' k > A. a *te /£v. & X *, * " A*;W W?I$S* K " i-ms ■ - £. *>£*; '»!, PA.' S# , 1 t K n* ™& NSaA; *&Jb. '^^^lv!^:!.' ¥?! ; m v *'~ *n - i ; * fc? .** *& v^,^,. »^.: ;fe^«?»i(* University of California • Berkeley Purchased from ALUMNUS BOOK FUND JW l^as^r if SB Mrtefta* .*>•*.; w - ■■»- - «^'\l^f\ ' s*f\r\' I ,MtoS ^#^*^w 0mmM b a/m»A**W @ - v - - ' 1 - z - "■ S - i. it £7/ 'i^^.M^J V^w* »."Uvs':Aa'»i .fl SS'Jl/v^CA.AAiAA.*^ *AflA£&^. /£; *-4 I LETTERS FROM THE CONTINENT BY SIR EGERTON BRYDGES, BART. K.J. W®. in KENT: ^ttntcD at tf)e pttbate IPrcsig of Xce ^ttocg; BY JOHN WARWICK. 1821. CONTENTS PAGE. Introductory 1 The Kingdom of Burgundy Helvetia— Ancient Kings— House of Charlemagne 11 Ferney Voltaire 28 Rosseau 35 Chillon — Meillerie 39 Kingdom of Burgundy 43 Dukes of Burgundy— Counts Palatine of Burgundy 53 History of Savoy 57 The Counts of Geneva 67 General Reflections---Decline and Termination of the Kingdom of Burgundy Jean Muller Paul- Henri-Mallet 71 House of Savoy— Faucigny 77 Originality very rare— Dante, Petrarch, Boccace, Chaucer, Spenser, Sackville, Milton-- -Court Poets of Charles I. and Charles II 90 Baths of St. Gervais in Savoy-— Reflections on Sa- voyard Simplicity 107 Reflections— -Passage of the Simplon resumed— Bor- romean Islands— Visconti and Sforza Families. . . . 127 Dukes of Parma and Plazenza 162 Agology for the long interval between the dates of these Letters Reflections on the intervening Events-— Aim of the Publication— -Common Cha- racter of Travels 171 LETTERS FROM THE CONTINENT. LETTER I. INTRODUCTORY. Switzerland, i7th June, 1819. ITINERARIES, Tours, Travels; Topographi- cal, Historical, and Statistical Descriptions of every part of Europe, abound even to satiety. He therefore who should attempt to add another to these classes of works, would not act very discreetly. Remarks aud reflections suggested by the scenes or manners of foreign countries are not liable to the same censure. If there be intrinsic value in the writers thoughts, information, or language; if he should be happily gifted with B 2 LETTER I. original powers of mind; with liveliness of fancy; and energy of feeling:: the view of new prospects ; of different customs ; and other forms of government may add to the animation of his mind, and give a favourable opportunity of pour- ing; out some of its stores. The matter of Travels therefore, Avill only make an incidental part of these Letters; and will only be noticed so far as it may give rise to the subject which may occupy the excursions of the author's mind. Faculties ever at work, an heart ever in motion, weave webs, and build castles, in every situation which they fondly desire to preserve and communicate. There are few pleasures equal to those of literature: there are scarcely any so innocent and pure: scarcely any so noble: and scarcely any so beneficial : when their fruits are not buried in the bosoms of the cultivators. I never rest till I have obtained an outline, at least, of the history of the place that I inhabit; but I shall not trouble the reader with what may be easily found in printed books. Switzerland, anciently called Helvetia, or the INTRODUCTORY. 3 greater part, was included in the temporary king- dom of Aries, in the ninth century, under Charles le Gros, * forming, I conccivft, together with Savoy, that part which as a separate kingdom had gone under the name of Burgundy Trans- Jurane, while Burgundy Cis-Jurane, the other part, extended from Franche-Comte, on the hol- ders of Alsatia, north, through Burgundy, Dau- phine, and Provence, to the Mediterranean, south. This kingdom lasted hut a very short time. It fell to peices again with the death of Charles le Gros, or rather with his deposition, Boson had taken it from Charles le Gros: hut Rodolph soon wrested away from this Boson the kingdom of High Burgundy. His son, Rodolph II. join- ed again Aries and Provence by compromise with Hugh, Count de Provence, who was com- petitor with Berengaire I. for the kingdom of Italy. Rodolph III. the grandson, who died 1032, was the last kimr of this race. Such a vast territory would have formed a most power- ful kingdom, if it had ever had time to consoli- r * Great grandson of Charlemagne. Ob. S88. LETTER I. date itself: but perhaps it could not have con- solidated itself from want of natural boundaries. Mallet, the historian, remarks that Switzerland alone seems marked out by Nature to make its inhabitants a people distinct from their neigh- bours. Switzerland afterwards fell to the Emperors, till the Helvetic Confederacy emancipated them from the House of Hapsbtirg. Geneva fell under the at least contested power of the Counts of Savoy, who formed a principality out of the ruins of the kingdom of Burgundy. The Counts and Bishops of Geneva, and even the Bourgeoisie, disputed privileges and pre-eminences with them. From the time that Geneva perfectly liberated itself, its history is quite familiar to all well-read persons. The figure it makes in the annals of Protestantism, and the names of Calvin and Beza have so associated it with that, which is most impressed upon the memory, that it would be disgusting to n 1 1 - ad these J Chillon. He died about 15-fl 3 aged about INTRODUCTORY. 5 seventy-five. There are two or three curious traits of him, not elsewhere noticed, in the Hragmens Biographiques et Historiques of Mons. Grenus-Saladin, Geneve, 1815, 8 V0 . a rare vo- lume, extracted from the original registers of the Council of Geneve, with ninety-seven portraits of Syndics, and other eminent Genevois. The slightest allusions to the celehrated per- sons of Geneva, without any notice of Rousseau, would seem like coldness and neglect. The great difference of opinion, which it is customary to encourage regarding him, requires either a long discussion, or a recognition of the fewest words. Common-place praise, or common-place condemnation, would be idle and revolting. His character is one, which interest me to analyze: but which would be too long for this first stage of my outset. I may say the same of Madame de Stael. Every one is attached naturally, and perhaps wisely, to the character and habits of his own country. As his experience enlarges; as his r mind enlightens; as his associations untwist themselves; take new ». directions; and throw 6 LETTER I. themselves round new objects, he begins to won- der at many of his prejudices : to see happiness in other modes of life, and health and pleasure in other sorts of scenery; to believe that liberty and welfare are consistent with more than one form of goverment; to admit that wealth is not the result merely of one system of commerce, or one form of political economy: but that, of all, the major part have some good, peculiar to themselves : that many things, deemed essential, soon become indifferent: and that we soon reconcile ourselves to the indurance, or privation, of what we had formerly thought most important to be free from, or possessed of. It is by constant occupation, wherever our lot may carry us, that Time moves swiftly, and and generally smoothly, on. The thoughts prey upon the heart, when not strongly engaged. Who is free from regrets of the past, or dread of the future? Who has not had his misfortunes, and bis griefs? Who has been free from deep wounds to his affections, from the loss of friends, from the premature death of beloved relatives? The spirit must be hard, that can gi\e ample INTRODUCTORY. 7 space to the power of these sorrowful musings ! They gather strength by indulgence, and burst the breast that allows them room to swell. But how can the regions of literature be ex- hausted? Each new step opens numerous new vistas to us yet unexplored ; and the more we read, the more we have to learn. Every new countrv we visit suggests a thousand enquiries, on which before we felt no curiosity. We asso- ciate its history with its scenery, and the visible relics of its former grandeur; an interest is rais- ed for its rulers and its people ; our impressions and recollections become, as it were, embodied : the light spreads : we go from country to coun- trv: one history links itself to another: till the whole is elucidated: the figures on all sides start from the canvas : each throws a ray upon its neighbours : and the whole shews an unity of design, of which many of the parts were before inexplicable. We know that all are not qualified for this mental industry. Either the native endowment, or the habitual attention, is wanting. Perhaps also the labour of reading may only overload 8 LETTER I. the memory, if their he no force of intellectual digestion. An overloaded memory is a danger- ous thing: it serves to make follv more conspi- cuous ; to increase its conceit ; and augment the delusion of its self-confidence. On the other hand, what can the most pow- erful human mind do without knowledge ? What enlarged opinions can we form on politics with- out history ? How can we be confident of the character of human nature, under various cir- cumstances, but from a familiarity with the ex- perience of past ages ? Is the present alone to be our care? Is the present sufficient for all the observation we require; and all the practical results we have occasion for? It is history which reconciles us to our lot: it is history that shows us, when we are unhappy, how few have escaped better than ourselves: that power and principalities are never free from deep anxieties; and seldom from dangers, and violent deaths ! This the annals of" every Sove- reign House of Europe will sufficiently shew. A man of enlarged faculties, and enlarged cultivation, wanders about a citizen of the world, INTRODUCTORY. 9 feeling an interest in the events of every country, and the characters of human nature under every government, and every climate. lie seeks to extend his restless desire of knowledge by diver- sified observation; to refresh his mind by novelty of matter; and to give new impulse to his per- ceptions by change of scenery, and variety of objects. Europe restored to peace, and restored to the principles of its ancient institutions, revives all that interest for the stories of old times, which had almost ceased from the force with which the most destructive changes had been eifected, and the blaze of new doctrines by which they had been gilded. The transactions of the past again associate themselves with the existing orders of things: and the literature, which supplies the store of moral and political pictures, is once more called for, protected, and read with avidity. The Swiss appear to be great readers : they are a laborious, patient people: their knowledge is extensive; and they seem to have a turn for the Sciences : but I should doubt if a pre-emi- nence of Imagination was not a rare endowment c 10 LETTER I. with them. Rousseau and Madame de Stael may he said to have almost exhausted the whole fountain of their supply. However, the Baroness de Montolieu, the author of Caroline de Liehtfeld, and numerous other Tales, has an easy and fer- tile fancy, enriched hy various knowledge, and beautifully shaded hy a simple and touching moral pathos, and an happy facility and grace of style. She lives near Lausanne. This letter, as introductory, has been made purposely general. Though it is not intended in future letters to enter into trite history, or trite topography, yet history out of the vulgar course of research, such as never appears in common books, and can only be collected by an attentive comparison of works of the first autho- rity, ancient or modern, is a field that I shall take full liberty to enter upon, as accident gives the impulse. For instance, I may indulge the desire to strike out a sketch of the interesting annals of the fallen Kingdom of Burgundy, so utterly past over, or so confusedly alluded to, in modern volumes of travels or geography. 