the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第62章

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staken；　is　a　sort　of　feminine　counterpart　to　the　'Vita　Nuova'　of　　Dante；　or　at　any　rate　owes　its　origin　to　it。

That　the　ancient　poets；　particularly　the　elegists；　and　Virgil；　in　the　　fourth　book　of　the　Aeneid；　were　not　without　influence　on　the　Italians　　of　this　and　the　following　generation　is　beyond　a　doubt；　but　the　spring　　of　sentiment　within　the　latter　was　nevertheless　powerful　and　original。　　If　we　compare　them　in　this　respect　with　their　contemporaries　in　other　　countries；　we　shall　find　in　them　the　earliest　complete　expression　of　　modern　European　feeling。　The　question；　be　it　remembered；　is　not　to　know　　whether　eminent　men　of　other　nations　did　not　feel　as　deeply　and　as　　nobly；　but　who　first　gave　documentary　proof　of　the　widest　knowledge　of　　the　movements　of　the　human　heart。

Why　did　the　Italians　of　the　Renaissance　do　nothing　above　the　second　　rank　in　tragedy？　That　was　the　field　on　which　to　display　human　　character；　intellect；　and　passion；　in　the　thousand　forms　of　their　　growth；　their　struggles；　and　their　decline。　In　other　words：　why　did　　Italy　produce　no　Shakespeare？　For　with　the　stage　of　other　northern　　countries　besides　England　the　Italians　of　the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth　　centuries　had　no　reason　to　fear　a　comparison；　and　with　the　Spaniards　　they　could　not　enter　into　competition；　since　Italy　had　long　lost　all　　traces　of　religious　fanaticism；　treated　the　chivalrous　code　of　honour　　only　as　a　form；　and　was　both　too　proud　and　too　intelligent　to　bow　down　　before　its　tyrannical　and　illegitimate　masters。　We　have　therefore　only　　to　consider　the　English　stage　in　the　period　of　its　brief　splendor。

It　is　an　obvious　reply　that　all　Europe　produced　but　one　Shakespeare；　　and　that　such　a　mind　is　the　rarest　of　Heaven's　gifts。　It　is　further　　possible　that　the　Italian　stage　was　on　the　way　to　something　great　when　　the　Counter…reformation　broke　in　upon　it；　and；　aided　by　the　Spanish　　rule　over　Naples　and　Milan；　and　indirectly　over　almost　the　whole　　peninsula；　withered　the　best　flowers　of　the　Italian　spirit。　It　would　be　　hard　to　conceive　of　Shakespeare　himself　under　a　Spanish　viceroy；　or　in　　the　neighbourhood　of　the　Holy　Inquisition　at　Rome；　or　in　his　own　　country　a　few　decades　later；　at　the　time　o　English　Revolution。　The　　stage；　which　in　its　perfection　is　a　product　of　every　civilization；　must　　wait　for　its　own　time　and　fortune。

We　must　not；　however；　quit　this　subject　without　mentioning　certain　　circumstances　which　were　of　a　character　to　hinder　or　retard　a　high　　development　of　the　drama　in　Italy；　till　the　time　for　it　had　gone　by。

As　the　most　weighty　of　these　causes　we　must　mention　without　doubt　that　　the　scenic　tastes　of　the　people　were　occupied　elsewhere；　and　chiefly　in　　the　mysteries　and　religious　processions。　Throughout　all　Europe　dramatic　　representations　of　sacred　history　and　legend　form　the　origin　of　the　　secular　drama；　but　Italy；　as　will　be　shown　more　fully　in　the　sequel；　　had　spent　on　the　mysteries　such　a　wealth　of　decorative　splendor　as　　could　not　but　be　unfavorable　to　the　dramatic　element。　Out　of　all　the　　countless　and　costly　representations；　there　sprang　not　even　a　branch　of　　poetry　like　the　'Autos　Sagramentales'　of　Calderon　and　other　Spanish　　poets；　much　less　any　advantage　or　foundation　for　the　secular　drama。

And　when　the　latter　did　at　length　appear；　it　at　once　gave　itself　up　to　　magnificence　of　scenic　effects；　to　which　the　mysteries　had　already　　accustomed　the　public　taste　to　far　too　great　an　extent。　We　learn　with　　astonishment　how　rich　and　splendid　the　scenes　in　Italy　were；　at　a　time　　when　in　the　North　the　simplest　indication　of　the　place　was　thought　　sufficient。　This　alone　might　have　had　no　such　unfavorable　effect　on　the　　drama；　if　the　attention　of　the　audience　had　not　been　drawn　away　from　　the　poetical　conception　of　the　play　partly　by　the　splendor　of　the　　costumes；　partly　and　chiefly　by　fantastic　interludes　（Intermezzi）。

