the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第67章

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t　I　know　already；　and　learn　　much　that　is　of　use　to　me。　I　see　palaces；　gardens；　antiquities；　public　　grounds；　churches；　and　fortifications。　But　what　most　of　all　delights　me　　when　I　travel；　is　the　beauty　of　the　country　and　the　places；　lying　now　　on　the　plain；　now　on　the　slopes　of　the　hills；　or　on　the　banks　of　rivers　　and　streams；　surrounded　by　gardens　and　villas。　And　these　enjoyments　are　　not　diminished　through　weakness　of　the　eyes　or　the　ears；　all　my　senses　　（thank　God！）　are　in　the　best　condition；　including　the　sense　of　taste；　　for　I　enjoy　more　the　simple　food　which　I　now　take　in　moderation；　than　　all　the　delicacies　which　I　ate　in　my　years　of　disorder。'　After　　mentioning　the　works　he　had　undertaken　on　behalf　of　the　republic　for　　draining　the　marshes；　and　the　projects　which　he　had　constantly　　advocated　for　preserving　the　lagoons；　he　thus　concludes：

'These　are　the　true　recreations　of　an　old　age　which　God　has　permitted　　to　be　healthy；　and　which　is　free　from　those　mental　and　bodily　　sufferings　to　which　so　many　young　people　and　so　many　sickly　older　　people　succumb。　And　if　it　be　allowable　to　add　the　little　to　the　great；　　to　add　jest　to　earnest；　it　may　be　mentioned　as　a　result　of　my　moderate　　life；　that　in　my　eightythird　year　I　have　written　a　most　amusing　comedy；　　full　of　blameless　wit。　Such　works　are　generally　the　business　of　youth；　　as　tragedy　is　the　business　of　old　age。　If　it　is　reckoned　to　the　credit　　of　the　famous　Greek　that　he　wrote　a　tragedy　in　his　seventythird　year；　　must　I　not；　with　my　ten　years　more；　be　more　cheerful　and　healthy　than　　he　ever　was？　And　that　no　consolation　may　be　wanting　in　the　overflowing　　cup　of　my　old　age；　I　see　before　my　eyes　a　sort　of　bodily　immortality　in　　the　persons　of　my　descendants。　When　I　come　home　I　see　before　me；　not　　one　or　two；　but　eleven　grandchildren；　between　the　ages　of　two　and　　eighteen；　all　from　the　same　father　and　mother；　all　healthy；　and；　so　far　　as　can　already　be　judged；　all　gifted　with　the　talent　and　disposition　　for　learning　and　a　good　life。　One　of　the　younger　I　have　as　my　playmate　　（buffoncello）；　since　children　from　the　third　to　the　fifth　year　are　born　　to　tricks；　the　elder　ones　I　treat　as　my　companions；　and；　as　they　have　　admirable　voices；　I　take　delight　in　hearing　them　sing　and　play　on　　different　instruments。　And　I　sing　myself；　and　find　my　voice　better；　　clearer；　and　louder　than　ever。　These　are　the　pleasures　of　my　last　　years。　My　life；　therefore；　is　alive；　and　not　dead；　nor　would　I　exchange　　my　age　for　the　youth　of　such　as　live　in　the　service　of　their　passions。'

In　the　'Exhortation'　which　Cornaro　added　at　a　much　later　time；　in　his　　ninety…fifth　year；　he　reckons　it　among　the　elements　of　his　happiness　　that　his　'Treatise'　had　made　many　converts。　He　died　at　Padua　in　1565；　　at　the　age　of　over　a　hundred　years。