11 LETTER II. Wt)t l&tng&om of Uuiguntii)===?Oclfaftia=--=^[nctent ltingg= $?ou<5c of ©Ijavlcmagne. Switzerland, lit July, 1819. 1 HE chain of high mountains, called the Jura, extending from North to South, separate France from Switzerland. The northern end of them points to Alsace, the southern to Provence and the Mediterranean. Their longitudinal direction is parallel with that of the Alpes. On the French side of this chain are, Franche-Comte on the North, and Burgundy on the South. The coun- try which lies hetween these parallel chains of mountains, the Jura and the Alpes, forms Hel- vetia, or Switzerland. On the North, this coun- try is shut in by the Rhine : on the South, by the -Rhone. So perfect were its ancient Natural Limits. 12 LETTER II. The Rhone takes its source from Mont- Furca, on the western side of St. Gothard, tra- verses the whole length of the Canton of Valais, and throwing itself into Lake Leman, passes through Geneva; a short distance afterwards receives the Arve, which hrings to it the waters of Faueigny, and those of the northern and western sides of Mont-Blanc: afterwards it makes itself a passage among the rocks at the extremity of Mount Jura, ingulphs itself for some time, and at last, directing its course South, fertilizes many of the most beautiful departments of France, passing to Lyons, where it receives the Saone. It afterwards receives the waters of the Isere, the Drome, and the Durance, and dis- charges itself into the Mediterranean in the Gulf of Lyons. The country which lies on the left bank of the Rhone, from Sion, the capital of Valais, to Geneva, at the bottom of Lake Leman, forms part of Savoy, except the small portion on the western shore of the extremity of the lake, which belongs to the Canton of Geneva. The Rhine also takes its rise in the Grisons, LETTER II. 18 at no great distance from the source of the Rhone. It unites the waters of a great part of the north- ern chain of the Rhetian Alpes : and after having abandoned the Grisons, separates the Rhinthal from the Tyrol, traverses the Lake of Constance, and forms the limits of Switzerland on the North. It goes from Basle to Strasburgh, Spire, Man- heim, Worms, Mayence, Coblentz, Cologne, Utretcht, Leyden, and discharges itself into the North Sea. Switzerland, at least with the addition of this part of Savoy, would have seemed destined to have formed always a kingdom by itself. But Switzerland had not this good fortune. The Burgundians got dominion over it as early as A. D. 454. The kings of these Burgundians fixed their chief residence at Geneva, whence they extended their authority from the Reuss, (a river which also springs from St. Gothard, and traversing the Canton of Uri, and the Lake of the Four Cantons, throws itself into the Aar, by Windisch, in the Canton of Argau,) to the banks 'of the Rhone, and the Saone, which last has its source in the mountains of Vosges, near Darney, 14 LETTER II. in Lorraine, and joins itself to the Rhone, near Lyons. Their last king was Gondemar, son of Gondehand, who was defeated in 534 by Dietbert de Metz, Clotaire de Soissons, and Childebert of Paris, kings of the Francs. At this time rose the distinction of the two Burgundies. The first is that which was since called the Duchy of Burgundy*. The other comprehended Franche-Comte, (or High Bur- gundy) West Switzerland, Geneva, Savoy, and Le Valais. East Switzerland was under the German sovereignty: this western part, of the King of Orleans. The throne of Burgundy passed from Clo- taire, A. D. 56'5, to his son Guntramn, who died s. p. A. D. 5f)3. He was succeeded by his nephew Chiklebert, son of Siegbert, who dying A. D. 596, was followed by Didier. Clotaire, son of Hil- peric, and nephew of Guntramn, mounted the throne A.D. 6l3. Dagobert, son of Clotaire, succeeded, and died A. D. 638. From the time of Daeobert, there remained nothing to the Me- rovingian Race, but the royal dignity, without * Low Burgundy was the Province of that name. LETTER II. 15 the power. Able men elevated themselves to the rank of Mayors of the Palace, either by the interference of the states, or the imprudent fa- vour of their kings. The monarehs slumbered in the peaceable enjoyment of their throne, while the Mayors, always active to increase their au- thority, and to render it durable and hereditary, tried all means of success, and signalized them- selves as much by artful negotiations and hardy crimes, as by brilliant actions. The States of Burgundy, Austrasia, and Neustria, chose their Mayors of the Palace from the family of Pepin. The descendants having ruled a long while under these kings, elevated themselves above them, and exercised without them from A. D. J36, to A. D. 741, all the authority of the ancient generals of the army. The dread of the Arabs at length brought them to the possession of the high seat of ambition to which they had long aspired. From the banks of the Red Sea, these Arabs had, in sixty years, subdued Egypt, Carthagena, a great part of Asia, northern Africa, Spain, and .the Indies; and carried at the same time dismay to the walls of Paris, of Benares, and of Con- l6 LETTER 11. stantinople. The Emir Ahderachman, leading these furious hoards, had penetrated into France by the Pyrenees. All, even to Burgundy, had either submitted to the yoke of these barbarian aggressors, or sought safety in flight, when the Mayor, Charles M artel, alone opposed himself to the destruction of the manners, the govern- ment, and the religion of the Christians of the West, and stopped the progress of the Arabs, by gaining a complete victory over them. At the same time the people of Friseland, Saxony, and Bavaria, the neighbours, allies, or subjects of France, became dangerous by their laxity or their inconstancy, or formidable by their courage. At this time a strange people was seen to penetrate from the back settlements, which form at this day the kingdom of Hungary*, as far as Rhetia. Their object was undoubtedly to penetrate to Italy. They advanced to St. Go- thard, but were surrounded and beat in a desert near the Convent of Dissentis, by the inhabitants of the countries, who knew the paths of the * This is the most probable origin of the people who appeared A. D. 671, under the name of Huns. LETTER II. 17 mountains. Meanwhile, the countries whence these people came, were the rendezvous of other savage races, who threatened the western em- pire. From these circumstances the French detached themselves more and more from the Merovingians, and the Mayor of the Palace gained their confidence. He made one war succeed another, to shine the more at the head of an army. When at peace, he augmented his power as Viceroy, by indulgences and benefits. He died A. D. 74 1. In A. D. 751, two hundred and eighteen years after Gondemar had lost the throne of the Burgnndians, and two hundred and sixty-eight after Clovis had reigned over the French, Pepin, the Mayor of the Palace, son of Charles Martel, was gratified by the crown taken from Clovis' posterity. He enjoyed his usurpation eighteen years. His son, Charlemagne, succeeded A. D. 768, having, as it is suspected, abridged the days of his brother Carloman, to whom the kingdom was jointly left by Pepin, their father. Never did Prince efface by so much glory the recollec- 18 LETTER II. tion of the crimes to which he had been impelled by his ambition: never was the apology made by a government so wise. The extraordinary vigour of his genius procured him the throne of the Lombards, the empire of Rome, the sove- reignty of Germany. His arms and his pru- dence kept under the same rule the people of Europe, from the ocean to Hungary ; from the Tibre to the Elbe. He knew not adversity but in the interior of his family, a just punishment for the misfortune to which he had devoted the family of his brother. When he ceased to live, we might say that his superior genius, which he had so much abused, separated itself for ever from his race. We see weakness and crime dis- honour by turns his descendants ; children inces- santly armed against their fathers, and brothers against brothers ; the paternal authority fallen to the ground; sons a prey to curses; the em- pire become a sport, and the spoil of pirates; his sons consumed with grief; his grandsons deprived of their sight, tormented by remorse, victims of poison in the midst of opprobrium and indigence, fugitives, prisoners, oppressed; LETTER II. 19 and after a century and a half of reverses, chased from the throne, and plunged into obscurity. For sixty years the Carlovingians were rendered powerful in their place of Mayors of the Palace: they had, at the price of much blood, maintained on the throne the eclat of their name for a long interval : and when all nations had their eyes fixed on them, a fall more fright- ful than that of the Merovingians, Avas the term of their elevation * Louis le Debonnaire, the son of Charlemagne, died 23d June, 840. By his first wife, Hermen- garde de Sundgaw, he had three sons, Lothaire, Pepin, and Louis. By his second wife, Judith, daughter of Weefon, of Bavaria, he had one son, Charles le Chauve. Louis associated Lothaire in the empire with him, and gave him the king- dom of Italy: he gave Aquitaine to Pepin, and Bavaria to Louis, each with the title of king. Charles was scarce born, when his mother was impatient that he might have a partition of the inheritance. Louis had none remaining to give ; but he divided off a portion, under the title of * Muller. Histoire de Suisses, ii. 4. 20 LETTER II. Rhetia, which gave great offence to the elder brothers. Pepin rebelled: the Empress fell into the hands of the insurgents. To obtain her li- berty she promised to engage the King to become a monk. Louis consented to become so for a time. Loth aire on his return from Italy joined the conspiracy, and shut up his father in a mo- nastery. The Empress was also shut up in a convent. The monks sowed discord among the brothers, and procured the King's liberation. The sons rebelled again: Louis was shut up again in the Abbey of St. Medard de Soissons, and submitted to numerous indignities and in- flictions. Pepin and Louis relented : they in- treated Lothaire to release their father: he was obstinate: they took up arms: Lothaire seeing himself abandoned in his turn, left the King free at St. Denis. Louis resumed the sceptre: he forgave Lothaire, who was obliged to implore his clemency; this was granted on condition of shutting himself up in Italy, and never again appearing in France. Lothaire, however, was recalled; and recall- ed by the Empress Judith, who had received LETTER II. 21 marks of hatred from Pepin, now re-established in Aquitaine, of which she had despoiled him, and could not rely on Louis, King of Bavaria, who would not separate himself from Pepin. Loth aire was their enemy ; he owed to her his re call to France, and his reconciliation to his father. Pepin died before his father, leaving two sons, Pepin and Charles. Two parties divided Aquitaine: one wished to place on the throne young Pepin ; the other, his uncle, Charles le Chauve. The Emperor appeared in arms on the part of Charles, whom he placed in pos- session of the sceptre. This was the last injustice which the Empress caused Louis to commit. His son, the King of Bavaria, again took up arms. The Emperor, desolate, ill, seeing no end to the chagrins which his fatal condescension to his wife was always preparing for him, hastened to reduce his rebel son. A defluxion on the chest, an oppression on the heart, the fright from an eclipse of the sun operating on his superstitious mind, ter- minated his days at Ingelheim, the place of Charlemagne's nativity, A. D. 840. 