the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第59章

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iption　of　the　view　from　the　　summit　would　be　looked　for　in　vain；　not　because　the　poet　was　insensible　　to　it；　but；　on　the　contrary；　because　the　impression　was　too　　overwhelming。　His　whole　past　life；　with　all　its　follies；　rose　before　　his　mind；　he　remembered　that　ten　years　ago　that　day　he　had　quitted　　Bologna　a　young　man；　and　turned　a　longing　gaze　towards　his　native　　country；　he　opened　a　book　which　then　was　his　constant　companion；　the　　'Confessions'　of　St。　Augustine；　and　his　eye　fell　on　the　passage　in　the　　tenth　chapter；　'and　men　go　forth；　and　admire　lofty　mountains　and　broad　　seas；　and　roaring　torrents；　and　the　ocean；　and　the　course　of　the　stars；　　and　forget　their　own　selves　while　doing　so。'　His　brother；　to　whom　he　　read　these　words；　could　not　understand　why　he　closed　the　book　and　said　　no　more。

Some　decades　later；　about　1360；　Fazio　degli　Uberti　describes；　in　his　　rhyming　geography；　the　wide　panorama　from　the　mountains　of　Auvergne；　　with　the　interest；　it　is　true；　of　the　geographer　and　antiquarian　only；　　but　still　showing　clearly　that　he　himself　had　seen　it。　He　must；　　however；　have　ascended　far　higher　peaks；　since　he　is　familiar　with　　facts　which　only　occur　at　a　height　of　10；000　feet　or　more　above　the　　seamountain…sickness　and　its　accompanimentsof　which　his　imaginary　　comrade　Solinus　tries　to　cure　him　with　a　sponge　dipped　in　an　essence。　　The　ascents　of　Parnassus　and　Olympus；　of　which　he　speaks；　are　perhaps　　only　fictions。

In　the　fifteenth　century；　the　great　masters　of　the　Flemish　school；　　Hubert　and　Jan　van　Eyck；　suddenly　lifted　the　veil　from　nature。　Their　　landscapes　are　not　merely　the　fruit　of　an　endeavor　to　reflect　the　real　　world　in　art；　but　have；　even　if　expressed　conventionally；　a　certain　　poetical　meaningin　short；　a　soul。　Their　influence　on　the　whole　art　of　　the　West　is　undeniable；　and　extended　to　the　landscape…painting　of　the　　Italians；　but　without　preventing　the　characteristic　interest　of　the　　Italian　eye　for　nature　from　finding　its　own　expression。

On　this　point；　as　in　the　scientific　description　of　nature；　Aeneas　　Sylvius　is　again　one　of　the　most　weighty　voices　of　his　time。　Even　if　we　　grant　the　justice　of　all　that　has　been　said　against　his　character；　we　　must　nevertheless　admit　that　in　few　other　men　was　the　picture　of　the　　age　and　its　culture　so　fully　reflected；　and　that　few　came　nearer　to　the　　normal　type　of　the　men　of　the　early　Renaissance。　It　may　be　added　　parenthetically；　that　even　in　respect　to　his　moral　character　he　will　　not　be　fairly　judged；　if　we　listen　solely　to　the　complaints　of　the　　German　Church；　which　his　fickleness　helped　to　balk　of　the　Council　it　so　　ardently　desired。

He　here　claims　our　attention　as　the　first　who　not　only　enjoyed　the　　magnificence　of　the　Italian　landscape；　but　described　it　with　enthusiasm　　down　to　its　minutest　details。　The　ecclesiastical　State　and　the　south　of　　Tuscanyhis　native　homehe　knew　thoroughly；　and　after　he　became　Pope　　he　spent　his　leisure　during　the　favourable　season　chiefly　in　excursions　　to　the　country。　Then　at　last　the　gouty　man　was　rich　enough　to　have　　himself　carried　in　a　litter　across　the　mountains　and　valleys；　and　when　　we　compare　his　enjoyments　with　those　of　the　Popes　who　succeeded　him；　　Pius；　whose　chief　delight　was　in　nature；　antiquity；　and　simple；　but　　noble；　architecture；　appears　almost　a　saint。　In　the　elegant　and　flowing　　Latin　of　his　'Commentaries'　he　freely　tells　us　of　his　happiness。

