the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第66章

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rope。　It　is　well　known　how　speedily　and　unanimously　in　　recent　times　the　reports　of　the　Venetian　embassies　in　the　sixteenth　and　　seventeenth　centuries　have　been　recognized　as　authorities　of　the　first　　order　for　personal　description。　Even　autobiography　takes　here　and　there　　in　Italy　a　bold　and　vigorous　flight；　and　puts　before　us；　together　with　　the　most　varied　incidents　of　external　life；　striking　revelations　of　the　　inner　man。　Among　other　nations；　even　in　Germany　at　the　time　of　the　　Reformation；　it　deals　only　with　outward　experiences；　and　leaves　us　to　　guess　at　the　spirit　within　from　the　style　of　the　narrative。　It　seems　as　　though　Dante's　'Vita　Nuova；'　with　the　inexorable　truthfulness　which　　runs　through　it；　had　shown　his　people　the　way。

The　beginnings　of　autobiography　are　to　be　traced　in　the　family　　histories　of　the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuries；　which　are　said　to　　be　not　uncommon　as　manuscripts　in　the　Florentine　librariesunaffected　　narratives　written　for　the　sake　of　the　individual　or　of　his　family；　　like　that　of　Buonaccorso　Pitti。

A　profound　self…analysis　is　not　to　be　looked　for　in　the　'Commentaries'　　of　Pius　II。　What　we　here　learn　of　him　as　a　man　seems　at　first　sight　to　　be　chiefly　confined　to　the　account　which　he　gives　of　the　various　steps　　in　his　career。　But　further　reflection　will　lead　us　to　a　different　　conclusion　with　regard　to　this　remarkable　book。　There　are　men　who　are　　by　nature　mirrors　of　what　surrounds　them。　It　would　be　irrelevant　to　ask　　incessantly　after　their　convictions；　their　spiritual　struggles；　their　　inmost　victories　and　achievements。　Aeneas　Sylvius　lived　wholly　in　the　　interest　which　lay　near；　without　troubling　himself　about　the　problems　　and　contradictions　of　life。　His　Catholic　orthodoxy　gave　him　all　the　　help　of　this　kind　which　he　needed。　And　at　all　events；　after　taking　part　　in　every　intellectual　movement　which　interested　his　age；　and　notably　　furthering　some　of　them；　he　still　at　the　close　of　his　earthly　course　　retained　character　enough　to　preach　a　crusade　against　the　Turks；　and　to　　die　of　grief　when　it　came　to　nothing。

Nor　is　the　autobiography　of　Benvenuto　Cellini；　any　more　than　that　of　　Pius　II；　founded　on　introspection。　And　yet　it　describes　the　whole　man　not　always　willinglywith　marvelous　truth　and　completeness。　It　is　no　　small　matter　that　Benvenuto；　whose　most　important　works　have　perished　　half　finished；　and　who；　as　an　artist；　is　perfect　only　in　his　little　　decorative　speciality；　but　in　other　respects；　if　judged　by　the　works　of　　him　which　remain；　is　surpassed　by　so　many　of　his　greater　　contemporariesthat　Benvenuto　as　a　man　will　interest　mankind　to　the　　end　of　time。　It　does　not　spoil　the　impression　when　the　reader　often　　detects　him　bragging　or　lying；　the　stamp　of　a　mighty；　energetic；　and　　thoroughly　developed　nature　remains。　By　his　side　our　modern　　autobiographers；　though　their　tendency　and　moral　character　may　stand　　much　higher；　appear　incomplete　beings。　He　is　a　man　who　can　do　all　and　　dares　do　all；　and　who　carries　his　measure　in　himself。　Whether　we　like　　him　or　not；　he　lives；　such　as　he　was；　as　a　significant　type　of　the　　modern　spirit。