22 LETTER II. The people whom he had subdued or re- strained, seeing the feebleness of his sons, and the divisions of his grandsons, inundated the empire on all sides, and avenged themselves of their defeats, or their forced inaction. The three brothers and the nephew, two on each side, now quarrelled for the division of the inhe- ritance, and fought the disastrous battle of Fon- tenay, near Auxerre, 25th June, 841. The ad- vantage rested with Louis and Charles. They shewed some sentiment of humanitv, some re- gret at this sad fruit of their quarrels. To spare the continuance of this horrible and usage car- nage, they now left the partition to the arbitra- tion of one hundred and twenty French chiefs, who divided into three equal parts all, except the kingdoms of Bavaria, Italy, and Aquitaine, which were considered already fixed. Charles le Chauve had, under the name of Western France, a great part of that which com- poses France at this day. Louis had Germanv, and thence had the name of Louis le German ique. Lothaire, with the title of Emperor, Italy LETTER II. 23 and Provence, which he had already, had the territories situated between the Scheldt, the Meuse, the Rhine, and the Saone : that is to say, the kingdom of Lorraine. Lothaire abandoned young Pepin; but he did not abandon himself. He gained a battle against Charles le Chauve, and maintained him- self in Aquitaine. But his debauchery, his op- pressions, and his vices, did him more injury than the arms of his enemies. He became odious to his subjects, who delivered him up to Charles. He was then shut up in the monastery of St. Medard. He was retaken, and guarded so strictly in the castle of Senlis, that it w r as im- possible for him to save himself. His younger brother, Charles, was obliged to take the ton- sure, and became at last Archbishop of Mayence. Lothaire quitted the imperial purple, and retired to the monastery of Prune. His death soon followed his abdication. He left three sons: 1. Louis, whom he had for some time as- sociated with him in the empire, and to whom he gave the kingdom of Italy; 2. Lothaire, whom he made King of Lorraine; and, 3. Charles, to 24 LETTER II. whom he gave Provence, and a part of the king- dom of Burgundy. This last lived a tranquil life in his kingdom of Provence, without taking any part in the affairs of his brothers or his uncles. Lothaire leagued himself principally with his uncle, Charles le Chauve; and Louis, with his other uncle, Louis le Germanique, but without espousing their quarrels. Lothaire became embroiled with the Pope, for divorcing his first wife, Thietberge, and taking another, Valdrade, sister of Gontier, Archbishop of Cologne. This drew him to Rome. He fell a victim to the Pope's despotic terrors over his conscience: sickness seized him, and he died at Plaisance before his return. His brother Charles died too soon after him to profit of his inheritance. Charles le Chauve, in spite of the remaining nephew, Louis, possessed himself of Lorraine. This Louis, the Emperor, died without issue male, in 875, not long after his brothers. His daughter, Ermengarde, married Boson, King of Aries, or Burgundy Trans-jurane. His two uncles, Louis le Germanique, and LETTER II. 25 Charles le Chauve, contested the possession of the empire. Louis sent his eldest son, Carlo- man, to Italy: Charles went himself. By pro- mises, intrigues, and bribes, Charles succeeded. The Pope conferred the empire in sovereignty; and Charles received it as a vassal. Louis prepared himself for vengeance; but he died 28th August, 8/6, aged about seventy years. He left three sons, Carloman, ,Louis, and Charles, (afterwards Charles le Gros.) Charles le Chauve was crowned at Rome by the Pope Christmas Day, 875. Carloman had Bavaria, and Pannonia: and by the authority of the will of the Emperor, Louis, took the title of King of Italy. Louis had Franconia. Charles le Gros had the rest of Germany. Carloman advanced to Italy. Charles took fright: Carloman took fright in his turn. But Charles died in the passage of the Alpes, 5th or 6th October, 8/7 : some say, poisoned by a Jew physician. ' This Charles le Chauve possessed the west- ern part of Helvetia, called La Petite Boiirgogne ; E 26 LETTER II. and this afterwards passed to his brother Lo- thaire, Emperor and King of Italy, who married Theutberge, daughter of Boson, Count of Bur- gundy. Lothaire united La Petite Bourgogne to Provence, and to all that was between the Rhone, the Saone, the Me use, and the Scheldt. The Carlovingians became too feeble to hold the sceptre that had descended to them. The Burgundians wanted a chief who had their confidence. They offered the crown to Boson, son of Bovon, Count of the Ardennes, who had Hermengarde, daughter of the Empe- ror, Louis le Begue, and whose sister, Richelde, was wife, or mistress, of Charles le CJiauve. This was the grand signal of the dismember- ment of the monarchy founded by Charlemagne. Charles le Gros, who had attempted to reunite this monarchy, was deposed and abandoned ; and died in misery and oblivion without chil- dren, A. D. 888. The Germans chose for their king, Arnoul, bastard son of his brother, the Emperor Carloman. France conferred the scep- tre on Hugh, Count de Paris. The Italians crowned Guy, Duke of Spoletto. LETTER II. 27 Boson formed his dominions of that part of Burgundy, which joined to Provence, constituted the kingdom of Arles. But a new Prince founded in Burgundy a rival throne out of that part called High Burgundy. This was Rodolph, son of Conrad, a relation of the Emperor, Lothaire. The limits of these two kingdoms, of which the latter took the greater part of Helvetia, can- not perhaps be stated after so long an extinction, without much care and research. The kings of Burgundy fixed their ordinary residence at Geneva. 28 LETTER III. ipcrneg=-- =3rToItaue \Oth August, 18iy. ON the 24th of May, of this year, 1819, I visited Ferney. I had not raised my fancy, with regard to this celebrated villa of Voltaire: it was therefore better than I expected. Two rooms only were shewn: his common sitting-room, beyond the vestibule; and his bed- room adjoining. Each was small, and unattrac- tive. Three or four bad pictures were in the first: two or three portraits, with a few common prints of heads of Literati, were in the other. The garden behind was, according to the country, merely decent. There was not a single feature in the whole congenial to what may have been supposed to be the taste of genius. Ac- cording to English ideas, it was flat, insipid, and LETTER III. '29 mean. Coppet disappointed me: Ferney is far inferior to Coppet. Monsieur Bude, of Geneva, the proprietor, who bought it of Voltaire's niece, has resided here for upwards of thirty years. We were told that his family possessed it before Voltaire's time, and that the present possessor rebought the fa- mily inheritance. Voltaire, before he bought Ferney, occupied a chateau, called Les Delices, on the Lyons road, within half a mile of Geneva. This house, ele- vated above the city, commands a noble view of the lake, far above the tops of all the buildings. Voltaire's character is set in an horrible, but, (as I conceive) just light, in Vie Politique, hit- ter aire, et Morale de Voltaire, ow' /' on r&fute Condorcet et ses autres historiem, en citant et rapprochant un grand nornbre de faits incomms et tres-curieux. Par M. Le Pan. Paris, I8I7. 8vo. pp. 329. Of his genius it would be scarcely fair in me to pronounce a decided opinion, as I have not read half his works, and not any with more than a superficial attention. They were never to my 30 LETTER III. taste; and I should have rather have said of them something like what is said by Le Pan in the two extracted judgments. Le Pan says : "Les partisans de Voltaire n' ont pas hesite - a lui reconnoitre beaucoup de g£nie; d' autres, moins enthou- siastes, en lui accordant un esprit superieur, lui ont con- tests le genie. " Qu'est ce que le g£nie, a dit d'Olivet dans sa r£- ponse au discours que Voltaire prononca lors de la recep- tion a 1' academie? C'est un feu dont les ames com- munes n'ont jamais senti l'ardeur, mais qui s'allume independamment de nous, et s'eteint de meme; c'est une lumiere etincelante, mais qui ne se montre qu' a certaines heures, pour etre bientot remplacee par un nuage; c'est une douce fureur plus ou moins durable, plus ou moins frequente; c'est 1'ivresse de l'esprit comme toute passion est 1'ivresse du coeur. En un mot, le genie est pour les beaux-arts, mais pour l'epopee sur-tout, ce qu'est le soleil pourlaterre: tout est produit, e'chaufle, vivifie, embclli, par le soleil, et c'est pareillement au g^nie qu'il appartient d'enfanter des vers ou il y ait de l'ame, d'en bannir la stt'rilitd, le froid, la secheresse; d'inventer, de varier, d'orner, et de faire enfin que l'art, fidele imita- teur de la nature presente toujours l'agreable avec l'utile, le beau avec le bon, le gracieux avcc le solide." " Si l'bomme de genie en littCrature, a dcrit aSbbatier de Castres, est celui-la seul qui a recule les bornes d'un LETTER III. 31 art, M. de Voltaire, qui n'a pas ete* plus loin ni si loin qu' Homere, Virgil et le Tasse dans l'epope'e; que V Arioste dans la poesie lieroique, que Corneille, Racine dans la tragedie; Moliere dans la comedie; Quinault dans l'opera; Jean-Baptiste Rousseau dans la poesie lyrique; M. de Voltaire, dis-je, ne seroit jamais place" au rang des homines de g£nie que par l'enthousiasme et la mauvaise foi. Si, dans les sciences, le grand homme est celui-la seul qui a un caractere decide*, des principes fixes, un systeme suivi de raisons ou d'id£es, qui osera soutenir que M. de Voltaire merite ce titre? Quel ecrivain s' in- quieta moins que lui de mettre de l'unite* et de la suite dans ses conceptions? II est aise de remarquer dans tout ce qu'il a eerit l'inspiration du moment, les variations de l'humeur, l'inconstance des affections, la difference des interets. De la vient qu'on ne le trouve jamais le me'me, qu'il a change* de facon de penser suivant les cir- constances, que le pour et le contre se debattent dans la collection de ses oeuvres, qu'il detruit et qu'il edifie, qu'il decide, et qu'il re*tracte, et qu' apres avoir passe* par toutes les nuances, il finit par £tre sans couleur et sans forme determined. En effet, je defie, quiconque lira ses dcrits avec quelque reflexion, de trouver une seule opinion, qu'il n'ait tour-a-tour approuvee et combattue, aucun systeme qu'il n'ait refute et defendu." We may ask: Was Voltaire a creator? — If ]ie was, what sort of a creator ? A lively understanding; a talent for bons 32 LETTER III. mots ; a quick sense of the ridiculous ; a clear- ness of apprehension ; a lightness, a transparency, and an elegance of expression; a dexterity of dialogue ; a rapidity of plausible logic ; — if some- times by their united excellence, they may be deemed to rise to the character of genius ; yet cannot be allowed to be genius of more than an inferior cast. The surest road to literary popularity, as far as matter is concerned, is a ton of sentiment sufficiently low for the sympathy of those who are engaged in the daily debasement of the con- flicts of practical life. When this is set off by skill in the use of words; when these words ex- hibit all the finish, without any part of the re- condite and over-laboured ornaments, of litera- ture: when they are smoothed down, (as men's diction is,) by perpetual collision in society; and yet retain something of that grace, which the arts of composition, and the leisure of the closet, can confer; — it never fails to be the delight of the mob, of all ranks. If the literary merit gives a plausibility to the approbation, there are no bounds to the LETTER III. 33 triumph which these mobs feel, in elevating the idol who flatters their propensities, and seems to stamp with the character of superior credit, or sound sense, the terror of opinions, and mode of reasonings, which their narrow and selfish expe- rience, or had principle, prompts them to adopt. He, to whose heart every noble sentiment is a stranger, is delighted to join in affixing the charge of hypocrisy on every one who speaks of the influence of such emotions. That Voltaire had a bad heart, will scarcely be denied: that he was under the constant do- minion of the meanest passions: that envy, jea- lousy, revenge; avarice, vanity, pride, were in- dulged, in the fullest swing, without compunc- tion: that, judging by himself, he could not be- lieve any one actuated by other motives than his own interest or gratification, are well known. That, Nature having endowed him with great acuteness of faculties, and his bent leading him to apply them in detecting the foibles and evil thoughts (however disguised) of others, he inces- santly profited of the insight he thus possessed, not only to degrade to the lowest point his F 34 LETTER III. opinions of mankind ; but to play oft' every arti- fice, Avhich his ungenerous wits suggested, in turning these delinquencies to his own account, is too apparent from the whole course of his actions. Brilliant talents thus furnished, and thus ap- plied, endowed by Nature with the means, and by vanity with the desire, to become master of all the skill that literary accomplishments could give, were weapons which supplied him with a sort of Satanic power over the understandings and the hearts of the tumultuous mass of human beings, who, in the compunctious visitings which all, not utterly lost, feel occasionally at the sub- mission to passions and principles repugnant to probity, generosity, and mutual well-being, hail- ed as their consoler One, whose false splendor gilded their turpitude with rays, which made them mistake it for wisdom and truth. 35 LETTER IV. 3Hous$eau. 13th August, 1819. 1 HERE are parts of a man's life, which no other can write so well as himself. Such parts as others have cognizance of, they will do better than he can do Nothing seems more clear, than that Pro- vidence has formed mankind with every variety of power, mental and corporeal, for every variety of the purposes of human life: and that it has decreed the expansion of these powers to depend on an equal variety of circumstances. Yet Genius breaks out under circumstances appa- rently the most unfavourable : and often dies away under those apparently the most calculated tp nourish it. How unpropitious did the inci- dents of Rousseau's early life seem to the emer- 36 LETTER IV. gence of that brilliance, which at length shone on the world ! Without a regular education : brought up to a mechanical employment: living among profligate adventurers: uncertain of the means of subsistence: what time does he appear to have had for the cultivation of such refined talents ? for the nurture of sentiments so exqui- sitely refined? for an habitual intercourse Avith those ideal pleasures, for which none but the idle and luxurious have leisure ? But it is said, that his sensibilities and his fancies not only amount too frequently to excess ; but often sallied into depravity. So, alas, it was ! Sad example of the danger of these envied and enviable gifts ! Let not the refined, but more temperate reader, be too sure of his superiority, or too proud of his virtue ! He, who drinks at the spring, may choose his sufficiency, and reject what he wants not! The spring, which is to supply thousands, will sometimes be left to waste itself in useless or dangerous ebullitions' Rousseau's CONFESSIONS have been admired, and justly criticised; and with too much reason condemned. LETTER IV. 37 There is implanted in us an unconquerable desire to be thought well of by our fellow-crea- tures, both while living and after death. He who feels a certain conviction that in his heart there springs up a continual stream of noble sentiments and generous emotions, of a nature too refined to be communicated but to the lonely reader when freed from the corrupt- ing influence of society, and raised into the purity of mental abstraction — is desirous to pro- cure the esteem to which these secret virtues en- title him, bv communicating; them to the world. Admitting that the Confessions of Rousseau originated in peculiar and complicated motives, this appears to have been at least one of them. These Confessions are, it is true, in many parts, the result of an insane and terrible imagination. They exhibit an audacious kind of nakedness, for which no just apology can be found. They degrade Genius, and stagger Virtue, by occa- sional virtue, and by occasional instances of un- blushing and appalling profligacy. They offer ' the most dangerous poison by connecting unpar- donable depravity with bursts of exquisite sen- 38 LETTER IV. sibility, overwhelming eloquence, and seductive genius. It is difficult to reconcile to our minds the gradations of mental process, by which he could have brought himself to the resolution of expos- ing to the world, unbidden, these dark spots in his character. It is probable that they had haunted his morbid fancv for a long; series of years: he could not conceal them from himself: he thought that he could not conceal them from the world. Crimes will out! We feel that we have discharged ourselves of part of the poig- nancy of remorse, when we have told them. He- sought in the self-drawn picture of redeeming virtues, to set himself risrlit to himself and to the world. At once timid and audacious, sensitive and hardy — what a striking and pre-eminent instance of human inconsistency ! 39 LETTER V. ©Ijillon— iWeillerfe. 14th August, 1819. 1 HE notice of the English has of late been particularly drawn to the Castle of Chillon, by Lord Byron's muse. It stands on the east bank of the lake, between Vevay and Villeneuve. It was built by Peter Count of Savoy, who died here June 7, 1268. His corpse was carried to the family vault, in the monastery of Haute- combe. Before he attained the sovereignty of Savoy, he had lived much in England, and been en- riched there by the patronage of King Henry III. who had married his niece Leonore. The king built for him an hotel at Westminster, called t thence to this day, The Savoy. It is close to Somerset House : and was used till last year, as 40 LETTER V. a military prison. I believe that part at least of the remains are now removed, to make way for the entrance to Waterloo Bridge. He had also a grant of the County of Richmond, the Lordship of Essex, and many other lands. At one time, when he was about to re-embark for the Continent, the king recalled him, and forced him to accept the government of Dover Castle. * He left a daughter, Beatrix, married to Guy, Dauphin de Viennois. He succeeded his ne- phew, Count Boniface, who died without issue; and was born at the Chateau of Suse, in Pied- mont, in 1203; being seventh son of Thomas Count de Maurienne, by Marguerite de Faus- signy. Chillon stands on a rock, or little promon- tory, jutting into the lake. A fair idea of its situation and form, is given in the slight engrav- * " Le Comte Pierre illustn? par ses belles qualitis, et par son credit dans plusieurs coins, sur-tout dans celle d'An- gleterre, acquit de grands domaines dans le pays de laud, et Le bus Valais, par des completes et par des achats ; e'est sous ce Prince que commenca la domination des Comtes de Savoie dans ces pays et dans L'Helvetie Allemande."-~MaMe<. Hist, des Suisses, i. 157. LETTER V. 41 ing annexed to the Lausanne edition of The Prisoners of Chillon, 1818, 8 V0 . The short note at the end of the poem, descriptive of this edifice, and its position, is very accurate. The Alpine rocks of Meillerie, on the oppo- site bank of the lake, are beautifully and truly drawn bv Rousseau. j u Ce lieu solitaire formoit un reduit sauvage et desert, mais plein de ces sortes de beautes qui ne plaisent qu'aux ames sensibles, et paroissent horribles aux autres. Un torrent forme par la fonte des neiges rouloit a vingt pas de nous une eau bourbeuse, et charioit avec bruit du limon, du sable, et des pierres. Derriere nous une cbaine des rocbes inaccessibles separoit l'esplanade ou nous etious de cette partie des Alpes qu'on nomme les Glaciers, parceque d'enormes sommets de glaces qui s' accroissent ineessamment les couvrent depuis le commencement du monde. Des forets de noirs sapius nous ombrageoient tristement a droite. Un grand bois de ehenes etoit a gaucbe au-dela du torrent, et au-dessous de nous cette immense plaine d'eau que le lac forme au sein des Alpes nous separoit des riches cdtes du pays de Vaud, dont la cime du majestueux Jura couronnoit le tableau. " Au milieu de ces grands et superbes objets, le petit terrain ou nous etious etaloit les cbarmes d'un sejour riant et champetre; quelques ruisseaux filtroient a travers les rochers, et rouloient sur la verdure en filets de crystal ; G 42 LETTER V. quelques arbres fruitiers sauvages penchoient leurs tetes sur les notres ; la terre humide et fraiche £toit couverte . l&th August, 1819. WHEN the kingdom of Aries was reunited to that of High Burgundy, Richard, (brother of King Boson,) who was Duke of the province of Burgundy, of which Dijon is the capital, retain- ed that dukedom, and transmitted it to his pos- terity. It afterwards came to Hugh le Grand, father of Hugh Capet. In 1035, Henry, King of France, gave it to his brother, Robert, with whose descendants it remained to Philip de Rouvres, the last duke of this line, when revert- ing to the crown of France, it was conferred bv King John, on Philip, his third son, who died 1404 ; and was succeeded by his son, John, Duke x)f Burgundy, who died 1419; and w T as succeeded by his son, Duke Philip le Bon, who died 146/; 54 LETTER VII. and was succeeded by his son, Duke Charles le Temeraire, a name so marked in the history of Switzerland, by his defeat at the battle of Gran- son, a second time at Morat, and by the loss of his life at the siege of Nancy, in 1477, aged forty-four. His sole daughter and heir, Mary, married in the same year, Maximilian, Emperor of Germany, and died in 1483, at the age of twenty-six. But when the kingdom of Rodolph III. last king of Burgundy, was broke to pieces, High