the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第51章

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orical　figures　　superfluous；　and；　on　the　other；　they　serve　as　free　and　independent　　elements　in　art；　as　forms　of　beauty　which　can　be　turned　to　some　account　　in　any　and　every　poem。　The　example　was　boldly　set　by　Boccaccio；　with　　his　fanciful　world　of　gods　and　shepherds　who　people　the　country　round　　Florence　in　his　'Ninfale　d'Ameto'　and　'Ninfale　Fiesolano。'　Both　these　　poems　were　written　in　Italian。　But　the　masterpiece　in　this　style　was　　the　'Sarca'　of　Pietro　Bembo；　which　tells　how　the　river…god　of　that　name　　wooed　the　nymph　Garda；　of　the　brilliant　marriage　feast　in　a　cave　of　　Monte　Baldo；　of　the　prophecies　of　Manto；　daughter　of　Tiresias；　of　the　　birth　of　the　child　Mincius；　of　the　founding　of　Mantua；　and　of　the　　future　glory　of　Virgil；　son　of　Mincius　and　of　Magia；　nymph　of　Andes。　　This　humanistic　rococo　is　set　forth　by　Bembo　in　verses　of　great　beauty；　　concluding　with　。an　address　to　Virgil；　which　any　poet　might　envy　him。　　Such　works　are　often　slighted　as　mere　declamation。　This　is　a　matter　of　　taste　on　which　we　are　all　free　to　form　our　own　opinion。

Further；　we　find　long　epic　poems　in　hexameters　on　biblical　or　　ecclesiastical　subjects。　The　authors　were　by　no　means　always　in　search　　of　preferment　or　of　papal　favour。　With　the　best　of　them；　and　even　with　　less　gifted　writers；　like　Battista　Mantovano；　the　author　of　the　　'Parthenice；'　there　was　probably　an　honest　desire　to　serve　religion　by　　their　Latin　versesa　desire　with　which　their　half…pagan　conception　of　　Catholicism　harmonized　well　enough。　Gyraldus　goes　through　a　list　of　　these　poets；　among　whom　Vida；　with　his　'Christiad'　and　Sannazaro；　with　　his　three　books；　'De　partu　Virginis'　hold　the　first　place。　Sannazaro　　（b。　1458；　d。　1530）　is　impressive　by　the　steady　and　powerful　flow　of　his　　verse；　in　which　Christian　and　pagan　elements　are　mingled　without　　scruple；　by　the　plastic　vigor　of　his　description；　and　by　the　perfection　　of　his　workmanship。　He　could　venture　to　introduce　Virgil's　fourth　　Eclogue　into　his　song　of　the　shepherds　at　the　manger　without　fearing　a　　comparison。　In　treating　of　the　unseen　world；　he　sometimes　gives　proofs　　of　a　boldness　worthy　of　Dante；　as　when　King　David　in　the　Limbo　of　the　　Patriarchs　rises　up　to　sing　and　prophesy；　or　when　the　Eternal；　sitting　　on　the　throne　clad　in　a　mantle　shining　with　pictures　of　all　the　　elements；　addresses　the　heavenly　host。　At　other　times　he　does　not　　hesitate　to　weave　the　whole　classical　mythology　into　his　subject；　yet　　without　spoiling　the　harmony　of　the　whole；　since　the　pagan　deities　are　　only　accessory　figures；　and　play　no　important　part　in　the　story。　To　　appreciate　the　artistic　genius　of　that　age　in　all　its　bearings；　we　must　　not　refuse　to　notice　such　works　as　these。　The　merit　of　Sannazaro　will　　appear　the　greater；　when　we　consider　that　the　mixture　of　Christian　and　　pagan　elements　is　apt　to　disturb　us　much　more　in　poetry　than　in　the　　visual　arts。　The　latter　can　still　satisfy　the　eye　by　beauty　of　form　and　　color；　and　in　general　are　much　more　independent　of　the　significance　of　　the　subject　than　poetry。　With　them；　the　imagination　is　interested　　chiefly　in　the　form；　with　poetry；　in　the　matter。　Honest　Battista　　Mantovano；　in　his　calendar　of　the　festivals；　tried　another　expedient。　　Instead　of　making　the　gods　and　demigods　serve　the　purposes　of　sacred　　history；　he　put　them；　as　the　Fathers　of　the　Church　did；　in　active　　opposition　to　it。　When　the　angel　Gabriel　salutes　the　Virgin　at　　Nazareth；　Mercury　flies　after　him　from　Carmel；　and　listens　at　the　door。　　He　then　announces　the　result　of　his　eavesdropping　to　the　assembled　　gods；　and　stimulates　them　thereby　to　desperate　resolutions。　Elsewhere；　　it　is　true；　in　his　writings；　Thetis；　Ceres；　Aeolus；　and　other　pagan　　deities　pay　willing　homage　to　the　glory　of　the　Madonna。

The　fame　of　Sannazaro；　the　number　of　his　imitators；　the　enthusiastic　　homage　which　was　paid　to　him　by　the　greatest　men；　all　show　how　dear　and　　necessary　he　was　to　his　age。　On　the　threshold　of　the　Reformation　he　　solved　for　the　Church　the　problem；　whether　it　were　possible　for　a　poet　　to　be　a　Christian　as　well　as　a　classic；　and　both　Leo　and　Clement　were　　loud　in　their　thanks　for　his　achievements。

