the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第32章

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　and　openly　gloried　in　his　notorious　　'Ragionamenti。'　His　literary　talent；　his　clear　and　sparkling　style；　his　　varied　observation　of　men　and　things；　would　have　made　him　a　　considerable　writer　under　any　circumstances；　destitute　as　he　was　of　the　　power　of　conceiving　a　genuine　work　of　art；　such　as　a　true　dramatic　　comedy；　and　to　the　coarsest　as　well　as　the　most　refined　malice　he　added　　a　grotesque　wit　so　brilliant　that　in　some　cases　it　does　not　fall　short　　of　that　of　Rabelais。

In　such　circumstances；　and　with　such　objects　and　means；　he　set　to　work　　to　attack　or　circumvent　his　prey。　The　tone　in　which　he　appealed　to　　Clement　VII　not　to　complain　or　to　think　of　vengeance；　but　to　forgive；　　at　the　moment　when　the　wailings　of　the　devastated　city　were　ascending　　to　the　Castel　Sant'　Angelo；　where　the　Pope　himself　was　a　prisoner；　is　　the　mockery　of　a　devil　or　a　monkey。　Sometimes；　when　he　is　forced　to　　give　up　all　hope　of　presents；　his　fury　breaks　out　into　a　savage　howl；　　as　in　the　'Capitolo'　to　the　Prince　of　Salerno；　who　after　paying　him　for　　some　time　refused　to　do　so　any　longer。　On　the　other　hand；　it　seems　that　　the　terrible　Pierluigi　Farnese；　Duke　of　Parma；　never　took　any　notice　of　　him　at　all。　As　this　gentleman　had　probably　renounced　altogether　the　　pleasures　of　a　good　reputation；　it　was　not　easy　to　cause　him　any　　annoyance；　Aretino　tried　to　do　so　by　comparing　his　personal　appearance　　to　that　of　a　constable；　a　miller；　and　a　baker。　Aretino　is　most　comical　　of　all　in　the　expression　of　whining　mendicancy；　as　in　the　'Capitolo'　to　　Francis　I；　but　the　letters　and　poems　made　up　of　menaces　and　flattery　　cannot；　notwithstanding　all　that　is　ludicrous　in　them；　be　read　without　　the　deepest　disgust。　A　letter　like　that　one　of　his　written　to　　Michelangelo　in　November；　1545；　is　alone　of　its　kind；　along　with　all　　the　admiration　he　expresses　for　the　'Last　Judgement'　he　charges　him　　with　irreligion；　indecency；　and　theft　from　the　heirs　of　Julius　II；　and　　adds　in　a　conciliating　postscript；　'I　only　want　to　show　you　that　if　you　　are　〃divino；〃　I　am　not　〃d'acqua。〃　'　Aretino　laid　great　stress　upon　it　whether　from　the　insanity　of　conceit　or　by　way　of　caricaturing　famous　　menthat　he　himself　should　be　called　divine；　as　one　of　his　flatterers　　had　already　begun　to　do；　and　he　certainly　attained　so　much　personal　　celebrity　that　his　house　at　Arezzo　passed　for　one　of　the　sights　of　the　　place。　There　were　indeed　whole　months　during　which　he　never　ventured　to　　cross　his　threshold　at　Venice；　lest　he　should　fall　in　with　some　　incensed　Florentine　like　the　younger　Strozzi。　Nor　did　he　escape　the　　cudgels　and　the　daggers　of　his　enemies；　although　they　failed　to　have　　the　effect　which　Berni　prophesied　him　in　a　famous　sonnet。　Aretino　died　　in　his　house；　of　apoplexy。

The　differences　he　made　in　his　modes　of　flattery　are　remarkable：　in　　dealing　with　non…Italians　he　was　grossly　fulsome；　people　like　Duke　　Cosimo　of　Florence　he　treated　very　differently。　He　praised　the　beauty　　of　the　then　youthful　prince；　who　in　fact　did　share　this　quality　with　　Augustus　in　no　ordinary　degree；　he　praised　his　moral　conduct；　with　an　　oblique　reference　to　the　financial　pursuits　of　Cosimo's　mother；　Maria　　Salviati；　and　concluded　with　a　mendicant　whine　about　the　bad　times　and　　so　forth。　When　Cosimo　pensioned　him；　which　he　did　liberally；　　considering　his　habitual　parsimonyto　the　extent；　at　least；　of　160　　ducats　a　yearhe　had　doubtless　an　eye　to　Aretino's　dangerous　character　　as　Spanish　agent。　Aretino　could　ridicule　and　revile　Cosimo；　and　in　the　　same　breath　threaten　the　Florentine　agent　that　he　would　obtain　from　the　　Duke　his　immediate　recall；　and　if　the　Medicean　prince　felt　himself　at　　last　to　be　seen　through　by　Charles　V　he　would　naturally　not　be　anxious　　that　Aretino's　jokes　and　rhymes　against　him　should　circulate　at　the　　Imperial　court。　A　curiously　qualified　piece　of　flattery　was　that　　addressed　to　the　notorious　Marquis　of　Marignano；　who　as　Castellan　of　　Musso　had　attempted　to　found　an　independent　State。　Thanking　him　for　the　　gift　of　a　hundred　crowns；　Aretino　writes：　'All　the　qualities　which　a　　prince　should　have　are　present　in　you；　and　all　men　would　think　so；　were　　it　not　that　the　acts　of　violence　inevitable　at　the　beginning　of　all　　undertakings　cause　you　to　appear　a　trifle　rough　_（aspro）。'

