the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第87章

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ly　to　relations　of　this　kind；　such　as　Giulia　Gonzaga；　Veronica　da　　Correggio；　and；　above　all；　Vittoria　Colonna。　The　land　of　profligates　　and　scoffers　respected　these　women　and　this　sort　of　loveand　what　more　　can　be　said　in　their　favour？　We　cannot　tell　how　far　vanity　had　to　do　　with　the　matter；　how　far　Vittoria　was　flattered　to　hear　around　her　the　　sublimated　utterances　of　hopeless　love　from　the　most　famous　men　in　　Italy。　If　the　thing　was　here　and　there　a　fashion；　it　was　still　no　　trifling　praise　for　Vittoria　that　she；　as　least；　never　went　out　of　　fashion；　and　in　her　latest　years　produced　the　most　profound　　impressions。　It　was　long　before　other　countries　had　anything　similar　to　　show。

In　the　imagination　then；　which　governed　this　people　more　than　any　　other；　lies　one　general　reason　why　the　course　of　every　passion　was　　violent；　and　why　the　means　used　for　the　gratification　of　passion　were　　often　criminal。　There　is　a　violence　which　cannot　control　itself　because　　it　is　born　of　weakness；　but　in　Italy　we　find　what　is　the　corruption　of　　powerful　natures。　Sometimes　this　corruption　assumes　a　colossal　shape；　　and　crime　seems　to　acquire　almost　a　personal　existence　of　its　own。

The　restraints　of　which　men　were　conscious　were　but　few。　Each　　individual；　even　among　the　lowest　of　the　people；　felt　himself　inwardly　　emancipated　from　the　control　of　the　State　and　its　police；　whose　title　　to　respect　was　illegitimate；　and　itself　founded　on　violence；　and　no　man　　believed　any　longer　in　the　justice　of　the　law。　When　a　murder　was　　committed；　the　sympathies　of　the　people；　before　the　circumstances　of　　the　case　were　known；　ranged　themselves　instinctively　on　the　side　of　the　　murderer。　A　proud；　manly　bearing　before　and　at　the　execution　excited　　such　admiration　that　the　narrator　often　forgets　to　tell　us　for　what　　offence　the　criminal　was　put　to　death。　But　when　we　add　to　this　inward　　contempt　of　law　and　to　the　countless　grudges　and　enmities　which　called　　for　satisfaction；　the　impunity　which　crime　enjoyed　during　times　of　　political　disturbance；　we　can　only　wonder　that　the　State　and　society　　were　not　utterly　dissolved。　Crises　of　this　kind　occurred　at　Naples；　　during　the　transition　from　the　Aragonese　to　the　French　and　Spanish　　rule；　and　at　Milan；　on　the　repeated　expulsions　and　returns　of　the　　Sforzas；　at　such　times　those　men　who　have　never　in　their　hearts　　recognized　the　bonds　of　law　and　society；　come　forward　and　give　free　　play　to　their　instincts　of　murder　and　rapine。　Let　us　take；　by　way　of　　example；　a　picture　drawn　from　a　humbler　sphere。

When　the　Duchy　of　Milan　was　suffering　from　the　disorders　which　followed　　the　death　of　Galeazzo　Maria　Sforza；　about　the　year　1480；　all　safety　　came　to　an　end　in　the　provincial　cities。　This　was　the　case　in　Parma；　　where　the　Milanese　Governor；　terrified　by　threats　of　murder；　consented　　to　throw　open　the　gaols　and　let　loose　the　most　abandoned　criminals。　　Burglary；　the　demolition　of　houses；　public　assassination　and　murders；　　were　events　of　everyday　occurrence。　At　first　the　authors　of　these　deeds　　prowled　about　singly；　and　masked；　soon　large　gangs　of　armed　men　went　to　　work　every　night　without　disguise。　Threatening　letters；　satires；　and　　scandalous　jests　circulated　freely；　and　a　sonnet　in　ridicule　of　the　　Government　seems　to　have　roused　its　indignation　far　more　than　the　　frightful　condition　of　the　city。　In　many　churches　the　sacred　vessels　　with　the　host　were　stolen；　and　this　fact　is　characteristic　of　the　　temper　which　prompted　these　outrages。　It　is　impossible　to　say　what　　would　happen　now　in　any　country　of　the　world；　if　the　government　and　　police　ceased　to　act；　and　yet　hindered　by　their　presence　the　　establishment　of　a　provisional　authority；　but　what　then　occurred　in　　Italy　wears　a　character　of　its　own；　through　the　great　share　which　the　　personal　hatred　and　revenge　had　in　it。　The　impression；　indeed；　which　　Italy　at　this　period　makes　on　us　is；　that　even　in　quiet　times　great　　crimes　were　commoner　than　in　other　countries。　We　may；　it　is　true；　be　　misled　by　the　fact　that　we　have　far　fuller　details　on　such　matters　here　　than　elsewhere；　and　that　the　same　force　of　imagination；　which　gives　a　　special　character　to　crimes　actually　committed；　causes　much　to　be　　invented　which　never　really　happened。　The　amount　of　violence　was　　perhaps　as　great　elsewhere。　It　is　hard　to　say　for　certain；　whether　in　　the　year　1500　men　were　any　safer；　whether　human　life　was　any　better　　protected；　in　powerful；　wealthy　Germany；　with　its　robber　knights；　　extortionate　beggars；　and　daring　highwaymen。　But　one　thing　is　certain；　　that　premeditated　crimes；　committed　professionally　and　for　hire　by　　third　parties；　occurred　in　Italy　with　great　and　appalling　frequency。