That　in　many　places；　particularly　in　Rome　and　Ferrara；　Plautus　and　　Terence；　as　well　as　pieces　by　the　old　tragedians；　were　given　in　Latin　　or　in　Italian；　that　the　academies　of　which　we　have　already　spoken；　made　　this　one　of　their　chief　objects；　and　that　the　poets　of　the　Renaissance　　followed　these　models　too　servilely；　were　all　untoward　conditions　for　　the　Italian　stage　at　the　period　in　question。　Yet　I　hold　them　to　be　of　　secondary　importance。　Had　not　the　Counter…reformation　and　the　rule　of　　foreigners　intervened；　these　very　disadvantages　might　have　been　turned　　into　useful　means　of　transition。　At　all　events；　by　the　year　1520　the　　victory　of　the　mother…tongue　in　tragedy　and　comedy　was；　to　the　great　　disgust　of　the　humanists；　as　good　as　won。　On　this　side；　then；　no　　obstacle　stood　in　the　way　of　the　most　developed　people　in　Europe；　to　　hinder　them　from　raising　the　drama；　in　its　noblest　forms；　to　be　a　true　　reflection　of　human　life　and　destiny。　It　was　the　Inquisitors　and　　Spaniards　who　cowed　the　Italian　spirit；　and　rendered　impossible　the　　representation　of　the　greatest　and　most　sublime　themes；　most　of　all　　when　they　were　associated　with　patriotic　memories。　At　the　same　time；　　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　distracting　'Intermezzi'　did　serious　harm　to　　the　drama。　We　must　now　consider　them　a　little　more　closely。

When　the　marriage　of　Alfonso　of　Ferrara　with　Lucrezia　Borgia　was　　celebrated；　Duke　Ercole　in　person　showed　his　illustrious　guests　the　110　　costumes　which　were　to　serve　at　the　representation　of　five　comedies　of　　Plautus；　in　order　that　all　might　see　that　not　one　of　them　was　used　　twice。　But　all　this　display　of　silk　and　camlet　was　nothing　to　the　　ballets　and　pantomimes　which　served　as　interludes　between　the　acts　of　　the　Plautine　dramas。　That；　in　comparison；　Plautus　himself　seemed　　mortally　dull　to　a　lively　young　lady　like　Isabella　Gonzaga；　and　that　　while　the　play　was　going　on　everybody　was　longing　for　the　interludes；　　is　quite　intelligible；　when　we　think　of　the　picturesque　brilliancy　with　　which　they　were　put　on　the　stage。　There　were　to　be　seen　combats　of　　Roman　warriors；　who　brandished　their　weapons　to　the　sound　of　music；　　torch…dances　executed　by　Moors；　a　dance　of　savages　with　horns　of　　plenty；　out　of　which　streamed　waves　of　fire　all　as　the　ballet　of　a　　pantomime　in　which　a　maiden　was　delivered　from　a　dragon。　Then　came　a　　dance　of　fools；　got　up　as　Punches；　beating　one　another　with　pigs'　　bladders；　with　more　of　the　same　kind。　At　the　Court　of　Ferrara　they　　never　gave　a　comedy　without　'its'　ballet　（Moresca）。　In　what　style　the　　'Amphitruo'　of　Plautus　was　there　represented　（1491）　at　the　first　　marriage　of　Alfonso　with　Anna　Sforza）；　is　doubtful。　Possibly　it　was　　given　rather　as　a　pantomime　with　music　than　as　a　drama。　In　any　case；　　the　accessories　were　more　considerable　than　the　play　itself。　There　was　　a　choral　dance　of　ivy…clad　youths；　moving　in　intricate　figures；　done　to　　the　music　of　a　ringing　orchestra；　then　came　Apollo；　striking　the　lyre　　with　the　plectrum；　and　singing　an　ode　to　the　praise　of　the　House　of　　Este；　then　followed；　as　an　interlude　within　an　interlude；　a　kind　of　　rustic　farce；　after　which　the　stage　was　again　occupied　by　classical　　mythologyVenus；　Bacchus　and　their　followersand　by　a　pantomime　　representing　the　judgement　of　Paris。

Not　till　then　was　the　second　half　of　the　fable　of　Amphitruo　performed；　　with　unmistakable　references　to　the　future　birth　of　a　Hercules　of　the　　House　of　Este。　At　a　former　representation　of　the　same　piece　in　the　　courtyard　of　the　palace　（1487）；　'a　paradise　with　stars　and　other　　wheels；'　was　constantly　burning；　by　which　is　probably　meant　an　　illumination　with　fireworks；　that；　no　doubt；　absorbed　most　of　the　　attention　of　the　spectators。　It　was　certainly　better　when　such　　performances　were　given　separately；　as　was　the　case　at　other　courts。　We　　shall　have　to　speak　of　the　entertainments　given　by　the　Cardinal　Pietro　　Riario；　by　the　Bentivogli　at　Bologna；　and　by　others；　when　we　come　to　　treat　of　the　festivals　in　general。

This　scenic　magnificence；　now　become　universal；　had　a　disastrous　effect　　on　Italian　tragedy。　'In　Venice　formerly；'　writes　Francesco　Sansovino；　　about　1570；　'besides　comedies；　tragedies　by　ancient　and　modern　writers　　were　put　on　the　stage　with　great　pomp。　The　fame　of　the　scenic　　arrangements　_（apparati）　_brought　spectators　from　far　and　near。　　Nowadays；　per