the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第60章

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mple；　observes　rigorously　the　rules　of　his　department　　of　literature；　he　gives　us　in　his　novels　themselves　not　a　word　more　　than　is　necessary　on　the　natural　scenery　amid　which　the　action　of　his　　tales　takes　place；　but　in　the　dedications　which　always　precede　them　we　　meet　with　charming　descriptions　of　nature　as　the　setting　for　his　　dialogues　and　social　pictures。　Among　letter…writers；　Aretino　　unfortunately　must　be　named　as　the　first　who　has　fully　painted　in　words　　the　splendid　effect　of　light　and　shadow　in　an　Italian　sunset。

We　sometimes　find　the　feeling　of　the　poets；　also；　itself　with　　tenderness　to　graceful　scenes　of　country　Strozzi；　about　the　year　1480；　　describes　in　a　Latin　elegy　the　dwelling　of　his　mistress。　We　are　shown　　an　old　ivy…clad　house；　half　hidden　in　trees；　and　adorned　with　weather…　stained　frescoes　of　the　saints；　and　near　it　a　chapel　much　damaged　by　　the　violence　of　the　River　Po；　which　flowed　hard　by；　not　far　off；　the　　priest　ploughs　his　few　barren　roods　with　borrowed　cattle。　This　is　no　　reminiscence　of　the　Roman　elegists；　but　true　modern　sentiment；　and　the　　parallel　to　ita　sincere；　unartificial　description　of　country　life　in　　generalwill　be　found　at　the　end　of　this　part　of　our　work。

It　may　be　objected　that　the　German　painters　at　the　beginning　of　the　　sixteenth　century　succeeded　in　representing　with　perfect　mastery　these　　scenes　of　country　life；　as；　for　instance；　Albrecht　Durer；　in　his　　engraving　of　the　Prodigal　Son。　But　it　is　one　thing　if　a　painter；　　brought　up　in　a　school　of　realism；　introduces　such　scenes；　and　quite　　another　thing　if　a　poet；　accustomed　to　an　ideal　or　mythological　　framework；　is　driven　by　inward　impulse　into　realism。　Besides　which；　　priority　in　point　of　time　is　here；　as　in　the　descriptions　of　country　　life；　on　the　side　of　the　Italian　poets。

Discovery　of　Man

To　the　discovery　of　the　outward　world　the　Renaissance　added　a　still　　greater　achievement；　by　first　discerning　and　bringing　to　light　the　　full；　whole　nature　of　man。　This　period；　as　we　have　seen；　first　gave　the　　highest　development　to　individuality；　and　then　led　the　individual　to　　the　most　zealous　and　thorough　study　of　himself　in　all　forms　and　under　　all　conditions。　Indeed；　the　development　of　personality　is　essentially　　involved　in　the　recognition　of　it　in　oneself　and　in　others。　Between　　these　two　great　processes　our　narrative　has　placed　the　influence　of　　ancient　literature　because　the　mode　of　conceiving　and　representing　both　　the　individual　and　human　nature　in　general　was　defined　and　colored　by　　that　influence。　But　the　power　of　conception　and　representation　lay　in　　the　age　and　in　the　people。

The　facts　which　we　shall　quote　in　evidence　of　our　thesis　will　be　few　in　　number。　Here；　if　anywhere　in　the　course　of　this　discussion；　the　author　　is　conscious　that　he　is　treading　on　the　perilous　ground　of　conjecture；　　and　that　what　seems　to　him　a　clear；　if　delicate　and　gradual；　transition　　in　the　intellectual　movement　of　the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuries；　　may　not　be　equally　plain　to　others。　The　gradual　awakening　of　the　soul　　of　a　people　is　a　phenomenon　which　may　produce　a　different　impression　on　　each　spectator。　Time　will　judge　which　impression　is　the　most　faithful。

Happily　the　study　of　the　intellectual　side　of　human　nature　began；　not　　with　the　search　after　a　theoretical　psychologyfor　that；　Aristotle　　still　sufficedbut　with　the　endeavor　to　observe　and　to　describe。　The　　indispensable　ballast　of　theory　was　limited　to　the　popular　doctrine　of　　the　four　temperaments；　in　its　then　habitual　union　with　the　belief　in　　the　influence　of　the　planets。　Such　conceptions　may　remain　ineradicable　　in　the　minds　of　individuals；　without　hindering　the　general　progress　of　　the　age。　It　certainly　makes　on　us　a　singular　impression；　when　we　meet　　them　at　a　time　when　human　nature　in　its　deepest　essence　and　in　all　its　　characteristic　expressions　was　not　only　known　by　exact　observation；　but　　represented　by　an　immortal　poetry　and　art。　It　sounds　almost　ludicrous　　when　an　otherwise　competent　observer　considers　Clement　VII　to　be　of　a　　melancholy　temperament；　but　defers　his　judgement　to　that　of　the　　physicians；　who　declare　the　Pope　of　a　sanguine…choleric　nature；　or　when　　we　read　that　the　same　Gaston　de　Foix；　the　victor　of　Ravenna；　whom　　Giorgione　painted　and　Bambaia　carved；　and　whom　all　the　historians　　describe；　had　the　saturnine　temperament。　No　doubt　those　who　use　these　　expressions　mean　something　by　them；　but　the　terms　in　which　they　tell　us　　their　meaning　are　strangely　out　of　date　in　the　Italy　of　the　sixteenth　　century。

