sition, and some of his productions 66 stand unrivalled 67 amongst those of his countrymen to 68 the present day. Yet such 69 has been the admiration paid 70 by the Italians to a few favourite authors 71, that they have almost closed72 their eyes to 73 the various excellencies with 74 which his works abound.75 From the time of his death no general collection was made of his writings for upwards of76 sixty years, and after their first publication 77 by Aldus in 1554, upwards of78 two centuries elapsed 79 without a new edition.80 Neglected in Italy, they seem to have been unknown to the rest of81 Europe. A French historian 82, Varillas, in whose narrative Lorenzo makes 83 a conspicuous 84 figure 85, assures his readers, that the writings of this great man, as well in verse as in prose, are irrevocably 86 lost; and that he would no longer be known as an author, were it not from 87 the commendations 88 bestowed upon 89 him by his friends, and the attention 90 paid 91 to him by Paulus Jovius, who has assigned 92 a place 93 to his memory 94 in his eulogies on 95 the modern writers of Italy. But we are 96 not to consider Lorenzo de' Medici merely in the character of an author, and a patron 97 of learning. As a statesman, he was without doubt the most extraordinary person 98 of his own or perhaps of any 99 time. Though a private citizen 100 and a merchant of Florence, he not only obtained the decided 101 control 102 of that state, at 103 a period 104 when it abounded with 105 men of 73 77 Ver= 66 Leistung. 67 unvergleichlich. 68 bis zum heutigen Tage. 69 so groß. 70 zollen. 71 Lieblingsschriftsteller. 72 schließen. vor. 74 an. 75 fo reich sein. 76 for upwards of wohl, and put lang after years. öffentlichung. 78 ungefähr. 79 vergehen. 82 Geschichtschreiber. 83 spielen. 84 bedeutend. bringlich. I say, it be then through. 87 88 81 übrig. 80 Ausgabe. 85 Rolle, f. 86 unwiederUnpreisung. 91 schenken. 96 95 Lobrede zu Ehren. irgend ein. 100 Privatmann. 104 Zeit, f. 105 an Fülle besigen. 89 zu seinen 92 anweisen. müssen. 97 Be101 entschieden. the greatest talents and acuteness 106, but raised himself to the rank 107 of sole arbiter 108 of Italy, and operated 109 with considerable effect 110 upon the politics 111 of Europe. Without attempting to subjugate 112 his native place 113, he laid the foundation 114 of the future greatness of his family. His son and his nephew were, at a short interval 115, successively 116 raised to the pontifical 117 dignity 118; and in the succeeding 119 centuries, his descendants 120 became connected 121 by marriage 122 with the first European sovereigns. The protection 123 afforded 124 by him to all the polite 125 arts 126 gave them a permanent 127 foundation 128 in Italy In the establishment 129 of public libraries, schools, and seminaries of learning 130, he was equally 131 munificent 132, indefatigable 133, and successful 134; and these objects 135 were all accomplished 136 by a man who died at 137 the early age of forty-four years.-Roscoe's Life of Lorenzo de' Medici. XXVIII. INFLUENCE OF LIBERTY ON THE FLORENTINES.3 THE great degree of freedom, enjoyed by the citizens of Florence, had the most favourable effects on their character, and gave them a decided superiority over9 the inhabitants of the rest of Italy. The popular nature of the government 10, 120 108 8 109 110 Erfolg. 106 Scharfsinn. 107 Rang, m. Schiedsrichter. wirken. 111 Staatsleben. 112 unterjochen. 113 Geburtsort, m. 114 Grundlage. 115 Zwischenraum, m. 116 nach einander. 117 påpstlich 118 Würde. folgend. Nachkomme, m. 121 verbinden. 122 124 say, which he afforded angedeihen lassen. 127 dauernd. 128 Stellung. 129 Errichtung. 132 freigebig. 133 unermüdlich). 119 131 gleich. 136 6 Heirath. 123 Schuk, m. 125 schön. 126 Kunst. 130 gelehrte Anstalt. 135 Ding, n. 134 glücklich. 'Einfluß. 2auf. Florentiner. hoch. 5 say, which the citizens enjoyed; to enjoy genießen, with Gen. günstig wirken auf. 7 ent= schieden. Ueberlegenheit. vor. 10 volksmäßige Regierungsweise. not subjected to the will of an individual as in many of the surrounding states, not restricted 12 like that of Venice 13 to 14 a particular class, was a constant incitement 15 to exertion. Nor 16 was it on the great body 17 of the people only that the good effects of this system 18 were apparent19; even those who claimed 20 the privileges 21 of ancestry 22 felt the advantages of a rivalship 23, which prevented their sinking 24 into indolence 25, and called upon 26 them to support by their own talents the rank and influence which they had derived 27 from 28 those of their ancestors.29 Where the business 30 of government is confined 31 to a few, the faculties 32 of the many 33 become torpid 34 for 35 want of36 exercise; but in Florence, every citizen was conversant with 37, and might hope, at least, to partake in 38 the government and hence was derived 39 that spirit of industry which, in the pursuit 40 of41 wealth, and the extension 42 of commerce 43, was, amidst all their intestine broils 44, SO conspicuous 45 and so successful.46 The fatigues 47 of public life, and the cares 48 of mercantile 49 avocations 50, were alleviated51 at time 52 by the study of literature or the speculations 53 of 54 philosophy. A rational 55 and dignified 56 employment engaged 57 those moments of leisure 58 not 11 umgrånzend. 