Burgundy (or Franche-Comte) fell to the Em- perors of Germany, who appointed Counts Pala- tine over this province of High Burgundy. Renaud*, Count Palatine of Burgundy, who died 1057, was son of Otto Guillaume, Count of Besancon, the capital of Franche-Comte, who was son of Adelbert, Marquis of Ivree, son of Berenger II. King of Italy, son of Adelbert, Marquis of Ivree, by Emengarde, daughter of * Mallet says it was not without difficulty that the Em- peror Henry III. obliged this powerful vassal to pay homage to him. He afterwards espoused his niece, Agnes, and their enmity ceased. LETTER VII. 55 Adelbert II. Duke of Tuscany, by Berthe, sister to Louis III. Emperor, and King of Aries. Renaud, Count Palatine of Burgundy, who died 1057, was father of William II. Count of Burgundy, who died 1087; father of Renaud II. Count of Burgundy, who died 1099; father of Renaud III. Count of Burgundy, who died 1107; father of William IV. Count of Bur- gundy, assassinated at Payerne, 1 1 26. His daugh- ter and heir, was wife of Frederic I. (Barbe- rousse,) Emperor. Their younger son, Otto- William, became Count Palatine of Burgundy, and left a daughter and heir, Beatrix, married to Otto, Duke of Merania, who died 1248. This Duke had possession of such parts of the County Palatine of Burgundy, as surrounded Besancon. His daughter, Alice, married John de Chalons, (son of Stephen, who had disputed with him the possession of this County Palatine, and who was younger brother of this Renaud II.) The issue of this marriage was Hugh de Chalons, Count Palatine of Burgundy. Their eldest son, Otto, succeeded as Count Palatine of Burgundy. He died 1303. His daughter, Jane, carried 5b' LETTER VII. this Palatinate in marriage to Philip V. le Long, afterwards King of France, who died 1322. The perpetual confusion which the recur- rence of the names of these Counts Palatine of High Burgundy, (or Franche-Comte,) intermixed with those of the dukes of the adjoining pro- vince of Burgundy, causes to readers of the his- tory of these parts, has induced me to deem it worth the trouble to enter into these details. 57 LETTER VIII. 3$fetorg of .irabog. St. Gervais, in Savoy, 1st Oct. 1819. 1 HE Alpes separate Jtaly from Savoy, which extends from the feet of these mountains to the lake of Geneva : and below the lake, extends to the banks of the Rhone, near which, at the distance of twenty-three leagues and a half from Geneva, lies Chambery, the capital of this Duchv. Savoy was anciently part of the country of the Allo- broges. The picturesque beauties of this wild and mountainous Principality, defy the powers of language. The magnificence of Mont-Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, eternally cover- ed with snow; the sublime scenery of roaring torrents bursting through the chasms of tremen- dous rocks ; profound vallies shut in by declivities i 58 LETTER VIII. generally inaccessible, yet covered with the richest wood, springing even out of the rocks themselves ; cottages, and villages, and churches, every where scattered, as if to embellish the views in the hap- piest manner; rich meadows, enlivened by herds and flocks; swelling slopes of green herbage, which often runs up almost to the summits of the mountains ; noble trees rising every where in profusion, as if the hand of art and pinch of poverty had never disturbed them : these are features of grandeur, which verbal description must always give a vague and inadequate idea of! It was over this sublime country that the present royal house of savoy obtained their sovereignty early in the eleventh century. Hum- bert I. surnamed Aux Blanches Mains, chief of Maurienne *, one of the Feudatories of the ancient * Maurienne is an ancient Province of the Duchy of Savoy, which, in the late empire of Bonaparte, formed one of the departments of Mont-Blanc. It is composed of a long valley, traversed through all its length of twenty leagues by the river Arcq; of which the direction is from Aiguebelle, its an- cient capital, to St. Jean, from north to south. The Sara- cens wasted Maurienne twice at the commencement, and end of the tenth century. LETTER VIII. r>9 kingdom of Burgundy, who, on the death of Rodolph III. the last king, became by his testa- ment one of the Members of the Germanic Empire, obtained on that occasion the investiture of the sovereignty of a part of Maurienne, the Chablais, and the Low Valais, from the Emperor Conrad le Salique, whose part Humbert took against his competitor for the inheritance of Burgundy, Odo, Earl of Champagne. Humbert was the son of Berold, on whose origin there are great disputes: the favourite opinion is, that he was of the Im- perial House of Saxony: he is said to have been a governor under the king of Burgundy, and viceroy of Aries : and many think that he sprung from those kings : Berold is reported in an an- cient MS chronicle of Savoy, to have died at Aries in 102/\ The death of Humbert I. is placed in 1048: and tradition says that he was interred before the porch of the cathedral church of St. Jean de Maurienne. The division of the vast empire of Charle- magne into minor sovereignties, had become necessary by the circumstances of the times. The descendants of this great Emperor had left 6o LETTER VIII. to the Feudal Chiefs the care of defending their country as they could ; and permitted the cities to fortify themselves to repel the attacks, from which themselves were incapable of defending them. Lombardy and Burgundy (of which last Savoy formed a part) were, before the time of the Emperor Conrad le Salique, at the same period tormented by the spirit of party, and a prey to the devastations of the Hungarians and the Saracens, and to the ravages of the pest. The Hungarians, a barbarous people from Tartary, appeared in Piedmont in 901, and ex- ercised for a long time the most cruel lavages : they seemed to have no other object than to wade in blood; they passed Mont-Ceuis, and made a desert of Maurienne. The Saracens, coming from Spain, from Sicily, and the other islands of the Mediterranean, landed at Nice in 89 1 ; they desolated Piedmont and Savoy for more than fifty years. In 940 they despoiled the Abbey of Angaune, (or St. Maurice,) in the Low-Valais, one of the most flourishing and the most numerous of the order of St. Benedict. LETTER VIII. 6l Some authors contend that Humbert I. had never any higher authority than that of military commander of the Marches of Italy, and that Conrad le Salique exercised absolute authority here in 1038, as appears by a Bull of that date, in which he is spoken of as Humbertus Comes m psgo Savogensi. At any rate he was not so- vereign of the whole of Savoy. Two other petty princes shared with him parts of this country: the Counts of Geneva, and the Barons of Faucigny. The House of Faucigny* were descended from Emerard, a soldier distinguished under the last kings of Burgundy. The proper Barony of Faucigny consisted of that magnificent country lying in the neighbourhood of Mont-Blanc: Ser- voz, Cluses, Sallenches, Bonneville, &c. Beside* this they had the Barony of Beaufort, Hermence, Versoix, and many lordships from Seyssel to Fribourg in Switzerland. This great Baron \ divided itself into six Baronies of an inferior order. * Genealogists make the House of Faucigny descend from the brave Oliver, one of the Paladins of Charlemagne. 6a LETTER VIII. The territories of the Counts of Geneva ex tended from the Tillet, a little river near Aix, to the Castle of Troches in Chablais. But the au- thority of this House was much shorn by the encroachments of the Prince-Bishops of Geneva, whom the Emperors made them acknowledge as their sovereigns, and consequently to take inves- titure of their estates. The Emperor Frederic Barbe-rousse, by a Bull of 115o, made these bishops Princes of the German Empire. These Prince-Bishops, after the cessions of the Emperors, were sovereigns not only of their episcopal city and its precincts, but also of Penev , Jussy, and Thyez, in Faucigny. The territory of Rumilly in Albanais*, and the jurisdiction of Ternier, was also part of the fiefs dependent on their principality, and enfeoffed by them to the Counts of Geneva, and the Barons of Ternier. The possessions both of the Counts of Geneva, and of the Barons of Faucigny, at last fell, partly '* Albanais, Pagus Albanensis, a district of ancient Savoy, comprehended, under (lickings of Burgundy of the second race, all the territory of the city of Rumilly, those of Alby, Alliens, Annecy, Talloircs, and the valley of Faverges, as far as Marlens. LETTER VIII. 63 by alliances, partly by purchase and exchange, with those who inherited them, to the House of Savoy. Odo, Count de Savoy, son of Humbert I. married Adelaide, heiress of Ulrich Manfroi, last Marquis of Suse; and, thus obtaining the Duchies of Turin and Aost, extended his power over the Alpes. She had been first married to Herman, Duke of Suabia; and secondly, to Henry, Marquis de Montferrat. Odo died in 1609; and she, surviving her three husbands, died very aged, in 1091. Am£dee II. Count de Savoy, (for he had an uncle, Amed£e I. elder brother to Odo,) succeeded his father, Odo, and died IO94. He obtained of his brother-in-law, the Emperor Henry IV. when that monarch paid him a visit on a journey to Italy, the investiture of Bugey, which, for five hundred years, has made a part of the domain of Savoy. On the same occasion his mother, Adelaide, obtained the infeodation of a great part of the Marquisate of Ivree, on which she had claims through her mother, but which she could not possess without the authority of the Emperor. Amdd^e II. 64 LETTER VIII. married Jane, daughter of Gerold II. Count of Geneva. His son, Humbert. II. Count of Savoy, married Gilles, daughter of William II. sur- named Tete-Hardie, Count of Burgundy. He died at Moutier, 14th November, 1103. He added the title of Marquis of Suse. BARONS OF FAUCTGNY. It was a great inconvenience to the House of Savoy, that their dominions were intermixed with a multitude of Strange and Independent Fiefs. But the Counts of Savoy did not fail to ■I render themselves considerable in the midst of surrounding powers. In addition to the Barons of Faueigny, and Counts of Geneva, were the Dukes of Zseringen, the Counts de Kibourg; and de Forets, the Lords of Beaujeu, Coligni, Villars, the Seigneurs de Gex, de la Tour du Pin, and some bishops. All these petty potentates held of the Ger- manic Empire; but the distance at which they lived from their Chief, made them pay little at- tention to him. They were independent one of the other; obliged nevertheless by their weak- LETTER VIII. 65 ness to seek mutual aid, tliev made a common cause against the House of Savoy, the object of their jealousy; and who, on their side, neg- lected nothing to sow discord among them. Faucignv is an inclosure, bounded by the Chablais*, the Valley of Aost, and the Ta- rantese-j~. The Barons of Faucignv were more ancient in the Alnes, than the Counts of Maurienne, and had been more powerful. Their common residence was at the Castles (or chateaux) of Marcosscv;};, of Chatillon §, and of Flumet || , in * The Chablais is one of the seven provinces of the Duchy of Savoy, and comprehends the delicious plain on the east side of the Lake of Geneva, and the Vallies of Aulps, Abon- dance, and la Morge. f The Tarantese is a province of Savoy, of which Moutiers was the ancient capital. X Marcossey is an ancient fortilied castle in the district of Bonneville. It served anciently to defend the avenues of Cluse, and is situated on this side the Arve, opposite the church of Thy. § The ancient castle of Chatillon was the chief place where these Barons resided. At this castle, Agnes, daughter and heir of Aimon, last Baron of Faucignv, was married to Peter, 'Count de Savoy, in 1233. || Flumet is built on the rocks of the banks of the river K 66 LETTER VIII. Faucigny; and that of Hermance in Chablais. The capital of their Barony was the little city of Clnse, where they held their courts, and where they assembled annually the estates of their province*. Arly. It was a castle flanked by four towers, of which only the ruins remain. The first Barons of Faucigny resided a part of the year here. * The Abbey of Sixt was founded by the Barons de Fau- cigny, in U 44 : the Chartreuse of Reposoir, by the same, in 1151 j and that of the Daughters of Melan, in 1292. There exists a cession of Faucigny, by Aimon, Lord of this Province, in favour of his son-in-law, Peter, Count of Savoy, of the 13th September, 1261. 