the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第58章

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t　have　been　common　from　the　time　of　　the　Crusades。　In　Italy；　a　special　inducement　to　perfect　the　breed　was　　offered　by　the　prizes　at　the　horse…races　held　in　every　considerable　　town　in　the　peninsula。　In　the　Mantuan　stables　were　found　the　in…　　fallible　winners　in　these　contests；　as　well　as　the　best　military　　chargers；　and　the　horses　best　suited　by　their　stately　appearance　for　　presents　to　great　people。　Gonzaga　kept　stallions　and　mares　from　Spain；　　Ireland；　Africa；　Thrace；　and　Cilicia；　and　for　the　sake　of　the　last　he　　cultivated　the　friendship　of　the　Sultans。　All　possible　experiments　were　　here　tried；　in　order　to　produce　the　most　perfect　animals。

Even　human　menageries　were　not　wanting。　The　famous　Cardinal　Ippolito　　Medici；　bastard　of　Giuliano；　Duke　of　Nemours；　kept　at　his　strange　court　　a　troop　of　barbarians　who　talked　no　less　than　twenty　different　　languages；　and　who　were　all　of　them　perfect　specimens　of　their　races。　　Among　them　were　incomparable　_voltigeurs　_of　the　best　blood　of　the　　North　African　Moors；　Tartar　bowmen；　Negro　wrestlers；　Indian　divers；　and　　Turks；　who　generally　accompanied　the　Cardinal　on　his　hunting　　expeditions。　When　he　was　overtaken　by　an　early　death　（1535）；　this　　motley　band　carried　the　corpse　on　their　shoulders　from　Itri　to　Rome；　　and　mingled　with　the　general　mourning　for　the　open…handed　Cardinal　　their　medley　of　tongues　and　violent　gesticulations。

These　scattered　notices　of　the　relations　of　the　Italians　to　natural　　science；　and　their　interest　in　the　wealth　and　variety　of　the　products　　of　nature；　are　only　fragments　of　a　great　subject。　No　one　is　more　　conscious　than　the　author　of　the　defects　in　his　knowledge　on　this　　point。　Of　the　multitude　of　special　works　in　which　the　subject　is　　adequately　treated；　even　the　names　are　but　imperfectly　known　to　him。

Discovery　of　the　Beauty　of　Landscape

But　outside　the　sphere　of　scientific　investigation；　there　is　another　　way　to　draw　near　to　nature。　The　Italians　are　the　first　among　modern　　peoples　by　whom　the　outward　world　was　seen　and　felt　as　something　　beautiful。

The　power　to　do　so　is　always　the　result　of　a　long　and　complicated　　development；　and　its　origin　is　not　easily　detected；　since　a　dim　feeling　　of　this　kind　may　exist　long　before　it　shows　itself　in　poetry　and　　painting　and　thereby　becomes　conscious　of　itself。　Among　the　ancients；　　for　example；　art　and　poetry　had　gone　through　the　whole　circle　of　human　　interests；　before　they　turned　to　the　representation　of　nature；　and　even　　then　the　latter　filled　always　a　limited　and　subordinate　place。　And　yet；　　from　the　time　of　Homer　downwards；　the　powerful　impression　made　by　　nature　upon　man　is　shown　by　countless　verses　and　chance　expressions。　　The　Germanic　races；　which　founded　their　States　on　the　ruins　of　the　　Roman　Empire；　were　thoroughly　and　specially　fitted　to　understand　the　　spirit　of　natural　scenery；　and　though　Christianity　compelled　them　for　a　　while　to　see　in　the　springs　and　mountains；　in　the　lakes　and　woods；　　which　they　had　till　then　revered；　the　working　of　evil　demons；　yet　this　　transitional　conception　was　soon　outgrown。　By　the　year　1200；　at　the　　height　of　the　Middle　Ages；　a　genuine；　hearty　enjoyment　of　the　external　　world　was　again　in　existence；　and　found　lively　expres…　sion　in　the　　minstrelsy　of　different　nations；　which　gives　evidence　of　the　sympathy　　felt　with　all　the　simple　phenomena　of　nature　spring　with　its　flowers；　　the　green　fields　and　the　woods。　But　these　pictures　are　all　foreground　　without　perspective。　Even　the　crusaders；　who　travelled　so　far　and　saw　　so　much；　are　not　recognizable　as　such　in　their　poems。　The　epic　poetry；　　which　describes　amour　and　costumes　so　fully；　does　not　attempt　more　than　　a　sketch　of　outward　nature；　and　even　the　great　Wolfram　von　Eschenbach　　scarcely　anywhere　gives　us　an　adequate　picture　of　the　scene　on　which　　his　heroes　move。　From　these　poems　it　would　never　be　guessed　that　their　　noble　authors　in　all　countries　inhabited　or　visited　lofty　castles；　　commanding　distant　prospects。　Even　in　the　Latin　poems　of　the　wandering　　clerks；　we　find　no　traces　of　a　distant　viewof　landscape　properly　so　　called　but　what　lies　near　is　sometimes　described　with　a　glory　and　　splendor　which　none　of　the　knightly　minstrels　can　surpass。　What　picture　　of　the　Grove　of　Love　can　equal　that　of　the　Italian　poet　　for　such　we　　take　him　to　beof　the　twelfth　century？