12 beschränken. 13 Venedig. 14 auf. 15 Sporn, m. 16 auch nicht, and leave out was it and that, and put were between auch and nicht. 17 Masse, f. 18 Staatssystem, n. 19 sichtbar. 20 Anspruch machen auf. 21 Vorrecht. 22 Ahnenreihe, f., with Indef. Art. 23 Wetteifer, m. 24 versinken. 27 gewinnen. 28 durch. 29 Voråltern. schränken auf. 32 Fähigkeit. 35 33 26 25 Trägheit. auffordern. 30 Geschäft, n., take pl. 31 einsay, the great multitude Menge. 36 34 verdumpfen to become torpid. aus. an. 37 say, had knowledge of the government (Regierungswesen), and might -to partake (Theil nehmen) in it. an. 39 kommen. 40 Streben. 41 nach. 42 Aus43 Handel, m. 44 innere Zwistigkeiten. 45 in die Augen 38 breitung. springend. 46 erfolgreich. 47 Beschwerde. 48 Mühseligkeit. 49 kaufmännisch. Geschäft 51 mildern. 52 zu Zeiten. 53 Versenkung, sing. 54 in. 55 vernünftig. 56 würdevoll. 57 ausfüllen. 58 Muße, ƒ. 50 necessarily devoted to more important concerns, and the mind was relaxed 60 without being debilitated 61, and amused 62 without being depraved.63 The superiority which the Florentines thus acquired, was universally acknowledged; and they became the historians, the poets, the orators, and the preceptors of Europe.-Roscoe's Life of Lorenzo de' Medici. XXIX. ON DR. JOHNSON'S LIVES OF THE POETS. 11 which, unfortunately for and the character of our 16 THE life of Pope2 by Dr. Johnson has been considered as one of the best of3 that series the memory of our national poets national poetry, he was induced to undertake. Throughout the whole of those lives there appears an assumption 10 of superiority in the biographer 12 over the subjects 13 of his labours 14, which diminishes 15 the idea of their talents17, and leaves 18 an unfavourable impression 19 on their moral character. It could only be 20 from 21 the representation 22 of Johnson, that so amiable a man as Cowper 23 could thus close 24 his remarks on 25 reading the lives of the British poets. After all 26, it is a melancholy 27 observation 28, which it is impossible not to make 29, after having run through 30 this series of poetic lives, that where there were such shining talents, there should be so little 60 sich erholen. 61 sich abschwächen. 1 Leben, which has no plural, description of life, the plural is 3 in. 4 say, Pope's life. * Reihe. 7 bewegen. 10 Anmaßung. 62 much as 52 unterhalten. 63 verderben. and when it is as taken from Lebensbeschreibung. 5 Volksdichter. 6 Volkspoesie. durch, and put hindurch after the Acc. say, all these. Ueberlegenheit. 12 Lebensbeschreiber. 13 Gegenstand, sing. 14 take the sing. 15 verringern. 16 Begriff. 17 Talent, n. 18 zurück lassen. 19 Mahl, n. 20 21 durch. 22 Darstellung. 23 add say, come. say, after he had read. 26 am Ende, and insert was. 24 beschließen. 25 doch after it. 27 traurig. 28 Gedanke. 29. say, arrive at. durchlaufen. S 30 virtue. These luminaries 31 of our country seem to have been kindled 32 into a brighter33 blaze 34 than others, only that their spots 35 might be more noticed 36; so much can nature do for our intellectual 37 part 38, and so little for our moral.-Roscoe's Life of Pope. XXX. STUDY OF ANCIENT LITERATURE IN ITALY. 4 THE extreme' avidity2 for3 the works of the ancient writers which distinguished the early part of the fifteenth century, announced the near approach of more enlightened times. Whatever were the causes that determined men of wealth and learning to exert themselves so strenuously in this pursuit 10, certain it is that their interference was of the highest importance to the interests 12 of posterity; and that if it had been much longer delayed 13, the loss would have been in a great 14 degree irreparable 15, such of the manuscripts as then existed 16 of the ancient Greek and Roman authors, being mouldered 17 in obscure 18 corners 19 a prey to oblivion and neglect,20 It was therefore a circumstance productive of 21 the happiest consequences 22, that the pursuits 23 of the opulent 24 were at this time directed 25 rather towards the recovery 26 of the works of the ancients, than to the encouragement27 of contemporary 28 merit 29; a fact that may serve in some degree 30 to 31 Sternlicht, n. (pl.—er). 32 ent flammen. 35 Fleck, m. 36 and take plural. 1 8 34 Gluth, f. Kraft, 33 hell. 37 geistig. 38 ' höchst. 2 Begierde. 3nach. ‘auszeichnen. "verkündigen. “Dåmmerung, lit. dawn. 7aufgeklärt. bestimmen. eifrig. 10 Streben. "Dazwischenkunft. 12 Wohl, sing. 13verschieben. "hoch. 15 unerfeßlich. 16 vorhanden sein. 17 to be mouldered vermodern. 18 finster. 19 Win 22 fel, m. 20 Vernachlåssigung. 21 erzeugend. 2 Folge. 23 Bestrebung. 26 Wiedererlangung. 30 einiger Maßen. 24 Wohlhabend. 25 richten. .28 25 gleichzeitig. 29 Verdienst, n. Ermunterung. |