Another　man　deserves　a　brief　mention　in　connection　with　this　subjecta　　man　who；　like　Benvenuto；　was　not　a　model　of　veracity：　Girolamo　Cardano　　of　Milan　（b。　1500）。　His　little　book；　'De　propria　vita；'　will　outlive　　and　eclipse　his　fame　in　philosophy　and　natural　science；　just　as　　Benvenuto's　Life；　though　its　value　is　of　another　kind；　has　thrown　his　　works　into　the　shade。　Cardano　is　a　physician　who　feels　his　own　pulse；　　and　describes　his　own　physical；　moral；　and　intellectual　nature；　　together　with　all　the　conditions　under　which　it　had　developed；　and　　this；　to　the　best　of　his　ability；　honestly　and　sincerely。　The　work　　which　he　avowedly　took　as　his　modelthe　'Confessions'　of　Marcus　　Aureliushe　was　able；　hampered　as　he　was　by　no　stoical　maxims；　to　　surpass　in　this　particular。　He　desires　to　spare　neither　himself　nor　　others；　and　begins　the　narrative　of　his　career　with　the　statement　that　　his　mother　tried；　and　failed；　to　procure　abortion。　It　is　worth　remark　　that　he　attributes　to　the　stars　which　presided　over　his　birth　only　the　　events　of　his　life　and　his　intellectual　gifts；　but　not　his　moral　　qualities；　he　confesses　（cap。　10）　that　the　astrological　prediction　that　　he　would　not　live　to　the　age　of　forty　or　fifty　years　did　him　much　harm　　in　his　youth。　But　there　is　no　need　to　quote　from　so　well…known　md　　accessible　a　book；　whoever　opens　it　will　not　lay　it　down　il＇　the　last　　page。　Cardano　admits　that　he　cheated　at　play；　that　e　was　vindictive；　　incapable　of　all　compunction；　purposely　cruel　in　his　speech。　He　　confesses　it　without　impudence　and　without　feigned　contrition；　without　　even　wishing　to　make　himself　an　object　of　interest；　but　with　the　same　　simple　and　sincere　love　of　fact　which　guided　him　in　his　scientific　　researches。　And；　what　is　to　us　the　most　repulsive　of　all；　the　old　man；　　after　the　most　shocking　experiences　and　with　his　confidence　in　his　　fellowmen　gone；　finds　himself　after　all　tolerably　happy　and　　comfortable。　He　has　still　left　him　a　grandson；　immense　learning；　the　　fame　of　his　works；　money；　rank　and　credit；　powerful　friends；　the　　knowledge　of　many　secrets；　and；　best　of　all；　belief　in　God。　After　this；　　he　counts　the　teeth　in　his　head；　and　finds　that　he　was　fifteen。

Yet　when　Cardano　wrote；　Inquisitors　and　Spaniards　were　already　busy　in　　Italy；　either　hindering　the　production　of　such　natures；　or；　where　they　　existed；　by　some　means　or　other　putting　them　out　of　the　way。　There　lies　　a　gulf　between　this　book　and　the　memoirs　of　Alfieri。

Yet　it　would　be　unjust　to　close　this　list　of　autobiographers　without　　listening　to　a　word　from　one　man　who　was　both　worthy　and　happy。　This　is　　the　well…known　philosopher　of　practical　life；　Luigi　Cornaro；　whose　　dwelling　at　Padua；　classical　as　an　architectural　work；　was　at　the　same　　time　the　home　of　all　the　muses。　In　his　famous　treatise　'On　the　Sober　　Life；'　he　describes　the　strict　regimen　by　which　he　succeeded；　after　a　　sickly　youth；　in　reaching　an　advanced　and　healthy　age；　then　of　eighty…　three　years。　He　goes　on　to　answer　those　who　despise　life　after　the　age　　of　sixty…five　as　a　living　death；　showing　them　that　his　own　life　had　　nothing　deadly　about　it。　'Let　them　come　and　see；　and　wonder　at　my　good　　health；　how　I　mount　on　horseback　without　help；　how　I　run　upstairs　and　　up　hills；　how　cheerful；　amusing；　and　contented　I　am；　how　free　from　care　　and　disagreeable　thoughts。　Peace　and　joy　never　quit　me。。。。　My　friends　　are　wise；　learned；　and　distinguished　people　of　good　position；　and　when　　they　are　not　with　me　I　read　and　write；　and　try　thereby；　as　by　all　other　　means。　to　be　useful　to　others。　Each　of　these　things　I　do　at　the　proper　　time；　and　at　my　ease；　in　my　dwelling；　which　is　beautiful　and　lies　in　　the　best　part　of　Padua；　and　is　arranged　both　for　summer　and　winter　with　　all　the　resources　of　architecture；　and　provided　with　a　garden　by　the　　running　water。　In　the　spring　and　autumn；　I　go　for　awhile　to　my　hill　in　　the　most　beautiful　part　of　the　Euganean　mountains；　where　I　have　　fountains　and　gardens；　and　a　comfortable　dwelling；　and　there　I　amuse　　myself　with　some　easy　and　pleasant　chase；　which　is　suitable　to　my　　years。　At　other　times　I　go　to　my　villa　on　the　plain；　there　all　the　　paths　lead　to　an　open　space；　in　the　middle　of　which　stands　a　pretty　　church；　an　arm　of　the　Brenta　flows　through　the　plantations　fruitful；　　well…cultivated　fields；　now　fully　peopled；　which　the　marshes　and　the　　foul　air　once　made　fitter　for　snakes　than　for　men。　It　was　I　who　drained　　the　country；　then　the　air　became　good；　and　people　settled　there　and　　multiplied；　and　the　land　became　cultivated　as　it　now　is；　so　that　T　can　　truly　say：　〃On　this　spot　I　gave　to　God　an　altar　and　a　temple；　and　souls　　to　worship　Him。〃　This　is　my　consolation　and　my　happiness　whenever　I　　come　here。　In　the　spring　and　autumn；　I　also　visit　the　neighbouring　　towns；　to　see　and　converse　with　my　friends；　through　whom　I　make　the　　acquaintance　of　other　distinguished　men；　architects；　painters；　　sculptors；　musicians；　and　cultivators　of　the　soil。　I　see　what　new　　things　they　have　done；　I　look　again　at　what　I　know　already；　and　learn　　much　that　is　of　use　to　me。　I　see　palaces；　gardens；　antiquities；　public