'Immortalis　fieret　Ibi　manens　homo；　Arbor　ibi　quaelibet　Suo　gaudet　　pomo；　Viae　myrrha；　cinnamo　Fragrant；　et　amomo　Conjectari　poterat　　Dominus　ex　domo'　etc。

To　the　Italian　mind；　at　all　events；　nature　had　by　this　time　lost　its　　taint　of　sin；　and　had　shaken　off　all　trace　of　demoniacal　powers。　Saint　　Francis　of　Assisi；　in　his　Hymn　to　the　Sun；　frankly　praises　the　Lord　for　　creating　the　heavenly　bodies　and　the　four　elements。

But　the　unmistakable　proofs　of　a　deepening　effect　of　nature　on　the　　human　spirit　begin　with　Dante。　Not　only　does　he　awaken　in　us　by　a　few　　vigorous　lines　the　sense　of　the　morning　air　and　the　trembling　light　on　　the　distant　ocean；　or　of　the　grandeur　of　the　storm…beaten　forest；　but　　he　makes　the　ascent　of　lofty　peaks；　with　the　only　possible　object　of　　enjoying　the　viewthe　first　man；　perhaps；　since　the　days　of　antiquity　　who　did　so。　In　Boccaccio　we　can　do　little　more　than　infer　how　country　　scenery　affected　him；　yet　his　pastoral　romances　show　his　imagination　to　　have　been　filled　with　it。　But　the　significance　of　nature　for　a　　receptive　spirit　is　fully　and　clearly　displayed　by　Petrarchone　of　the　　first　truly　modern　men。　That　clear　soulwho　first　collected　from　the　　literature　of　all　countries　evidence　of　the　origin　and　progress　of　the　　sense　of　natural　beauty；　and　himself；　in　his　'Aspects　of　Nature；'　　achieved　the　noblest　masterpiece　of　descriptionAlexander　von　Humboldt　　has　not　done　full　justice　to　Petrarch；　and　following　in　the　steps　of　　the　great　reaper；　we　may　still　hope　to　glean　a　few　ears　of　interest　and　　value。

Petrarch　was　not　only　a　distinguished　geographerthe　first　map　of　　Italy　is　said　to　have　been　drawn　by　his　directionand　not　only　a　　reproducer　of　the　sayings　of　the　ancients；　but　felt　himself　the　　influence　of　natural　beauty。　The　enjoyment　of　nature　is；　for　him；　the　　favorite　accompaniment　of　intellectual　pursuits；　it　was　to　combine　the　　two　that　he　lived　in　learned　retirement　at　Vaucluse　and　elsewhere；　that　　he　from　time　to　time　fled　from　the　world　and　from　his　age。　We　should　do　　him　wrong　by　inferring　from　his　weak　and　undeveloped　power　of　　describing　natural　scenery　that　he　did　not　feel　it　deeply。　His　picture；　　for　instance；　of　the　lovely　Gulf　of　Spezia　and　Porto　Venere；　which　he　　inserts　at　the　end　of　the　sixth　book　of　the　'Africa；'　for　the　reason　　that　none　of　the　ancients　or　moderns　had　sung　of　it；　is　no　more　than　a　　simple　enumeration；　but　Petrarch　is　also　conscious　of　the　beauty　of　　rock　scenery；　and　is　perfectly　able　to　distinguish　the　picturesqueness　　from　the　utility　of　nature。　During　his　stay　among　the　woods　of　Reggio；　　the　sudden　sight　of　an　impressive　landscape　so　affected　him　that　he　　resumed　a　poem　which　he　had　long　laid　aside。　But　the　deep…　est　　impression　of　all　was　made　upon　him　by　the　ascent　of　Mont　Ventoux；　near　　Avignon。　An　indefinable　longing　for　a　distant　panorama　grew　stronger　　and　stronger　in　him；　till　at　length　the　accidental　sight　of　a　passage　　in　Livy；　where　King　Philip；　the　enemy　of　Rome；　ascends　the　Haemus；　　decided　him。　He　thought　that　what　was　not　blamed　in　a　greyheaded　　monarch；　might　well　be　_excused　_in　a　young　man　of　private　station。　The　　ascent　of　a　mountain　for　its　own　sake　was　unheard　of；　and　there　could　　be　no　thought　of　the　companionship　of　friends　or　acquaintances。　　Petrarch　took　with　him　only　his　younger　brother　and　two　country　people　　from　the　last　place　where　he　halted。　At　the　foot　of　the　mountain　an　old　　herdsman　besought　him　to　turn　back；　saying　that　he　himself　had　　attempted　to　climb　it　fifty　years　before；　and　had　brought　home　nothing　　but　repentance；　broken　bones；　and　torn　clothes；　and　that　neither　before　　nor　after　had　anyone　ventured　to　do　the　same。　Nevertheless；　they　　struggled　forward　and　upward；　till　the　clouds　lay　beneath　their　feet；　　and　at　last　they　reached　the　top。　A　description　of　the　view　from　the　　summit　would　be　looked　for　in　vain；　not　because　the　poet　was　insensible