And；　finally；　contemporary　history　was　now　treated　in　hexameters　or　　distichs；　sometimes　in　a　narrative　and　sometimes　in　a　panegyrical　　style；　but　most　commonly　to　the　honour　of　some　prince　or　princely　　family。　We　thus　meet　with　a　Sforziad；　a　Borseid；　a　Laurentiad；　a　　Borgiad；　a　Trivulziad；　and　the　like。　The　object　sought　after　was　　certainly　not　attained；　for　those　who　became　famous　and　are　now　　immortal　owe　it　to　anything　rather　than　to　this　sort　of　poems；　for　　which　the　world　has　always　had　an　ineradicable　dislike；　even　when　they　　happen　to　be　written　by　good　poets。　A　wholly　different　effect　is　　produced　by　smaller；　simpler　and　more　unpretentious　scenes　from　the　　lives　of　distinguished　men；　such　as　the　beautiful　poem　on　Leo　X's　'Hunt　　at　Palo；'　or　the　'Journey　of　Aulius　II'　by　Adrian　of　Corneto。　Brilliant　　descriptions　of　hunting…parties　are　found　in　Ercole　Strozzi；　in　the　　above…mentioned　Adrian；　and　in　others；　and　it　is　a　pity　that　the　modern　　reader　should　allow　himself　to　be　irritated　or　repelled　by　the　　adulation　with　which　they　are　doubtless　filled。　The　masterly　treatment　　and　the　considerable　historical　value　of　many　of　these　most　graceful　　poems　guarantee　to　them　a　longer　existence　than　many　popular　works　of　　our　own　day　are　likely　to　attain。

In　general；　these　poems　are　good　in　proportion　to　the　sparing　use　of　　the　sentimental　and　the　general。　Some　of　the　smaller　epic　poems；　even　　of　recognized　masters；　unintentionally　produce；　by　the　ill…timed　　introduction　of　mythological　elements；　an　impression　that　is　　indescribably　ludicrous。　Such；　for　instance；　is　the　lament　of　Ercole　　Strozzi　on　Cesare　Borgia。　We　there　listen　to　the　complaint　of　Roma；　who　　had　set　all　her　hopes　on　the　Spanish　Popes；　Calixtus　III　and　Alexander　　VI；　and　who　saw　her　promised　deliverer　in　Cesare。　His　history　is　　related　down　to　the　catastrophe　of　1503。　The　poet　then　asks　the　Muse　　what　were　the　counsels　of　the　gods　at　that　moment；　and　Erato　tells　how；　　upon　Olympus；　Pallas　took　the　part　of　the　Spaniards；　Venus　of　the　　Italians；　how　both　then　embrace　the　knees　of　Jupiter；　how　thereupon　he　　kisses　them；　soothes　them；　and　explains　to　them　that　he　can　do　nothing　　against　the　fate　woven　by　the　Parc；　but　that　the　divine　promises　will　　be　fulfilled　by　the　child　of　the　House　of　Este…Borgia。60　After　relating　　the　fabulous　origin　of　both　families；　he　declares　that　he　can　confer　　immortality　on　Cesare　as　little　as　he　could　once；　in　spite　of　all　　entreaties；　on　Memnon　or　Achilles；　and　concludes　with　the　consoling　　assurance　that　Cesare；　before　his　own　death；　will　destroy　many　people　　in　war。　Mars　then　hastens　to　Naples　to　stir　up　war　and　confusion；　while　　Pallas　goes　to　Nepi；　and　there　appears　to　the　dying　Cesare　under　the　　form　of　Alexander　VI。　After　giving　him　the　good　advice　to　submit　to　his　　fate　and　be　satisfied　with　the　glory　of　his　name；　the　papal　goddess　　vanishes　'like　a　bird。'

Yet　we　should　needlessly　deprive　ourselves　of　an　enjoyment　which　is　　sometimes　very　great；　if　we　threw　aside　everything　in　which　classical　　mythology　plays　a　more　or　less　appropriate　part。　Here；　as　in　painting　　and　sculpture；　art　has　often　ennobled　what　is　in　itself　purely　　conventional。　The　beginnings　of　parody　are　also　to　be　found　by　lovers　　of　that　class　of　literature；　e。g。　in　the　Macaroneid　to　which　the　　comic　Feast　of　the　Gods；　by　Giovanni　Bellini；　forms　an　early　parallel。

Many；　too；　of　the　narrative　poems　in　hexameters　are　merely　exercises；　　or　adaptations　of　histories　in　prose；　which　latter　the　reader　will　　prefer；　where　he　can　find　them。　At　last；　everything　every　quarrel　and　　every　ceremonycame　to　be　put　into　verse；　and　this　even　by　the　German　　humanists　of　the　Reformation。　and　yet　it　would　be　unfair　to　attribute　　this　to　mere　want　of　occupation；　or　to　an　excessive　facility　in　　stringing　verses　together。　In　Italy；　at　all　events；　it　was　rather　due　　to　an　abundant　sense　of　style；　as　is　further　proved　by　the　mass　of　　contemporary　reports；　histories；　and　even　pamphlets；　in　the　'terza　　rima。'　Just　as　Niccolo　da　Uzzano　published　his　scheme　for　a　new　　constitution；　Machiavelli　hi