the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第42章

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rk　would　not　be　paid　for　if　I　　gave　you　the　fairest　of　my　cities；　but　in　time　I　hope　to　satisfy　you。'

When　he　took　Giannozzo　Manetti　as　his　secretary　on　the　most　brilliant　　conditions；　he　said　to　him；　'My　last　crust　I　will　share　with　you。'　When　　Giannozzo　first　came　to　bring　the　congratulations　of　the　Florentine　　government　on　the　marriage　of　Prince　Ferrante；　the　impression　he　made　　was　so　great；　that　the　King　sat　motionless　on　the　throne；　'like　a　　brazen　statue；　and　did　not　even　brush　away　a　fly；　which　had　settled　on　　his　nose　at　the　beginning　of　the　oration。'　His　favorite　haunt　seems　to　　have　been　the　library　of　the　castle　at　Naples；　where　he　would　sit　at　a　　window　overlooking　the　bay；　and　listen　to　learned　debates　on　the　　Trinity。　For　he　was　profoundly　religious；　and　had　the　Bible；　as　well　as　　Livy　and　Seneca；　read　to　him；　till　after　fourteen　perusals　he　knew　it　　almost　by　heart。　Who　can　fully　understand　the　feeling　with　which　he　　regarded　the　suppositions　remains　of　Livy　at　Padua？　When；　by　dint　of　　great　entreaties；　he　obtained　an　arm…bone　of　the　skeleton　from　the　　Venetians；　and　received　it　with　solemn　pomp　at　Naples；　how　strangely　　Christian　and　pagan　sentiment　must　have　been　blended　in　his　heart！　　During　a　campaign　in　the　Abruzzi；　when　the　distant　Sulmona；　the　　birthplace　of　Ovid；　was　pointed　out　to　him；　he　saluted　the　spot　and　　returned　thanks　to　its　tutelary　genius。　It　gladdened　him　to　make　good　　the　prophecy　of　the　great　poet　as　to　his　future　fame。　Once　indeed；　at　　his　famous　entry　into　the　conquered　city　of　Naples　（1443）　he　himself　　chose　to　appear　before　the　world　in　ancient　style。　Not　far　from　the　　market　a　breach　forty　ells　wide　was　made　in　the　wall；　and　through　this　　he　drove　in　a　gilded　chariot　like　a　Roman　Triumphator。　The　memory　of　　the　scene　is　preserved　by　a　noble　triumphal　arch　of　marble　in　the　　Castello　Nuovo。　His　Neapolitan　successors　inherited　as　little　of　this　　passion　for　antiquity　as　of　his　other　good　qualities。

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'　　Pa