67 LETTER IX. tZTjje founts of (Scneba. Geneva, 8th October, 1819. 1 HE heiress of Faucigny having carried her estates to Peter, Count de Savoy, her heiress by him, Beatrix, carried them in marriage to the Dauphin, Guy VII. and thus the Dauphins ob- tained possessions in the middle of the territories of the House of Savoy. The Counts of Geneva thus became the na- tural allies of the Dauphins. The possessions of these Counts of Geneva extended beyond the province which bears their name, (and which was bounded by the three rivers the Arve, the Arli, and the Rhone,) to the mouth of the Guier. They owned the district of Gex, a great part of Bugey, and many detached fiefs in the surround- 68 LETTER IX. ing states. They also pretended to different rights over Geneva, though this city was of the same nature as the free imperial cities, which had multiplied themselves over Piedmont, and Avho would not acknowledge any superior juris- diction but that of the Bishop*. These Counts took the title of Advocati Ecclesice Gebenensis, and paid full and entire homage to the Bishop, saving only their fidelity to the Emperor. These Counts existed from the time of the kings of Burgundy; and even, as is believed, from the time of Charlemagne. Few families could prove an origin so ancient. The Castles of Annecy, la Roche, and Faverges, were the chief seats of their residence. Many monasteries founded by them have subsisted even to our (lavs: such as the Abbev of Entremonts; the Chartreuse of Pomniier; St. Catherine of Annecy, where are to be seen the tombs, of their family; Beaumont, in the Pays de \ and, become the chief seat of a Swiss bailiwick; and, in fine, the Priory of Chamouni, at the foot of Mont-Blanc. Ame III. 19th Count, who died 1367, mar- LETTER IX. f>9 ried Mahaut d' Auvergne, and had three sons, Ame IV. Pierre, and Robert. Aine IV. 20th Count, died without issue at Paris, 136*8. He was succeeded hy his brother, Robert, known under the name of Pope Clement VII. who took the title of Comte de Gem: vols in March 1394, but died in September of the same vear. His sister, Marie, married to Humbert de Thoire de Villars, pretended a right to the inheritance. Oddo de Villars, uncle of Hum- bert, having become heir to his nephew, ceded all his rights in the County of Geneva, and all the lands dependant on it, to Ame'dee VIII. Count of Savoy, by the Treaty of Paris, 5th of August, 1401. This Prince having also bought the rights of Margaret de Joinville, all the rights of the House of Geneva were re-united to those of Savoy; but they were not possessed without opposition till after the Emperor Sigis- mond gave investiture in 1422. The estates of the Counts of Geneva were from the Thirteenth Century the objects of ag- grandisement of the House of Savoy, who pro- 70 LETTER IX. fitted of all occasions and circumstances to become the absolute masters of them. Ruinous wars were in consequence for gene- rations earned on between the Counts of Geneva, the Dauphins and Barons of Faucigny, against the House of Savoy. LETTER X. General fteflettton$=--=Beflinc anb termination of tfte l&ingfcom of Uurguntm^.lftcnn iHulIer===^auU%?fnri=iWallet. Milan, Sth October, 1819. IT will be necessary to say something more of Faucigny, and the Country and Royal House of Savoy; but I must pause before I return to this subject. The sight of Italy, its climate, its ge- nius, its arts, its relics of ancient grandeur, its manners, arrest my attention, and make me for- get even the Alpine scenery of Savoy. It is probable that I shall be deemed to have dwelt on dry and discarded fragments of history. But they are notices, without which it is impossible to understand the extent, the duration, and the , localities of the ancient dominion of the coun- tries I have visited. Most of these notices have 72 LETTER X. disappeared from modern compilations, and are only to be found in works of research, or for- gotten books of reference. Facts, however, without reflection, or senti- ment, or description, will, I fear, soon tire the reader. We travel to amuse and instruct the mind; to wear out prejudices by the sight of new manners; to refresh the weary spirit by novelty; and to force the thoughts out of deadened channels by unaccustomed impulses. As life advances, old spots almost every where recall associations too painful to be endured. A sanguine fancy is condemned to pass a great part of its time in the regions of Disappoint- ment: and the bitterness of hope perpetually destroyed, requires every alleviation that ma- nagement can devise. Change of air, and a novel atmosphere, ame- liorates and strengthens also our material part. The human frame is powerfully affected by this variety. In this re-invigorated state all the materials presented to our minds make more vivid impres- sions and are used with double advantage. LETTER X. f3 Knowledge, which hud lain for years lifeless on the tablets of our memories, springs up into bloom and fruit; and we associate memorials, hitherto dry and inanimate, with living - scenes and actual appearances. What I have said about the kingdom of Burgundy and its Rulers, from the time of Char- lemagne to the extinction of the Second Race of Kings of that magnificent Country, has been drawn forth by the curiosity excited by visiting the rich and sublime expanse of their domains. When on the death of Rodolph III. in 1032, these noble territories were subjected to the all- grasping and overshadowing wing of the German Empire, they lost, with their independence, much of their political interest. Three centuries elaps- ed before they emancipated themselves from the iron yoke, and established a new sort of inde- pendence, under the guard of the Helvetic Con- federacy. The two principal authors who have written the History of Switzerland in modern days, are ' Jean Muller, and Paul-Henri Mallet; the last the senior in age, and of prior date in the L 7^ LETTER X. literary world, though posterior on the present subject. Jean Midler was born at Schaffousen in 1/52, the son of a pastor who rilled the chair of He- brew Professor at that place. At the age of eighteen he studied Theology at Gottingen; but his taste soon led him to History, and he printed his Helium Cimbricum at Zurich, lit 2. He soon afterwards began to assemble his materials for the History of Switzerland, and consumed eight or nine years in this labour. During this period he became tutor to the children of the celebrated Tronchin at Geneva; and enjoyed the society of the eminent naturalist, Charles Bonnet, with whom he passed much time at his villa of Genthod, on the Lake, near Coppet. He now opened a course of Historical Lectures at Gene- va; and at this time published in German the first part of his History of Switzerland. In 1/8 1 he had an interview with the great Fre- deric at Berlin; but the prejudices of this mo- narch against German literature, formed a bar to his deriving any advantages from the patron- age of this whimsical Prince. After a varied LETTER X. 75 series of events, during' which he laboured to perfect his History of Switzerland, he opened a new course of History *t Berne; and all the yonth of that Canton were anxious to profit from the instruction of a Professor so learned and so famous. He afterwards accepted the employment or* Librarian to the Elector of Mayence. Here he published the first volumes of his new edition of the History of Switzerland ; and wrote many things on the state of Germany. In 179,'j he was induced by the Emperor's offers to visit Vienna; but jealousies and disagreeable circumstances forced him to quit it, and visit Berlin a second time, Avhere he continued his history. He had afterwards the ^ood fortune to procure the situation of Counsellor of State to the Court of Westphalia, and in this post he died at the age of fifty-six years. His Letters to his friend Bonstetten have been published in a little 8vo. volume at Zurich, and are characterized by great elocpience, and the most attractive purity and fervor of senti- ' ment. 7*6 LETTER X. Paul- Henri-Mallet was born at Geneva in 1730; became Professor of History at his native city; and was successively Royal Professor of Belles-Lettres at Copenhagen, and Member of the Academies of Upsal, Lyons, Cassel, and of the Celtic Academy of Paris. One of his earliest and his most celebrated work, was his History of Denmark, of which the learned Introduction contains a most curious view of the Ancient Mythology of the People of the North. His History of Switzerland, in 4 vols. 8vo. may be considered as in part a digested Abridgement of the more detailed work (in 9 vols. 8vo.) of his young friend Jean Midler, with a continua- tion to more modern times. He also wrote the History of the House of Hesse; the History of the House of Brunswick ; the History of the Hanseatic League, &c. He died at Geneva, 8th February, 180/, in his seventy-seventh year. 77 LETTER XL ?