the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第61章

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f　its　singular　worth。　These　masters　could　have　　given　us　the　same　thoughts　in　other　and　wholly　different　forms。　But　　when　once　they　had　made　the　sonnet　the　normal　type　of　lyrical　poetry；　　many　other　writers　of　great；　if　not　the　highest；　gifts；　who　otherwise　　would　have　lost　themselves　in　a　sea　of　diffusiveness；　were　forced　to　　concentrate　their　feelings。　The　sonnet　became　for　Italian　literature　a　　condenser　of　thoughts　and　emotions　such　as　was　possessed　by　the　poetry　　of　no　other　modern　people。

Thus　the　world　of　Italian　sentiment　comes　before　us　in　a　series　of　　pictures；　clear；　concise；　and　most　effective　in　their　brevity。　Had　　other　nations　possessed　a　form　of　expression　of　the　same　kind；　we　　should　perhaps　have　known　more　of　their　inward　life；　we　might　have　had　　a　number　of　pictures　of　inward　and　outward　situationsreflexions　of　　the　national　character　and　temperand　should　not　be　dependent　for　such　　knowledge　on　the　so…called　lyrical　poets　of　the　fourteenth　and　　fifteenth　centuries；　who　can　hardly　ever　be　read　with　any　serious　　enjoyment。　In　Italy　we　can　trace　an　undoubted　progress　from　the　time　　when　the　sonnet　came　into　existence。　In　the　second　half　of　the　　thirteenth　century　the　'Trovatori　della　transizione；'　as　they　have　been　　recently　named；　mark　the　passage　from　the　Troubadours　to　the　poets　that　is；　to　those　who　wrote　under　the　influence　of　antiquity。　The　　simplicity　and　strength　of　their　feeling；　the　vigorous　delineation　of　　fact；　the　precise　expression　and　rounding　off　of　their　sonnets　and　　other　poems；　herald　the　coming　of　a　Dante。　Some　political　sonnets　of　　the　Guelphs　and　Ghibellines　（1260…1270）　have　about　them　the　ring　of　his　　passion；　and　others　remind　us　of　his　sweetest　lyrical　notes。

Of　his　own　theoretical　view　of　the　sonnet；　we　are　unfortunately　　ignorant；　since　the　last　books　of　his　work；　'De　vulgari　eloquentia；'　in　　which　he　proposed　to　treat　of　ballads　and　sonnets；　either　remained　　unwritten　or　have　been　lost。　But；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　he　has　left　us　　in　his　Sonnets　and　'Canzoni'　a　treasure　of　inward　experience。　And　in　　what　a　framework　he　has　set　them！　The　prose　of　the　'Vita　Nuova；'　in　　which　he　gives　an　account　of　the　origin　of　each　poem；　is　as　wonderful　　as　the　verses　themselves；　and　forms　with　them　a　uniform　whole；　inspired　　with　the　deepest　glow　of　passion。　With　unflinching　frankness　and　　sincerity　he　lays　bare　every　shade　of　his　joy　and　his　sorrow；　and　molds　　it　resolutely　into　the　strictest　forms　of　art。　Reading　attentively　　these　Sonnets　and　'Canzoni'　and　the　marvelous　fragments　of　the　diary　of　　his　youth　which　lie　between　them；　we　fancy　that　throughout　the　Middle　　Ages　the　poets　have　been　purposely　fleeing　from　themselves；　and　that　he　　was　the　first　to　seek　his　own　soul。　Before　his　time　we　meet　with　many　　an　artistic　verse；　but　he　is　the　first　artist　in　the　full　sense　of　the　　wordthe　first　who　consciously　cast　immortal　matter　into　an　immortal　　form。　Subjective　feeling　has　here　a　full　objective　truth　and　greatness；　　and　most　of　it　is　so　set　forth　that　all　ages　and　peoples　can　make　it　　their　own。　Where　he　writes　in　a　thoroughly　objective　spirit；　and　lets　　the　force　of　his　sentiment　be　guessed　at　only　by　some　outward　fact；　as　　in　the　magnificent　sonnets　'Tanto　gentile；'　etc。；　and　'Vede　　perfettamente；'　etc。；　he　seems　to　feel　the　need　of　excusing　himself。　　The　most　beautiful　of　these　poems　really　belongs　to　this　class　the　　'Deh　peregrini　che　pensosi　andate；'　（'Oh；　pilgrims；　walking　deep　in　　thoughts；'　from　Vita　Nuova。）　Even　apart　from　the　'Divine　Comedy；'　Dante　　would　have　marked　by　these　youthful　poems　the　boundary　between　　medievalism　and　modern　times。　The　human　spirit　had　taken　a　mighty　step　　towards　the　consciousness　of　its　own　secret　life。