_

It　has　often　been　noticed　as　something　singular　that　Aretino　only　　reviled　the　world；　and　not　God　also。　The　religious　belief　of　a　man　who　　lived　as　he　did　is　a　matter　of　perfect　indifference；　as　are　also　the　　edifying　writings　which　he　composed　for　reasons　of　his　own。　It　is　in　　fact　hard　to　say　why　he　should　have　been　a　blasphemer。　He　was　no　　professor；　or　theoretical　thinker　or　writer；　and　he　could　extort　no　　money　from　God　by　threats　or　flattery；　and　was　consequently　never　　goaded　into　blasphemy　by　a　refusal。　A　man　like　him　does　not　take　　trouble　for　nothing。

It　is　a　good　sign　for　the　present　spirit　of　Italy　that　such　a　character　　and　such　a　career　have　become　a　thousand　times　impossible。　But　　historical　criticism　will　always　find　in　Aretino　an　important　study。

Part　Three

The　Revival　of　Antiquity

Introductory

Now　that　this　point　in　our　historical　view　of　Italian　civilization　has　　been　reached；　it　is　time　to　speak　of　the　influence　of　antiquity；　the　　'new　birth'　of　which　has　been　one…sidedly　chosen　as　the　name　to　sum　up　　the　whole　period。　The　conditions　which　have　been　hitherto　described　　would　have　sufficed；　apart　from　antiquity；　to　upturn　and　to　mature　the　　national　mind；　and　most　of　the　intellectual　tendencies　which　yet　remain　　to　be　noticed　would　be　conceivable　without　it。　But　both　what　has　gone　　before　and　what　we　have　still　to　discuss　are　colored　in　a　thousand　ways　　by　the　influence　of　the　ancient　world；　and　though　the　essence　of　the　　phenomena　might　still　have　been　the　same　without　the　classical　revival；　　it　is　only　with　and　through　this　revival　that　they　are　actually　　manifested　to　us。　The　Renaissance　would　not　have　been　the　process　of　　world…wide　significance　which　it　is；　if　its　elements　could　be　so　easily　　separated　from　one　another。　We　must　insist　upon　it；　as　one　of　the　chief　　propositions　of　this　book；　that　it　was　not　the　revival　of　antiquity　　alone；　but　its　union　with　the　genius　of　the　Italian　people；　which　　achieved　the　conquest　of　the　western　world。　The　amount　of　independence　　which　the　national　spirit　maintained　in　this　union　varied　according　to　　circumstances。　In　the　modern　Latin　literature　of　the　period；　it　is　very　　small；　while　in　the　visual　arts；　as　well　as　in　other　spheres；　it　is　　remarkably　great；　and　hence　the　alliance　between　two　distant　epochs　in　　the　civilization　of　the　same　people；　because　concluded　on　equal　terms；　　proved　justifiable　and　fruitful。　The　rest　of　Europe　was　free　either　to　　repel　or　else　partly　or　wholly　to　accept　the　mighty　impulse　which　came　　forth　from　Italy。　Where　the　latter　was　the　case　we　may　as　well　be　　spared　the　complaints　over　the　early　decay　of　mediaeval　faith　and　　civilization。　Had　these　been　strong　enough　to　hold　their　ground；　they　　would　be　alive　to　this　day。　If　those　elegiac　natures　which　long　to　see　　them　return　could　pass　but　one　hour　in　the　midst　of　them；　they　would　　gasp　to　be　back　in　modern　air。　That　in　a　great　historical　process　of　　this　kind　flowers　of　exquisite　beauty　may　perish；　without　being　made　　immortal　in　poetry　or　tradition；　is　undoubtedly　true；　nevertheless；　we　　cannot　wish　the　process　undone。　The　general　result　of　it　consists　in　　thisthat　by　the　side　of　the　Church　which　had　hitherto　held　the　　countries　of　the　West　together　（though　it　was　unable　to　do　so　much　　longer）　there　arose　a　new　spiritual　influence　which；　spreading　itself　　abroad　from　Italy；　became　the　breath　of　life　for　all　the　more　　instructed　minds　in　Europe。　The　worst　that　can　be　said　of　the　movement　　is；　that　it　was　antipopular；　that　through　it　Europe　became　for　the　　first　time　sharply　divided　into　the　cultivated　and　uncultivated　　classes。　The　reproach　will　appear　groundless　when　we　reflect　that　even　　now　the　fact；　though　clearly　recognized；　cannot　be　altered。　The　　separation；　too；　is　by　no　means　so　cruel　and　absolute　in　Italy　as　　elsewhere。　The　most　artistic　of　her　poets；　Tasso；　is　in　the　hands　of　　even　the　poorest。

The　civilization　of　Greece　and　Rome；　which；　ever　s