£?ou<>e of 5abo»=--=jfaucigng. Florence, October 29, 1819. I HE Royal House of Savoy, who form part of the subject of my former Letters, have con- tinued in the male line in possession of the same Principality for about eight hundred years. They are inferior in this sort of antiquity to the Royal House of France: but perhaps to no other now existing in Europe. Their gradual accu- mulation of territories and power from a petty sovereignty or vice-government, is curious : like a little spring, which gradually receives the tri- bute of collateral streams, till it becomes a mighty river. These sovereigns did not indeed immediately take their rise on the breaking up of the Empire 7& LETTER XI. of Charlemagne. Another century and half intervened; and they rose out of the spoils of the kingdom of Burgundy, which was itself but a limb of the first magnificent empire. It was immediately as governors or great officers under this vast dominion, that the first great princes and nobles of Europe carved out their future possessions and power. Savoie Proper, (Savogia; Ager Savogensis,) in the Tenth Century, comprehended only the Valley of the here, (which extends from Cha- parillan to Conflans,) the territory- of Bauges, the Vallies of Chamberv, Aix, and Bourget. Humbert was Comes in Agro Swvogemi. in 1010. The descendants of these first Counts having acquired by alliances or treaties the neighbouring country of the Muuricnne, extend- ed successively the name of Savoy to all the countries submitted to their domination on the same side of the Alpes. In the reign of Amedee VIII. this country comprehended the Maurienne, the Tarentaise, Savoy Proper, Bressc, Bugey, the County of the Genevois, Faucigny, the countries of Gex and LETTER XI. 79 Vaud, and the Duchy of Chablais, which ex- tended itself to Martigny. The Emperor Sigis- mond erected these provinces into a Duchy, 19th February, 14l6*, under the German Empire, and every Duke of Savoy constantly took investiture from the Emperors. The most romantic part of all this Duchy is Faucigny, already mentioned, at the foot of Mont-Blanc. Mons. Bonn-it in his Itineraire de Geneve, des Glaciers de Chamauny, &c. 1808, 8vo. has the following extraordinary passage: '• A une lieue de Bonneville, on voit sur un rocher escarpe les mines du fort de Faucigny, detruit dans les guerres du seizieme siecle, mines qui nous representent encore l'image de 1 'oppression de la portion la plus re- spectable du genre humain. La Savoie etoit alors herissee de chateaux; c'etoit la depouille du foible, et en jouis- soient dans une tranquillite cruelle, comme l'aigle dans son aire dechire avec securite les membres palpitans de sa proie." Where is the justice of this comparison of ancient Feudal Barons, of whom no record oi 80 LETTER XI. particular exists, to Eagles in their Airies enjoy- ing in tranquillity the palpitating limbs of their mangled prey ? It would be difficult to prove that the Feudal establishment was not the best for the times in which it arose. The period at length arrived when the augmenting spirit of commerce required that the Feudal letters should be broken: but centuries elapsed before this was the case. During these centuries the Feudal chain was best calculated to hold together so- ciety, and to defend them from the violences and encroachments of each other. Nothing can be more magnificent than the situations of the rains of some of these chateaux of the Princes of Faucigny. Sometimes they stand upon the points of stupendous insulated rocks, of which the swelling bases and half the ascents are covered with noble forest trees; over- looking with sublime command scenes such as Salvator Rosa would have delighted to paint in his wildest and most inspired moments. Between Servoz and Cbaniouni are the relics of one of these chateaux on a rock placed in the midst of the valley, overtopped indeed by the LETTER XI. 81 lateral chains of Alpine mountains that shut in the valley. It is called the chateau of St. Michael. The peasantry believe it to be haunted, and re- late wonderful stories of its treasures, its sor- ceries, and the Spirits that frequent it. I pre- sume that it was one of the residences of the Faucignv family. The inhabitants of the district of Faucigny are distinguished above all other Savoyards as a people simple in their manners, cheerful, robust, and industrious. They send out numbers annu- ally all over Europe, to make their fortunes by little articles of merchandise: but such is their passionate love of their country, that all retire to spend what thev get in the bosom of their own dear mountains. All the English, and indeed all foreigners who come into these regions, visit Mont-Blanc. The whole road from Geneva to Chamouni, which is at the foot of this mountain, augments in grandeur at every step. It lies on the banks ot the Arve, the whole way, ascending towards Its source in the Col de Balme, which separates The Valais from Chamouni. It passes through M 82 LETTER IX. the three towns of Bonneville, Cluse, and Servoz. At Cluse the valley grows narrower, and the mountains become perpendicular, and frown over the road in the most savage sublimity. As we enter the Valley of Chamouni, and pursue the road along the side of the mountain, looking down upon the profound depths through which the Arve runs, the mind is filled with awe and admiration, and language is inadequate to give a picture of the scenery. Chamouni is divided into three parishes: that which is distinguished by its ancient monas- tic establishment by the name of Priory, is a village of a few scattered houses. The Priory is broke up, (I believe by the French:) the church remains. Here are two hotels for the numerous visitants who flock hither every year from every part of Europe. The Union, esta- blished in 1815, is excellent: a table d'hote at five o'clock is well supplied in the English fashion: we sat down about twenty — English, Scotch, Irish, Germans, Russians. Here Mont-Blanc is directly over us: the village is literally at its foot. On Saturday, LETTER XI. 83 September 18, 1819, we breakfasted at the hotel just named; set oft* from it at half-past eight o'clock; ascended the Mowntainvert ; went over the summit to the Mer de Glace ; and returning back to the hut erected for a resting-place on the top, where a person attends, and where a book is kept for travellers' names, we took some refreshment, and then descended a steeper path to the source of the Arveiron, and thence came back to the hotel, which we reached by half- past four o'clock. The ascent is accessible for mules about half the wav: to one who is not a nood walker, the fatigue of the steepness beyond that point is very great: but the acute declivity of the return is still more painful. I had .suffered by a bad sprain of my left ankle about ten days before, and in consequence I felt great weariness and inconvenience in the labour of regaining the vallew I will confess that the Mer de Glace disappointed me: perhaps the whole ascent dis- appointed me: but I was in ill health at the r time. The first part of the ascent by an intricate and rocky pathway among forests of pine pleased 84 LETTER XI. me most. The ascent of the adjoining moun tain of Mont-Blanc itself, covered with eternal snow, onlv a few adventrons travellers under- take. The world has been inundated with descrip- tions of visits to Mont-Blanc. I have nothing new therefore to say on this subject. During the lone 1 winter the inhabitants are buried in snow. From June to September they live amid scenery at once beautiful and sublime; and are cheered and enriched by the numerous travellers from every other part of Europe, who come to inspect the wonders of Nature among which their lot has placed them. It wa> in 17^1 that Messrs. Pocock and Windham first set the fashion of \ isiting thi> place. So little was it frequented, and such were the supposed hazards and perils attending it, that they made preparations as if they were going on travels of discovery of a new world. More than thirty years afterwards the famous Genevan Naturalist, Horace Benedict De Saussure, made the attempt to ascend these mountains. It was not till August 1JHJ 9 that he conquered Mont-Blanc. The next year LETTER XI. 85 he accomplished the Col (hi Grant, where lie encamped seventeen days to make his ob- servations. His Geological Works are known all over Europe. He died 1J"98, aged forty- eight. His friend, Senebier, of Geneva, has pub- lished a memoir of him, in one small 8vo. vo- lnme. The inhabitants of Chamonni are a simple, robust, hardy people. The children, particularly the girls, are strikingly beautiful : we remarked this in the faces of all the children who flocked about us in our ascent of the Montanvert; but labour or hard living, or the union of both, de- stroys this at an early age; for we saw no beau- tiful women ; and the aged were hideous. The first known sovereign of the Barony of Faucigny, was Emmerad, who, about A. I). 1000, paid homage for it to the Emperor Conrad, who had succeeded to the rights of the Kings of Bur- gundy. His son, Louis, was father (by Teberge, his second wife) of William, Baron of Faucigny, 1119, who, by Utilie, his wife, had Rodolph, his son and heir, fourth Baron, 1125, whose second son, Ardutius, was first Bishop of Geneva, 86 LETTER XI. who, in opposition to the pretensions of the Counts of the Genevpis, and the Dnkes of Zae- ringen, obtained in 1153 from the Emperor Fre- deric Barbei ousse, at Spire, a continuation of the possessions and privileges of his church ; and who afterwards, in 1162, further acquired from the same Emperor a declaration in his fa- vour, as supremus domhius et princeps civitatis, suburbiorum et limitum ipsius civitatis et castro- rum episcopates Gebennensis. Raymond, fourth son, Seigneur of Thoire and of Boissy, left male posterity, who continued for seventeen genera- tions, even to our days. Aimon I. Baron of Faucigny, elder hrother of Bishop Ardutius and of Raymond, accom- panied Ame III. Count de Savoy, to the Holy Land in 1 14/, and founded the Reposoir in 1151. His son, Henri, (or Humbert,) was father of Aimon II. sixth Baron, 1234, the last Baron of the male line, who left three daughters : 1 . Agnes, Baroness de Faucigny, who married at Chatillon sur Cluses, in 1223, Peter, Count de Savoy; 2. Beatrix, who married Stephen de Thoire- LETTER XI. 87 Villars; 3. Eleonore, who married Simon de Joinville, Lord of Gex. Pierre, Count de Savoy, left issne by Agnes de Faucigny, onlv one daughter and heir, Beatrix, who inherited this Baronv, and who, on 4th December, 1241, married Hugh XII. Dauphin de Viennmsr, by whom she had issue, to whom the Baronv of Faucigny passed. Hugh, Dau- phin de Viennois, took the title of Baron of Faucigny, in the life time of his grandmother. Humbert II. last Dauphin, ceded his dominions of Dauphiny and Faucigny, in 1343, to Philip, King' of France, on condition that the eldest sons of France should bear the title and arms of Dauphins de Viennois, and that Faucigny should never be dismembered from their estates. But the situation of this district surrounded on every side by the territories of Savoy, occasioned con- tinual wars; and it became necessarv, for the purpose of terminating them, to enter into a treaty at Paris, in 1354, for a mutual exchange, by which France should possess the seigniories and rights which Savoy had in Dauphiny, and Savoy become Sovereign of Faucigny and Gex, under 88 LETTER XI. the reserve of homage to France. Louis XI. released this homage by the Treaty of Bayonne, 1445 ; but Francis I. having declared war against his uncle, Charles III. reclaimed this homage for the Barony of Faucigny. This question was discussed at the conferences of Lvons in 156l; and Charles-Emanuel I. to relieve himself from this claim, called in the influence of the Emperor Rodolph, whom he was forced to conciliate by taking investiture of Fauci amy from him, not- withstanding the Dukes, his predecessors, had always protested that it was independent. The ancient administration, civil and poli- tical, of Faucigny, was of a mixed government. The Estates of the Province assembled every year at Clnse, to elect a Grand Bailiff", a Chief Judge, and an Ordinary Judge. These estates were composed of ten Bailiwicks — Chatillon, Cluses, Bonneville, Bonne, Sallanches, Chateau- de-Faucigny, Chatelet de Credoz, Samoens, Mont-Jove, and Flumet. The inhabitants of Faucigny have been al- ways lively, industrious, and active. They have furnished a great number of men of letters, and LETTER XI. 89 men employed in the business of state. Natu- rally addicted to the speculations of commerce, the Faucignans have for more than a century established considerable houses of commerce in Germany, Switzerland, and