the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第34章

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This　double　current　of　feeling　is　also　recognizable　in　the　'Dittamondo'　　of　Fazio　degli　Uberti；　composed　about　the　year　1360a　description　of　　visionary　travels；　in　which　the　author　is　accompanied　by　the　old　　geographer　Solinus；　as　Dante　was　by　Virgil。　They　visit　Bari　in　memory　　of　St。　Nicholas；　and　Monte　Gargano　of　the　archangel　Michael；　and　in　　Rome　the　legends　of　Aracoeli　and　of　Santa　Maria　in　Trastevere　are　　mentioned。　Still；　the　pagan　splendor　of　ancient　Rome　unmistakably　　exercises　a　greater　charm　upon　them。　A　venerable　matron　in　torn　　garmentsRome　herself　is　meanttells　them　of　the　glorious　past；　and　　gives　them　a　minute　description　of　the　old　triumphs；　she　then　leads　the　　strangers　through　the　city；　and　points　out　to　them　the　seven　hills　and　　many　of　the　chief　ruins'che　comprender　potrai；　quanto　fui　bella。'

Unfortunately　this　Rome　of　the　schismatic　and　Avignonese　popes　was　no　　longer；　in　respect　of　classical　remains；　what　it　had　been　some　　generations　earlier。　The　destruction　of　140　fortified　houses　of　the　　Roman　nobles　by　the　senator　Brancaleone　in　1257　must　have　wholly　　altered　the　character　of　the　most　important　buildings　then　standing：　　for　the　nobles　had　no　doubt　ensconced　themselves　in　the　loftiest　and　　best…preserved　of　the　ruins。　Nevertheless；　far　more　was　left　than　we　　now　find；　and　probably　many　of　the　remains　had　still　their　marble　　incrustation；　their　pillared　entrances；　and　their　other　ornaments；　　where　we　now　see　nothing　but　the　skeleton　of　brickwork。　In　this　state　　of　things；　the　first　beginnings　of　a　topographical　study　of　the　old　　city　were　made。

In　Poggio's　walks　through　Rome　the　study　of　the　remains　themselves　is　　for　the　first　time　more　intimately　combined　with　that　of　the　ancient　　authors　and　inscriptionsthe　latter　he　sought　out　from　among　all　the　　vegetation　in　which　they　were　imbeddedthe　writer's　imagination　is　　severely　restrained；　and　the　memories　of　Christian　Rome　carefully　　excluded。　The　only　pity　is　that　Poggio's　work　was　not　fuller　and　was　　not　illustrated　with　sketches。　Far　more　was　left　in　his　time　than　was　　found　by　Raphael　eighty　years　later。　He　saw　the　tomb　of　Caecilia　　Metella　and　the　columns　in　front　of　one　of　the　temples　on　the　slope　of　　the　Capitol；　first　in　full　preservation；　and　then　afterwards　half　　destroyed；　owing　to　that　unfortunate　quality　which　marble　possesses　of　　being　easily　burnt　into　lime。　A　vast　colonnade　near　the　Minerva　fell　　piecemeal　a　victim　to　the　same　fate。　A　witness　in　the　year　1443　tells　　us　that　this　manufacture　of　lime　still　went　on：　'which　is　a　shame；　for　　the　new　buildings　are　pitiful；　and　the　beauty　of　Rome　is　in　its　ruins。'　　The　inhabitants　of　that　day；　in　their　peasant's　cloaks　and　boots；　　looked　to　foreigners　like　cowherds；　and　in　fact　the　cattle　were　　pastured　in　the　city　up　to　the　Banchi。　The　only　social　gatherings　were　　the　services　at　church；　on　which　occasion　it　was　possible　also　to　get　a　　sight　of　the　beautiful　women。

In　the　last　years　of　Eugenius　IV　（d。　1447）　Biondus　of　Forli　wrote　his　　'Roma　Instaurata；'　making　use　of　Frontinus　and　of　the　old　'Libri　　Regionali；'　as　well　as；　it　seems；　of　Anastasius。　His　object　is　not　only　　the　description　of　what　existed；　but　still　more　the　recovery　of　what　　was　lost。　In　accordance　with　the　dedication　to　the　Pope；　he　consoles　　himself　for　the　general　ruin　by　the　thought　of　the　precious　relics　of　　the　saints　in　which　Rome　was　so　rich。