The　revelations　in　this　matter　which　are　contained　in　the　'Divine　　Comedy'　itself　are　simply　immeasurable；　and　it　would　be　necessary　to　go　　through　the　whole　poem；　one　canto　after　another；　in　order　to　do　justice　　to　its　value　from　this　point　of　view。　Happily　we　have　no　need　to　do　　this；　as　it　has　long　been　a　daily　food　of　all　the　countries　of　the　　West。　Its　plan；　and　the　ideas　on　which　it　is　based；　belong　to　the　　Middle　Ages；　and　appeal　to　our　interest　only　historically；　but　it　is　　nevertheless　the　beginning　of　all　modern　poetry；　through　the　power　and　　richness　shown　in　the　description　of　human　nature　in　every　shape　and　　attitude。　From　this　time　forward　poetry　may　have　experienced　unequal　　fortunes；　and　may　show；　for　half　a　century　together；　a　so…called　　relapse。　But　its　nobler　and　more　vital　principle　was　saved　for　ever；　　and　whenever　in　the　fourteenth；　fifteenth；　and　in　the　beginning　of　the　　sixteenth　centuries；　an　original　mind　devotes　himself　to　it；　he　　represents　a　more　advanced　stage　than　any　poet　out　of　Italy；　given　what　is　certainly　always　easy　to　settle　satisfactorilyan　equality　of　　natural　gifts　to　start　with。

Here；　as　in　other　things　in　Italy；　cultureto　which　poetry　belongs　precedes　the　visual　arts　and；　in　fact；　gives　them　their　chief　impulse。　　More　than　a　century　elapsed　before　the　spiritual　element　in　painting　　and　sculpture　attained　a　power　of　expression　in　any　way　analogous　to　　that　of　the　'Divine　Comedy。'　How　far　the　same　rule　holds　good　for　the　　artistic　development　of　other　nations；　and　of　what　importance　the　whole　　question　may　be；　does　not　concern　us　here。　For　Italian　civilization　it　　is　of　decisive　weight。

The　position　to　be　assigned　to　Petrarch　in　this　respect　must　be　settled　　by　the　many　readers　of　the　poet。　Those　who　come　to　him　in　the　spirit　of　　a　cross…examiner；　and　busy　themselves　in　detecting　the　contradictions　　between　the　poet　and　the　man；　his　infidelities　in　love；　and　the　other　　weak　sides　of　his　character；　may　perhaps；　after　sufficient　effort；　end　　by　losing　all　taste　for　his　poetry。　In　place；　then；　of　artistic　　enjoyment；　we　may　acquire　a　knowledge　of　the　man　in　his　'totality。'　　What　a　pity　that　Petrarch's　letters　from　Avignon　contain　so　little　　gossip　to　take　hold　of；　and　that　the　letters　of　his　acquaintances　and　　of　the　friends　of　these　acquaintances　have　either　been　lost　or　never　　existed！　Instead　of　Heaven　being　thanked　when　we　are　not　forced　to　　inquire　how　and　through　what　struggles　a　poet　has　rescued　something　　immortal　from　his　own　poor　life　and　lot；　a　biography　has　been　stitched　　together　for　Petrarch　out　of　these　so…called　'remains；'　which　reads　　like　an　indictment。　But　the　poet　may　take　comfort。　If　the　printing　and　　editing　of　the　correspondence　of　celebrated　people　goes　on　for　another　　half…century　as　it　has　begun　in　England　and　Germany；　illustrious　　company　enough　sitting　with　him　on　repentance。

Without　shutting　our　eyes　to　much　that　is　_。　artificial　in　his　poetry；　　where　the　writer　is　merely　imitating　himself　and　singing　on　in　the　old　　strain；　we　cannot　fail　to　admire　the　marvelous　abundance　of　pictures　of　　the　inmost　soul　　descriptions　of　moments　of　joy　and　sorrow　which　must　　have　been　thoroughly　his　own；　since　no　one　before　him　gives　us　anything　　of　the　kind；　and　on　which　his　significance　rests　for　his　country　and　　for　the　world。　His　verse　is　not　in　all　places　equally　transparent；　by　　the　side　of　his　most　beautiful　thoughts　stands　at　times　some　　allegorical　conceit　or　some　sophistical　trick　of　logic；　altogether　　foreign　to　our　present　taste。　But　the　balance　is　on　the　side　of　　excellence。

Boccaccio；　too；　in　his　imperfectly…known　Sonnets；　succeeds　sometimes　in　　giving　a　most　powerful　and　effective　picture　of　his　feeling。　The　return　　to　a　spot　consecrated　by　love　（Son。　22）；　the　melancholy　of　spring　（Son。　　33）；　the　sadness　of　the　poet　who　feels　himself　growing　old　（Son。　65）；　　are　admirably　treated　by　him。　And　in　the　'Ameto'　he　has　described　the　　ennobling　and　transfiguring　power　of　love　in　a　manner　which　would　　hardly　be　expected　from　the　author　of　the　'Decameron。'　In　the　　'Fiammetta'　we　have　another　great　and　minutely…painted　picture　of　the　　human　soul；　full　of　the　keenest　observation；　though　executed　with　　anything　but　uniform　power；　and　in　parts　marred　by　the　passion　for　　high…sounding　language　and　by　an　unlucky　mixture　of　mythological　　allusions　and　learned　quotations。　The　'Fiammetta；'　if　we　are　not　　mistaken；　is　a　sort　of　feminine　counterpart　to　the　'Vita　Nuova'　of　　Dante；　or　at　any　rate　owes　its　ori