As　examples　of　the　free　delineation　of　the　human　spirit；　we　shall　first　　speak　of　the　great　poets　of　the　fourteenth　century。

If　we　were　to　collect　the　pearls　from　the　courtly　and　knightly　poetry　　of　all　the　countries　of　the　West　during　the　two　preceding　centuries；　we　　should　have　a　mass　of　wonderful　divinations　and　single　pictures　of　the　　inward　life；　which　at　first　sight　would　seem　to　rival　the　poetry　of　the　　Italians。　Leaving　lyrical　poetry　out　of　account；　Godfrey　of　Strassburg　　gives　us；　in　'Tristram　and　Isolt；'　a　representation　of　human　passion；　　some　features　of　which　are　immortal。　But　these　pearls　lie　scattered　in　　the　ocean　of　artificial　convention；　and　they　are　altogether　something　　very　different　from　a　complete　objective　picture　of　the　inward　man　and　　his　spiritual　wealth。

Italy；　too；　in　the　thirteenth　century　had；　through　the　'Trovatori；'　its　　share　in　the　poetry　of　the　courts　and　of　chivalry。　To　them　is　mainly　　due　the　'Canzone；'　whose　construction　is　as　difficult　and　artificial　as　　that　of　the　songs　of　any　northern　minstrel。　Their　subject　and　mode　of　　thought　represents　simply　the　conventional　tone　of　the　courts；　be　the　　poet　a　burgher　or　a　scholar。

But　two　new　paths　at　length　showed　themselves；　along　which　Italian　　poetry　could　advance　to　another　and　a　characteristic　future。　They　are　　not　the　less　important　for　being　concerned　only　with　the　formal　and　　external　side　of　the　art。

To　the　same　Brunetto　Latinithe　teacher　of　Dantewho；　in　his　　'Canzoni；'　adopts　the　customary　manner　of　the　'Trovatori；'　we　owe　the　　first…known　'versi　sciolti；'　or　blank　hendecasyllabic　verses；　and　in　　his　apparent　absence　of　form；　a　true　and　genuine　passion　suddenly　　showed　itself。　The　same　voluntary　renunciation　of　outward　effect；　　through　confidence　in　the　power　of　the　inward　conception；　can　be　　observed　some　years　later　in　fresco…painting；　and　later　still　in　　painting　of　all　kinds；　which　began　to　cease　to　rely　on　color　for　its　　effect；　using　simply　a　lighter　or　darker　shade。　For　an　age　which　laid　　so　much　stress　on　artificial　form　in　poetry；　these　verses　of　Brunetto　　mark　the　beginning　of　a　new　epoch。84

About　the　same　time；　or　even　in　the　first　half　of　the　thirteenth　　century；　one　of　the　many　strictly　balanced　forms　of　mere；　in　which　　Europe　was　then　so　fruitful；　became　a　normal　and　recognized　form　in　　Italythe　sonnet。　The　order　of　rhymes　and　even　the　number　of　lines　　varied　for　a　whole　century；　till　Petrarch　fixed　them　permanently。　In　　this　form　all　higher　lyrical　and　meditative　subjects；　and　at　a　later　　time　subjects　of　every　possible　description；　were　treated；　and　the　　madrigals；　the　sestine；　and　even　the　'Canzoni'　were　reduced　to　a　　subordinate　place。　Later　Italian　writers　complain；　half　jestingly；　half　　resentfully；　of　this　inevitable　mould；　this　Procrustean　bed；　to　which　　they　were　compelled　to　make　their　thoughts　and　feelings　fit。　Others　　were；　and　still　are；　quite　satisfied　with　this　particular　form　of　　verse；　which　they　freely　use　to　express　any　personal　reminiscence　or　　idle　sing…song　without　necessity　or　serious　purpose。　For　which　reason　　there　are　many　more　bad　or　insignificant　sonnets　than　good　ones。

Nevertheless；　the　sonnet　must　be　held　to　have　been　an　unspeakable　　blessing　for　Italian　poetry。　The　clearness　and　beauty　of　its　structure；　　the　invitation　it　gave　to　elevate　the　thought　in　the　second　and　more　　rapidly　moving　half；　and　the　ease　with　which　it　could　be　learned　by　　heart；　made　it　valued　even　by　the　greatest　masters。　In　fact；　they　would　　not　have　kept　it　in　use　down　to　our　own　century　had　they　not　been　　penetrated　with　a　sense　of　its　singular　worth。　These　masters　could　have　　given　us　the　same　thoughts　in　other　and　wholly　diffe