With　Nicholas　V　（1447…1455）　that　new　monumental　spirit　which　was　　distinctive　of　the　age　of　the　Renaissance　appeared　on　the　papal　throne。　　The　new　passion　for　embellishing　the　city　brought　with　it　on　the　one　　hand　a　fresh　danger　for　the　ruins；　on　the　other　a　respect　for　them；　as　　forming　one　of　Rome's　claims　to　distinction。　Pius　II　was　wholly　　possessed　by　antiquarian　enthusiasm；　and　if　he　speaks　little　of　the　　antiquities　of　Rome；　he　closely　studied　those　of　all　other　parts　of　　Italy；　and　was　the　first　to　know　and　describe　accurately　the　remains　　which　abounded　in　the　districts　for　miles　around　the　capital。　It　is　　true　that；　both　as　priest　and　cosmographer；　he　was　interested　alike　in　　classical　and　Christian　monuments　and　in　the　marvels　of　nature。　Or　was　　he　doing　violence　to　himself　when　he　wrote　that　Nola　was　more　highly　　honoured　by　the　memory　of　St。　Paulinus　than　by　all　its　classical　　reminiscences　and　by　the　heroic　struggle　of　Marcellus？　Not；　indeed；　　that　his　faith　in　relics　was　assumed；　but　his　mind　was　evidently　rather　　disposed　to　an　inquiring　interest　in　nature　and　antiquity；　to　a　zeal　　for　monumental　works；　to　a　keen　and　delicate　observation　of　human　life。　　In　the　last　years　of　his　Papacy；　afflicted　with　the　gout　and　yet　in　the　　most　cheerful　mood；　he　was　borne　in　his　litter　over　hill　and　dale　to　　Tusculum；　Alba；　Tibur；　Ostia；　Falerii；　and　Otriculum；　and　whatever　he　　saw　he　noted　down。　He　followed　the　Roman　roads　and　aqueducts；　and　tried　　to　fix　the　boundaries　of　the　old　tribes　which　had　dwelt　round　the　city。　　On　an　excursion　to　Tivoli　with　the　great　Federigo　of　Urbino　the　time　　was　happily　spent　in　talk　on　the　military　system　of　the　ancients；　and　　particularly　on　the　Trojan　war。　Even　on　his　journey　to　the　Congress　of　　Mantua　（1459）　he　searched；　though　unsuccessfully；　for　the　labyrinth　of　　Clusium　mentioned　by　Pliny；　and　visited　the　so…called　villa　of　Virgil　　on　the　Mincio。　That　such　a　Pope　should　demand　a　classical　Latin　style　　from　his　abbreviators；　is　no　more　than　might　be　expected。　It　was　he　　who；　in　the　war　with　Naples；　granted　an　amnesty　to　the　men　of　Arpinum；　　as　countrymen　of　Cicero　and　Marius；　after　whom　many　of　them　were　named。　　It　was　to　him　alone；　as　both　judge　and　patron；　that　Blondus　could　　dedicate　his　'Roma　Triumphans；'　the　first　great　attempt　at　a　complete　　exposition　of　Roman　antiquity。

Nor　was　the　enthusiasm　for　the　classical　past　of　Italy　confined　at　this　　period　to　the　capital。　Boccaccio　had　already　called　the　vast　ruins　of　　Baia　'old　walls；　yet　new　for　modern　spirits'；　and　since　his　time　they　　were　held　to　be　the　most　interesting　sight　near　Naples。　Collections　of　　antiquities　of　all　sorts　now　became　common。　Ciriaco　of　Ancona　（d。　1457）　　travelled　not　only　through　Italy；　but　through　other　countries　of　the　　old　Orbis　terrarum；　and　brought　back　countless　inscriptions　and　　sketches。　When　asked　why　he　took　all　this　trouble；　he　replied；　'To　wake　　the　dead。'　The　histories　of　the　various　cities　of　Italy　had　from　the　　earliest　times　laid　claim　to　some　true　or　imagined　connection　with　　Rome；　had　alleged　some　settlement　or　colonization　which　started　from　　the　capital；　and　the　obliging　manufacturers　of　pedigrees　seem　　constantly　to　have　derived　various　families　from　the　oldest　and　most　　famous　blood　of　Rome。　So　highly　was　the　distinction　valued；　that　men　　clung　to　it　even　in　the　light　of　the　dawning　criticism　of　the　fifteenth　　century。　When　Pius　II　was　at　Viterbo　he　said　frankly　to　the　Roman　　deputies　who　begged　him　to　return；　'Rome　is　as　much　my　home　as　Siena；　　for　my　House；　the　Piccolomini；　came　in　early　times　from　the　capital　to　　Siena；　as　is　proved　by　the　constant　use　of　the　names　'neas　and　Sylvius　　in　my　family。'　He　would　probably　have　had　no　objection　to　be　held　a　　descendant　of　the　Julii。　Paul　II；　a　Barbo　of　Venice；　found　his　vanity　　flattered　by　deducing　his　House；　notwithstanding　an　adverse　pedigree；　　according　to　which　it　came　from　Germany；　from　the　Roman　Ahenobarbus；　　who　had　led　a　colony　to　Parma；　and　whose　successors　had　been　driven　by　　party　conflicts　to　migrate　to　Venice。　That　the　Massimi　claimed　descent　　from　Q。　Fabius　Maximus；　and　the　Cornaro　from　the　Cornelii；　cannot　　surprise　us。　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　a　strikingly　exceptional　fact　for　　the　sixteenth　century　that　the　novelist　Bandello　tried　to　connect　his　　blood　with　a　noble　family　of　Ostrogoths。

To　return　to　Rome。　The　inhabitants；　'who　then　called　themselves　　Romans；'　accepted　greedily　the　homage　which　was　offered　them　by　the　　rest　of　Italy。　Under　Paul　II；　Sixtus　IV　and　Alexander　VI；　magnificent　　processions　formed　part　of　the　Carnival；　representing　the　scene　most　　attractive　to　the　imagination　of　the　time…　…the　triumph　of　the　Roman　　Imperator。　The　sentiment　of　the　people　expressed　itself　naturally　in　　this　shape　and　others　like　it。　In　this　mood　of　public　feeling；　a　report　　arose