can　read　between　the　lines　an　unexampled　piece　of　satire。　It　sounds　　ridiculous　at　least　for　the　Italians　of　that　timeto　hear　how　Adrian　　applied　to　the　Chapter　of　Saragossa　for　the　jawbone　of　St。　Lambert；　how　　the　devout　Spaniards　decked　him　out　till　he　looked　'like　a　right　well…　dressed　Pope'；　how　he　came　in　a　confused　and　tasteless　procession　from　　Ostia　to　Rome；　took　counsel　about　burning　or　drowning　Pasquino；　would　　suddenly　break　off　the　most　important　business　when　dinner　was　　announced；　and　lastly；　at　the　end　of　an　unhappy　reign；　how　be　died　of　　drinking　too　much　beerwhereupon　the　house　of　his　physician　was　hung　　with　garlands　by　midnight　revellers；　and　adorned　with　the　inscription；　　'Liberatori　Patriae　S。P。Q。R。'　It　is　true　that　Giovio　had　lost　his　money　　in　the　general　confiscation　of　public　funds；　and　had　only　received　a　　benefice　by　way　of　compensation　because　he　was　'no　poet；'　that　is　to　　say；　no　pagan。　But　it　was　decreed　that　Adrian　should　be　the　last　great　　victim。　After　the　disaster　which　befell　Rome　in　1527；　slander　visibly　　declined　along　with　the　unrestrained　wickedness　of　private　life。

*　*　*

But　while　it　was　still　flourishing　was　developed；　chiefly　in　Rome　the　　greatest　railer　of　modern　times；　Pietro　Aretino。　A　glance　at　his　life　　and　character　will　save　us　the　trouble　of　noticing　many　less　　distinguished　members　of　his　class。

We　know　him　chiefly　in　the　last　thirty　years　of　his　life；　（1527…56）；　　which　he　passed　in　Venice；　the　only　asylum　possible　for　him。　From　hence　　he　kept　all　that　was　famous　in　Italy　in　a　kind　of　state　of　siege；　and　　here　were　delivered　the　presents　of　the　foreign　princes　who　needed　or　　dreaded　his　pen。　Charles　V　and　Francis　I　both　pensioned　him　at　the　same　　time；　each　hoping　that　Aretino　would　do　some　mischief　to　the　other。　　Aretino　flattered　both；　but　naturally　attached　himself　more　closely　to　　Charles；　because　he　remained　master　in　Italy。　After　the　Emperor's　　victory　at　Tunis　in　1535；　this　tone　of　adulation　passed　into　the　most　　ludicrous　worship；　in　observing　which　it　must　not　be　forgotten　that　　Aretino　constantly　cherished　the　hope　that　Charles　would　help　him　to　a　　cardinal's　hat。　It　is　probable　that　he　enjoyed　special　protection　as　　Spanish　agent；　as　his　speech　or　silence　could　have　no　small　effect　on　　the　smaller　Italian　courts　and　on　public　opinion　in　Italy。　He　affected　　utterly　to　despise　the　Papal　court　because　he　knew　it　so　well；　the　true　　reason　was　that　Rome　neither　could　nor　would　pay　him　any　longer。　　Venice；　which　sheltered　him；　he　was　wise　enough　to　leave　unassailed。　　The　rest　of　his　relations　with　the　great　is　mere　beggary　and　vulgar　　extortion。

Aretino　affords　the　first　great　instance　of　the　abuse　of　publicity　to　　such　ends。　The　polemical　writings　which　a　hundred　years　earlier　Poggio　　and　his　opponents　interchanged；　are　just　as　infamous　in　their　tone　and　　purpose；　but　they　were　not　composed　for　the　press；　but　for　a　sort　of　　private　circulation。　Aretino　made　all　his　profit　out　of　a　complete　　publicity；　and　in　a　certain　sense　may　be　considered　the　father　of　　modern　journalism。　His　letters　and　miscellaneous　articles　were　printed　　periodically；　after　they　had　already　been　circulated　among　a　tolerably　　extensive　public。

Compared　with　the　sharp　pens　of　the　eighteenth　century；　Aretino　had　the　　advantage　that　he　was　not　burdened　with　principles；　neither　with　　liberalism　nor　philanthropy　nor　any　other　virtue；　nor　even　with　　science；　his　whole　baggage　consisted　of　the　well…known　motto；　'Veritas　　odium　parit。'　He　never；　conse…　quently；　found　himself　in　the　false　　position　of　Voltaire；　who　was　forced　to　disown　his　'Pucelle'　and　　conceal　all　his　life　the　authorship　of　other　works。　Aretino　put　his　　name　to　all　he　wrote；　and　openly　gloried　in　his　notorious　　'Ragionamenti。'　His　literary　talent；　his　clear　and　sparkling　s