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SECT. XVII.

E are now arrived at the commencement of the fixteenth century. But before I proceed to a formal and particular examination of the poetry of that century, and of those that follow, fome preliminary confiderations of a more general nature, and which will have a reference to all the remaining part of our history, for the purpose of preparing the reader, and facilitating our future inquiries, appear to be neceffary.

On a retrospect of the fifteenth century, we find much poetry written during the latter part of that period. It is certain, that the recent introduction into England of the art of typography, to which our countrymen afforded the moft liberal encouragement, and which for many years was almost folely confined to the impreffion of English books, the fashion of tranflating the claffics from French verfions, the growing improvements of the English language, and the diffufion of learning among the laity, greatly contributed to multiply English compofition, both in profe and verfe, These causes, however, were yet immature; nor had they gathered a fufficient degree of power and stability, to operate on our literature with any vigorous effects.

But there is a circumftance, which, among fome others already suggested, impeded that progreffion in our poetry, which might yet have been expected under all these advantages. A revolution, the most fortunate and important in most other refpects, and the most interesting that occurs in the history of the migration of letters, now began to take place; which, by diverting the attention of ingenious men to new modes of thinking, and the culture of new languages, introduced a new course of study, and gave a tem

porary

porary check to vernacular compofition. This was the revival of claffical learning.

In the course of these annals we must have frequently remarked, from time to time, striking symptoms of a restless disposition in the human mind to roufe from its lethargic state, and to break the bonds of barbarism. After many imperfect and interrupted efforts, this mighty deliverance, in which the mouldering Gothic fabrics of falfe religion and false philosophy fell together, was not effectually completed till the close of the fifteenth century. An event, almost fortuitous and unexpected, gave a direction to that spirit of curiofity and discovery, which had not yet appeared in its full force and extent, for want of an object. About the year 1453, the difperfion of the Greeks, after Constantinople had been occupied by the Turks, became the means of gratifying that natural love of novelty, which has so frequently led the way to the nobleft improvements, by the introduction of a new language and new books; and totally changed the state of letters in Europe'.

This great change commenced in Italy; a country, from many circumstances, above all others peculiarly qualified and prepared to adopt such a deviation. Italy, during the darkest periods of monaftic ignorance, had always maintained a greater degree of refinement and knowledge than any other European country. In the thirteenth century, when the manners of Europe appear to have been overwhelmed with every species of abfurdity, its luxuries were less savage, and its public fpectacles more rational, than those of France,

1 But it should be remembered, that fome learned Grecians, foreseeing the perfecutions impending over their country, frequented Italy, and taught their language there, before the taking of Conftantinople. Some Greeks, who attended the Florentine council, and never returned for fear of the Turks, founded the prefent royal library in the city of Turenne. In the year 1401, the Greek emperor, unable to refift the frequent infults

of thefe barbarians, came into England to
feek redress or protection from Henry the
fourth. He landed at Dover, attended by
many
learned Greeks; and the next day
was honourably received at Chrift-church
priory at Canterbury, by the prior, Tho-
mas Chyllenden. In a manufcript called
SPECULUM PARVULORUM, lib. 5. c. 30.
MSS. Bibl. Lambeth.

England,

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England, and Germany. Its inhabitants were not only enriched, but enlightened, by that flourishing state of commerce, which its commodious fituation, aided by the combination of other concomitant advantages, contributed to fupport. Even from the time of the irruptions of the northern barbarians, fome glimmerings of the antient erudition still remained in this country; and in the midst of superstition and falfe philosophy, repeated efforts were made in Italy to restore the Roman claffics. To mention no other inftances, Alberti Muffato of Padua, and a commander in the Paduan army against the Veronefe, wrote two Latin tragedies, ECERRINIS, or the fate of the tyrant Ecerinus of Verona, and ACHILLE IS, on the plan of the Greek drama, and in imitation of Seneca, before the year 1320. many monuments of legitimate fculpture and architecture preserved in Italy, had there kept alive ideas of elegance and grace; and the Italians, from their familiarity with thofe precious remains of antiquity, so early as the close of the fourteenth century, had laid the rudiments of their perfection in the antient arts. Another circumstance which had a confiderable fhare in clearing the way for this change, and which deferves particular attention, was the innovation introduced into the Italian poetry by Petrarch: who, inspired with the most elegant of paffions, and cloathing his exalted feelings on that delicate fubject in the most melodious and brilliant Italian verfification, had totally eclipsed the barbarous

He was honoured with the laurel, and died 1329.

" Printed at Venice, 1636. fol. with his EPISTOLE, ELEGI, SOLILOQUIA, ECLOGE, CENTO OVIDIANUS, Latin Hiftory of Italy, and BAVARUS ad Filium. And in Muratori's RER. ITAL. SCRIPTOR. tom. x. Mediolan. 1727. P. 1. 123. 569. 769. 785. See alfo in THESAUR. Ital. tom. vi. part. ii. Lugd. Bat. 1722. Among his inedited works are mentioned, LIBER

Vol. II.