So　far　as　regards　brigandage；　Italy；　especially　in　the　more　fortunate　　provinces；　such　as　Tuscany；　was　certainly　not　more；　and　probably　less；　　troubled　than　the　countries　of　the　North。　But　the　figures　which　do　meet　　us　are　characteristic　of　the　country。　It　would　be　hard；　for　instance；　　to　find　elsewhere　the　case　of　a　priest；　gradually　driven　by　passion　　from　one　excess　to　another；　till　at　last　he　came　to　head　a　band　of　　robbers。　That　age　offers　us　this　example　among　others。　On　August　12；　　1495；　the　priest　Don　Niccolo　de'　Pelagati　of　Figarolo　was　shut　up　in　an　　iron　cage　outside　the　tower　of　San　Giuliano　at　Ferrara。　He　had　twice　　celebrated　his　first　mass；　the　first　time　he　had　the　same　day　committed　　murder；　but　afterwards　received　absolution　at　Rome；　he　then　killed　four　　people　and　married　two　wives；　with　whom　he　travelled　about。　He　　afterwards　took　part　in　many　assassinations；　violated　women；　carried　　others　away　by　force；　plundered　far　and　wide；　and　infested　the　　territory　of　Ferrara　with　a　band　of　followers　in　uniform；　extorting　　food　and　shelter　by　every　sort　of　violence。　When　we　think　of　what　all　　this　implies；　the　mass　of　guilt　on　the　head　of　this　one　man　is　　something　tremendous。　The　clergy　and　monks　had　many　privileges　and　　little　supervision；　and　among　them　were　doubtless　plenty　of　murderers　　and　other　malefactorsbut　hardly　a　second　Pelagati。　It　is　another　　matter；　though　by　no　means　creditable；　when　ruined　characters　sheltered　　themselves　in　the　cowl　in　order　to　escape　the　arm　of　the　law；　like　the　　corsair　whom　Masuccio　knew　in　a　convent　at　Naples。　What　the　real　truth　　was　with　regard　to　Pope　John　XXIII　in　this　respect；　is　not　known　with　　certainty。

The　age　of　the　famous　brigand　chief　did　not　begin　till　later；　in　the　　seventeenth　century；　when　the　political　strife　of　Guelph　and　　Ghibelline；　of　Frenchman　and　Spaniard；　no　longer　agitated　the　country。　　The　robber　then　took　the　place　of　the　partisan。

In　certain　districts　of　Italy；　where　civilization　had　made　little　　progress；　the　country　people　were　disposed　to　murder　any　stranger　who　　fell　into　their　hands。　This　was　especially　the　case　in　the　more　remote　　parts　of　the　Kingdom　of　Naples；　where　the　barbarism　dated　probably　from　　the　days　of　the　Roman　'latifundia；'　and　when　the　stranger　and　the　enemy　　（'hospes'　and　'hostis'）　were　in　all　good　faith　held　to　be　one　and　the　　same。　These　people　were　far　from　being　irreligious。　A　herdsman　once　　appeared　in　great　trouble　at　the　confessional；　avowing　that；　while　　making　cheese　during　Lent；　a　few　drops　of　milk　had　found　their　way　into　　his　mouth。　The　confessor；　skilled　in　the　customs　of　the　country；　　discovered　in　the　course　of　his　examination　that　the　penitent　and　his　　friends　were　in　the　practice　of　robbing　and　murdering　travellers；　but　　that；　through　the　force　of　habit；　this　usage　gave　rise　to　no　twinges　of　　conscience　within　them。　We　have　already　mentioned　to　what　a　degree　of　　barbarism　the　peasants　elsewhere　could　sink　in　times　of　political　　confusion。

A　worse　symptom　than　brigandage　of　the　morality　of　that　time　was　the　　frequency　of　paid　assassination。　In　that　respect　Naples　was　admitted　to　　stand　at　the　head　of　all　the　cities　of　Italy。　'Nothing；'　says　Pontano；　　'is　cheaper　here　than　human　life。'　But　other　districts　could　also　show　　a　terrible　list　of　these　crimes。　It　is　hard；　of　course；　to　classify　　them　according　to　the　motives　by　which　they　were　prompted；　since　　political　expediency；　personal　hatred；　party　hostility；　fear；　and　　revenge；　all　play　into　one　another。　It　is　no　small　honour　to　the　　Florenti