His　eye　seems　as　keen　and　practiced　as　that　of　any　modern　observer。　He　　enjoys　with　rapture　the　panoramic　splendor　of　the　view　from　the　summit　　of　the　Alban　Hillsfrom　the　Monte　Cavowhence　he　could　see　the　shores　　of　St。　Peter　from　Terracina　and　the　promontory　of　Circe　as　far　as　Monte　　Argentaro；　and　the　wide　expanse　of　country　round　about；　with　the　ruined　　cities　of　the　past；　and　with　the　mountain…chains　of　Central　Italy　　beyond；　and　then　his　eye　would　turn　to　the　green　woods　in　the　hollows　　beneath　and　the　mountain…lakes　among　them。　He　feels　the　beauty　of　the　　position　of　Todi；　crowning　the　vineyards　and　olive…clad　slopes；　looking　　down　upon　distant　woods　and　upon　the　valley　of　the　Tiber；　where　towns　　and　castles　rise　above　the　winding　river。　The　lovely　hills　about　Siena；　　with　villas　and　monasteries　on　every　height；　are　his　own　home；　and　his　　descrip…　tions　of　them　are　touched　with　a　peculiar　feeling。　Single　　picturesque　glimpses　charm　him　too；　like　the　little　promontory　of　Capo　　di　Monte　that　stretches　out　into　the　Lake　of　Bolsena。　'Rocky　steps；'　we　　read；　'shaded　by　vines；　descend　to　the　water's　edge；　where　the　　evergreen　oaks　stand　between　the　cliffs；　alive　with　the　song　of　　thrushes。'　On　the　path　round　the　Lake　of　Nemi；　beneath　the　chestnuts　　and　fruit…trees；　he　feels　that　here；　if　anywhere；　a　poet's　soul　must　　awakehere　in　the　hiding…place　of　Diana！　He　often　held　consistories　or　　received　ambassadors　under　huge　old　chestnut…trees；　or　beneath　the　　olives　on　the　greensward　by　some　gurgling　spring。　A　view　like　that　of　a　　narrowing　gorge；　with　a　bridge　arched　boldly　over　it；　awakens　at　once　　his　artistic　sense。　Even　the　smallest　details　give　him　delight　through　　something　beautiful；　or　perfect；　or　characteristic　in　themthe　blue　　fields　of　waving　flax；　the　yellow　gorse　which　covers　the　hills；　even　　tangled　thickets；　or　single　trees；　or　springs；　which　seem　to　him　like　　wonders　of　nature。

The　height　of　his　enthusiasm　for　natural　beauty　was　reached　during　his　　stay　on　Monte　Amiata；　in　the　summer　of　1462；　when　plague　and　heat　made　　the　lowlands　uninhabitable。　Half…way　up　the　mountain；　in　the　old　　Lombard　monastery　of　San　Salvatore；　he　and　his　court　took　up　their　　quarters。　There；　between　the　chestnuts　which　clothe　the　steep　　declivity；　the　eye　may　wander　over　all　Southern　Tuscany；　with　the　　towers　of　Siena　in　the　distance。　The　ascent　of　the　highest　peak　he　left　　to　his　companions；　who　were　joined　by　the　Venetian　envoy；　they　found　at　　the　top　two　vast　blocks　of　stone　one　upon　the　otherperhaps　the　　sacrificial　altar　of　a　prehistoric　peopleand　fancied　that　in　the　far　　distance　they　saw　Corsica　and　Sardinia　rising　above　the　sea。　In　the　　cool　air　of　the　hills；　among　the　old　oaks　and　chestnuts；　on　the　green　　meadows　where　there　were　no　thorns　to　wound　the　feet；　and　no　snakes　or　　insects　to　hurt　or　to　annoy；　the　Pope　passed　days　of　unclouded　　happiness。　For　the　'Segnatura；'　which　took　place　on　certain　days　of　the　　week；　he　selected　on　each　occasion　some　new　shady　retreat　'novos　in　　convallibus　fontes　et　novas　inveniens　umbras；　quae　dubiam　facerent　　electionem。'　At　such　times　the　dogs　would　perhaps　start　a　great　stag　　from　his　lair；　who；　after　defending　himself　a　while　with　hoofs　and　　antlers；　would　fly　at　last　up　the　mountain。　In　the　evening　the　Pope　was　　accustomed　to　sit　before　the　monastery　on　the　spot　from　which　the　whole　　valley　of　the　Paglia　was　visible；　holding　lively　conversations　with　the　　cardinals。　The　courtiers；　who　ventured　down　from　the　heights　on　their　　hunting　expeditions；　found　the　heat　below　intolerable；　and　the　scorched　　plains　like　a　very　hell；　while　the　monastery；　with　its　cool；　shady　　woods；　seemed　like　an　abode　of　the　blessed。

All　this　is　genuine　modern　enjoyment；　not　a　reflection　of　antiquity。　As　　surely　as　the　ancients　themselves　felt　in　the　same　manner；　so　surely；　　nevertheless；　were　the　scanty　expressions　of　the　writers　whom　Pius　knew　　insufficient　to　awaken　in　him　such　enthusiasm。

The　second　great　age　of　Italian　poetry；　which　now　followed　at　the　end　　of　the　fifteenth　and　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　centuries；　as　well　　as　the　Latin　poetry　of　the　same　period；　is　rich　in　proofs　of　the　　powerful　effect　of　nature　on　the　human　mind。　The　first　glance　at　the　　lyric　poets　of　that　time　will　suffice　to　convince　us。　Elaborate　　descriptions　of　natural　scenery；　it　is　true；　are　very　rare；　for　the　　reason　that；　in　this　energetic　age；　poetry　had　something　else　to　paint　　nature　vigorously；　but　no　effort　to　appeal　by　their　reader；　which　they　　endeavor　to　reach　solely　by　their　narrative　and　characters。　Letter…　writers　and　the　authors　of　philosophical　dialogues　are；　in　fact；　better　　evidence　of　the　growing　love　of　nature　than　the　poets。　The　novelist　　Bandello；　for　example；　observes　rigorously　the　rules　of　his　department　　of　literature；　he　gives　us　in　his　novels　them