The

DE LITE NATURE ET FORTUNÆ, on Natural Caufes and Fate. And three books in heroic verse, on the War against the Veronese above-mentioned. The name and writings of Muffato were hardly known, till they were brought forward to the public notice in the ESSAY ON POPE; which I fhall not be accused of partiality, as I only join the voice of the world, in calling the moft agreeable and judicious picce of criticifm produced by the prefent age.

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beauties of the Provencial troubadours; and by this new and powerful magic, had in an eminent degree contributed to reclaim, at least for a time, the public tafte, from a love of Gothic manners and romantic imagery.

In this country, fo happily calculated for their favourable reception, the learned fugitives of Greece, when their empire was now destroyed, found shelter and protection. Hither they imported, and here they interpreted, their antient writers, which had been preferved entire at Constantinople. These being eagerly studied by the best Italian scholars, communicated a tafte for the graces of genuine poetry and eloquence; and at the fame time were inftrumental in propagating a more juft and general relish for the Roman poets, orators, and hiftorians. In the mean time a more elegant and fublime philofophy was adopted a philofophy more friendly to works of tafte and imagination, and more agreeable to the fort of reading which was now gaining ground. The scholastic subtleties, and the captious logic of Aristotle, were abolished for the mild and divine wifdom of Plato..

It was a circumftance, which gave the greatest splendour and importance to this new mode of erudition, that it was encouraged by the popes: who, confidering the encouragement of literature as a new expedient to establish their authority over the minds of men, and enjoying an opulent and peaceable dominion in the voluptuous region of Italy, extended their patronage on this occafion with a liberality fo generous and unreferved, that the court of Rome on a fudden loft its auftere character, and became the feat of elegance and urbanity. Nicholas the fifth, about the year 1440, eftablished public rewards at Rome for compofition in the learned languages, appointed profeffors in humanity, and employed intelligent perfons to traverfe all parts of Europe in search of claffic manufcripts buried in the monasteries. "Viros Patrocinio." Rom. 1742. 4to. Add"de Nich. quinti erga Lit. et Literat. ed to his LIFE.

• See "Dominei Georgii DISSERTATIO

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It was by means of the munificent support of pope Nicholas, that Cyriac of Ancona, who may be confidered as the first antiquary in Europe, was enabled to introduce a taste for gems, medals, infcriptions, and other curious remains of claffical antiquity, which he collected with indefatigable labour in various parts of Italy and Greece'. He allowed Francis Philelphus, an elegant Latin poet of Italy, about 1450, a ftipend for tranflating Homer into Latin. Leo the tenth, not lefs confpicuous for his munificence in reftoring letters, defcended so far from his apoftolical dignity, as to be a spectator of the POENULUS of Plautus; which was performed in a temporary theatre in the court of the capitol, by the flower of the Roman youth, with the addition of the most costly decorations': and Leo, while he was pouring the thunder of his anathemas against the heretical doctrines of Martin Luther, published a bulle of excommunication against all those who should dare to cenfure the poems of Ariofto. It was under the pontificate of Leo, that a perpetual indulgence was granted for rebuilding the church. of a monaftery, which poffeffed a manuscript of Tacitus'.

P See Fr. Burmanni PRÆFAT. ad Infcription. Gruterian. Amftel. 1707. fol. Baluz. MISCELL. tom. vi. p. 539. Ant. Auguftini DIALOG. DE NUMISMAT. ix. xi. Voff. de HISTOR. LAT. p. 809. His ITINERARIUM was printed at Florence, by L. Mehus, 1742. 8vo. See Leon. Aretini EPISTOL. tom. ii. lib. ix. p. 149. And GIORNAL. de' Letterati d'Italia. tom. xxi. P. 428. See the COLLECTION of Infcriptions, by P. Apianus, and B. Amantius, Ingoldftat. 1634. fol. at the MONUM. GA

DITAN.

Philelph. EPIST. xxiv. 1. xxxvi. 1. In the EPISTLE of Philelphus, and in his ten books of SATIRES in Latin verse, are many curious particulars relating to the literary hiftory of thofe times. Venet. fol. 1502. His NICOLAUS, or two books of Lyrics, is a panegyric on the life and acts of pope Nicholas the fifth.

It was in the year 1513, on occafion of Julian Medicis, Leo's brother, boing made

free of Rome. P. Jovius, Hist. lib. xi. ad calc. And VIT. LEON. lib. iii. p. 145. Jovius fays, that the actors were Romana juventutis lepidiffimi. And that feveral pieces of poetry were recited at the same time. Leo was alfo prefent at an Italian comedy, written by cardinal Bibienna, called CALANDER, in honour of the Duchefs of Mantua. It was acted by noble youths in the fpacious apartments of the Vatican, and Leo was placed in a fort of throne. Jov. in VIT. p. 189.

Paulus Jovius relates an anecdote of pope Leo the tenth, which fhews that fome paffages in the claffics were ftudied at the court of Rome to very bad purpofes. I must give it in his own words. "Non caruit

etiam infamia, quod parum honefte non"nullos e cubiculariis fuis (erant enim e "tota Italia nobiliffimi) adamare, et cum "his tenerius atque libere jocari videretur." In VITA LEONIS X. p. 192.

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