This　national　gift　did　not；　however；　confine　itself　to　the　criticism　　and　description　of　individuals；　but　felt　itself　competent　to　deal　with　　the　qualities　and　characteristics　of　whole　peoples。　Throughout　the　　Middle　Ages　the　cities；　families；　and　nations　of　all　Europe　were　in　the　　habit　of　making　insulting　and　derisive　attacks　on　one　another；　which；　　with　much　caricature；　contained　commonly　a　kernel　of　truth。　But　from　　the　first　the　Italians　surpassed　all　others　in　their　quick　apprehension　　of　the　mental　differences　among　cities　and　populations。　Their　local　　patriotism；　stronger　probably　than　in　any　other　medieval　people；　soon　　found　expression　in　literature；　and　allied　itself　with　the　current　　conception　of　'Fame。'　Topography　became　the　counterpart　of　biography；　　while　all　the　more　important　cities　began　to　celebrate　their　own　　praises　in　prose　and　verse；　writers　appeared　who　made　the　chief　towns　　and　districts　the　subject　partly　of　a　serious　comparative　description；　　partly　of　satire；　and　sometimes　of　notices　in　which　jest　and　earnest　　are　not　easy　to　be　distinguished。　Next　to　some　famous　passages　in　the　　'Divine　Comedy；'　we　have　here　the　'Dittamondo'　of　Uberti　（about　1360）。　　As　a　rule；　only　single　remarkable　facts　and　characteristics　are　here　　mentioned：　the　Feast　of　the　Crows　at　Sant'　Apollinare　in　Ravenna；　the　　springs　at　Treviso；　the　great　cellar　near　Vicenza；　the　high　duties　at　　Mantua；　the　forest　of　towers　at　Lucca。　Yet　mixed　up　with　all　this；　we　　find　laudatory　and　satirical　criticisms　of　every　kind。　Arezzo　figures　　with　the　crafty　disposition　of　its　citizens；　Genoa　with　the　　artificially　blackened　eyes　and　teeth　（？）　of　its　women；　Bologna　with　　its　prodigality；　Bergamo　with　its　coarse　dialect　and　hard…headed　　people。　In　the　fifteenth　century　the　fashion　was　to　belaud　one's　own　　city　even　at　the　expense　of　others。　Michele　Savonarola　allows　that；　in　　comparison　with　his　native　Padua；　only　Rome　and　Venice　are　more　　splendid；　and　Florence　perhaps　more　joyousby　which　our　knowledge　is　　naturally　not　much　extended。　At　the　end　of　the　century；　Jovianus　　Pontanus；　in　his　'Antonius；'　writes　an　imaginary　journey　through　Italy；　　simply　as　a　vehicle　for　malicious　observations。　But　in　the　sixteenth　　century　we　meet　with　a　series　of　exact　and　profound　studies　of　national　　characteristics；　such　as　no　other　people　of　that　time　could　rival。　　Machiavelli　sets　forth　in　some　of　his　valuable　essays　the　character　and　　the　political　condition　of　the　Germans　and　French　in　such　a　way　that　　the　born　northerner；　familiar　with　the　history　of　his　own　country；　is　　grateful　to　the　Florentine　thinker　for　his　flashes　of　insight。　The　　Florentines　begin　to　take　pleasure　in　describing　themselves；　and　　basking　in　the　well…earned　sunshine　of　their　intellectual　glory；　their　　pride　seems　to　attain　its　height　when　they　derive　the　artistic　pre…　eminence　of　Tuscany　among　Italians；　not　from　any　special　gifts　of　　nature；　but　from　hard；　patient　work。　The　homage　of　famous　men　from　　other　parts　of　Italy；　of　which　the　sixteenth　Capitolo　of　Ariosto　is　a　　splendid　example；　they　accepted　as　a　merited　tribute　to　their　　excellence。

Of　an　admirable　description　of　the　Italians；　with　their　various　　pursuits　and　characteristics；　though　in　a　few　words　and　with　special　　stress　laid　on　the　Lucchese；　to　whom　the　work　was　dedicated；　we　can　　give　only　the　title：　_Forcianae　Questiones；　_by　Ortensio　Landi；　Naples；　　1536。　Leandro　Alberti　is　not　so　fruitful　as　might　be　expected　in　his　　description　of　the　character　of　the　different　cities。　A　'Commentario'　　（by　Ortensio　Landi；　Venice；　1553）　contains　among　many　absurdities　some　　valuable　information　on　the　unfortunate　conditions　prevailing　about　the　　middle　of　the　century。

To　what　extent　this　comparative　study　of　national　and　local　　characteristics　may；　by　means　of　Italian　humanism；　have　influenced　the　　rest　of　Europe；　we　cannot　say　with　precision。　To　Italy；　at　all　events；　　belongs　the　priority　in　this　respect；　as　in　the　description　of　the　　world　in　general。

Description　of　the　Outward　Man

But　the　discoveries　made　with　regard　to　man　were　not　confined　to　the　　spiritual　characteristics　of　individuals　and　nations；　his　outward　　appearance　was　in　Italy　the　subject　of　an　entirely　different　interest　　from　that　shown　in　it　by　northern　peoples。

Of　the　position　held　by　the　great　Italian　physicians　with　respect　to　　the　progress　of　physiology；　we　cannot　venture　to　speak；　and　the　　artistic　study　of　the　human　figure　belongs；　not　to　a　work　like　the　　present；　but　to　the　history　of　art。　But　something　must　here　be　said　of　　that　universal　education　of　the　eye；　which　rendered　the　judgement　of　　the　Italians　as　to　bodily　beauty　or　ugliness　perfect　and　final。

On　reading　the　Italian　authors　of　that　period　attentively；　we　are　　astounded　at　the　keenness　and　accuracy　with　which　outward　features　are　　seized；　and　at　the　completeness　with　which　personal　appearance　in　　general　is　described。　Even　today　the　Italians；　and　especially　the　　Romans；　have　the　art　of　sketching　a　man's　picture　in　a　couple　of　words。　　This　rapid　apprehension　of　what　is　characteristic　is　an　essential　　condition　for　detecting　and　representing　the　beautiful。　In　poetry；　it　　is　true；　circumstantial　description　may　be　a　fault；　not　a　merit；　since　　a　single　feature；　suggested　by　deep　passion　or　insight；　will　often　　awaken　in　the　reader　a　far　more　powerful　impression　of　the　figure　　described。　Dante　gives　us　nowhere　a　more　splendid　idea　of　his