France. Watch- making has flourished at Cluse, &c. Their chief commerce consists in beasts, mules, timber, char- coal, butter, cheese, tallow, flax, honey of Cha- mouni, cherry-brandy, leather, skins, &c. which find their principal vent through Geneva. There is little luxury in these parts: the churches are unornamented : the clergy lead a plain, coarse life: there are scarcely any nobles or gentlemen resident in the country. The pea- sants are apparently frank, honest, and unso- phisticated. The French are said to have intro- duced some change here, as every where else, which they unhappily overran. The old regime, to which they have returned, is somewhat strict: and particularly with regard to religious into- lerance. N 90 LETTER XII. ©rigtnalito bm> rarc==--33ante, ^ctravclj, ISoccacc, Gftaucer, jcpcngcr, j&acfcbtlle, iftilton === CTourU^oct-s of ©&arUs> JE. anti ©ftarlc* II. Florence, November 13, 1819. X O have a clear perception of what others have written or said, to retain it in the memory, and to be able to bring forward, or repeat it either in the same order, or in any altered succession, en- titles a man to the praise of intellectual abilities, and may enable him to acquire and communicate great erudition. But it is quite a different qua- lity from Genius : whether as applied to the in- vention of imagery or sentiment, or to novelty of deduction in the application of reasoning. When therefore we speak of a man's acquire- ments, we are incorrect if we bring them as LETTER XII. 91 proofs of his genius. It is astonishing what an extent of acquirements may be conferred by long and patient labour on one of very moderate talents ! Of those original powers, which constitute Genius, the gradations are infinite, both in native strength, aud in exercise, discipline, and appli- cation. Some are feeble, crude, and of but slight use or merit. Some, by the union of innate force and due discipline, arrive at almost super- human splendor. But of the multitudes even of those, who have obtained some reputation in the literary world, it is, perhaps, not too severe to exclude nineteen out of twenty from the classes of ori- ginal writers. In this exclusion must be comprised, for the most part, historians, biographers, authors of travels and voyages, critics and aunotators, and almost all writers on professional subjects. Even in departments which require originality, a large portion employ no other faculty than memory, which enables them to be faint echoes of some 9 2 LETTER XII. favourite predecessor, or of a combination of their predecessors. It would demand space and leisure, and close and patient attention, and perhaps superior acute- ness, to develop with exactness the value of these multiplications of the same facts and the same ideas. There may be some value in a diversity of dress, or of position. But there is an ubiquity and universality in what is intellectual, that, with the exception of the varying media of dif- ferent languages, makes copies (not an addition to the wealth, but) mainly a superfluity. If this be true, they who possess the rare faculty of original thinking, ought not to waste their time in labour of such comparative insig- nificance as repeating the ideas of others. It must strike every one of a scrutinizing spirit, how little there is new in the whole range of literature. Images, sentiments, reasoning, facts, language, method, are all borrowed from those who have gone before: as if men were afraid to trust themselves to go alone, even where they have the strength ! If there be a class of books in which this LETTER XII.

7 died 1666 : thirdly, Marie d'Este, her sister. The last was the mother of the two last Dukes of this house. The second was the grand-mo- ther of Elizabeth, married to Philip V. King of Spain. Muratori says that this Duke Ranuce was a Prince full of valour ; a good economist ; but generous and liberal on proper occasions ; zealous for justice even to severity; and who made himself less loved, than dreaded. Francis succeeded his father as 7th Duke ; (his elder half-brother, Edward, having died before his father Duke Ranuce, 5th Sept. 1693, leaving no issue male.) He died 26th Feb. 1727, with- out issue by his wife Dorothy, daughter of Phi- lip-William, Elector-Palatine ; widow of his brother. Edward. His brother, Anthony, born 29th Nov. 1679, succeeded as 8th Duke of Parma. He died 20th January, 1731, aged 51, without issue by his Duchess Henriette-Marie, daughter of Renard, Duke of Modena. He was a large strong man, who loved good living, and his ease. After this Duke's death the Imperial troops siezed on the Duchess of Parma and Placenza, as vacant fiefs of the Empire. \6S LETTER XVI. Don Carlos, Infant of Spain, son of Philip V. by Elizabeth Farnese, daughter of Edward, (who died before his father,) eldest son of the Duke Ranuce II. claimed the inheritance of Parma and Placenza, in virtue of the Treatv of the Quadruple Alliance, and of another con- cluded at Vienna, 30th April, 1725, between the Emperor Charles VI. and the King of Spain. The Princess Dorothy, grandmother of Don Carlos, took possession of these Duchies in her grandson's name, 29th December, 1731 ; and or- dered the Imperial troops to retire. Don Carlos made his entry at Parma and Plaisance. in Oc- tober 1732; In 1734 this Prince, having ac- quired the Kingdom of Naples, ceded the Duchies of Parma and Placenza. In 1748, by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, the Duchies of Parma, Pla- cenza, and Guastalla, were ceded by the Queen of Hungary to Don Philip, Infant of Spain, to him and his heirs male, with a clause of rever- sion, in the event of his coming either to the throne of the two Sicilies, or to that of Spain. Don Philip, Infant of Spain, born 15th March 1720, arrived at Parma, and took possession of LETTER XVI. 169 these Duchies, /th March, 1749. He had mar- ried 1738, Louise-Elizabeth, daughter of Louis XV. who died of the small pox at Versailles, 6th Dec. 1/59. The Duke, Don Philip, also died of the same malady, 18th July, 1 763, aged 43. Don Ferdinand, his eldest son, succeeded to the Duchies of Parma, Placenza, and Guastalla. He was born 20th Jan. 1751. He married 27th June, 1769, the Arch-Duchess Marie-Amelie- Josephe -Jeanne -Antoinette, daughter of the Emperor Francis, who died in 1804. The Duke died 9th Oct. 1802. His son, Don Louis, born 5th July, 1773, did not succeed to these Duchies, of which Bo- naparte took possession by virtue of the Conven- tion of Madrid, 21st March, 1801 ; by which Tuscany was ceded to Don Louis with the title of King of Etruria, in indemnity for the Duchies of Parma, Placenza, and Guastalla. He died 27th May, 1803, set. 30, having married Marie- Louise, Infanta of Spain, Duchess of Lucca, born 6th July, 1782. By her he left issue a ^daughter Marie-Louise-Charlotte, born 1st Oct. 1802 ; and an only son ; viz. z 170 LETTER XVI. Charles Louis, born 23d Dec. 1799? wno De_ came King of Etruria, under the Regency of his mother, 27th May, 1803 ; and was despoiled of his Estates by Bonaparte, 10th Dec. I807. The events of 1813, restored Tuscany to the Archduke Ferdinand ; and these Duchies being assigned for life to the Ex-Empress Marie-Louise, the Congress of Vienna assigned provisionally to the House of Parma the Duchy of Lucca, till they should re-enter upon their patrimony. Marie-Louise was declared Duchess of Parma, Placenza, and Guastalla, by the Acts of the Congress of Vienna, 9th June 1815, and 10th June, 18 17. She was born 12th Dec. 1791, and married to Napoleon, 1st April 1810. Her son Francis Joseph Charles was born 20th March 1811. 171 LETTER XVII, &j)ologg for tlje long fotf rbal betfoeen tf)e l)atesi of tfjese Setters "-Reflections on tnterbcmng 1Ebent0===&tm of t\)t ^ublu catton«=@ominon ©Ijaracter of IZTrabete. **r>s^*+*+**<**^+^++- Naples, lid July, 1820. 3x Y Narrative has not kept pace with the pas- sage of Time. Nine months have elapsed; of which six were spent at Florence, from 27th Oct. I8I9 to 27th April, 1820. Florence is supera- bundant in interesting matter of history political and literary, in all that regards the noblest efforts of Genius ; of Poetry ; and the Fine Arts. The very copiousness almost frightens me from com- mencing to touch upon them. This task, from which I should at any time ^shrink, is more especially at the present moment inopportune to my inclinations. I am now in the 172 LETTER XVII. midstof aRevolution of another ItalianPrincipality of far larger extent, and more ancient establish- ment—which for its present tranquil character,and the other peculiar circumstances attending it, has no parallel in the annals of political changes. It would seem to display extraordinary phlegm, if during the period of such a pressure of interest in favour of the present both in time and place, I should waste my attention on remote occurrences ; and more idle and unnecessary curiosities. But perhaps in a volume, which, it is hoped, may aspire to something better than the gratifi- cation of momentary intelligence, the crisis at which we have yet arrived is not sufficiently ad- vanced to venture opinions, which must be crude, and relations of facts, of which the character is not yet sufficiently developed. On the whole therefore it will be better not to break the natural train of my Narrative. To write upon the spot, and at the moment, has many ad- vantages : but it has also some important defects. It is not till thefirsteffervescencehas subsided; and time has given an opportunity to the heavy and unimportant to sink, and leave buoyant only LETTER XV. 1/3 Vf hat lias in it the spirit of life, that our opinions and our selection of facts can ever attain that ma- turity and mellowness, which continue to please after the charm of novelty has ceased. The hasty traveller, always under the impulse of loco-motion, or the feverish colouring of new impressions, neither conveys, nor receives the ideas, Avhich sober experience would approve. These Letters have been written at long and tedious intervals. My printer's patience has no doubt been exhausted. It may seem strange, that I could not be induced oftener to take up my pen for this purpose. But I have not been idle. Funds of new knowledge have been opened upon me in floods. My weak memory; my feeble health ; my exhausted spirits, have been ill-calculated to meet the gigantic tasks, that have solicited my at- tention. How much I regret that an earlier com- mencement had not given me a chance of master- ing the immense range of Italian literature ! In li- terary history no country is so fertile ! And, what is singular, the compilation of other European r countriesh ave not taken adequate advantage of this apparatus. The noblest poets, the greatest histo- 1/4 LETTER XVII. rians, the finest scholars, after the revival of learning, all rose in Italy ; and principally in Tuscany. Something of this, it is true, is fa- miliar to the English reader through the volumes of Roscoe ;* and Mathias has endeavoured to furnish them with the means of judging of its Lyrical Poetry .-j~ But Roscoe wanted the ad- vantage of a personal residence in Italy ; and Matthias's collection is necessarily slight hoth in quantity, biography, and criticism, because it was intended for popular use. If it be satisfactory to the reader that on most occasions I have looked into Original Works ; and derived nothing from compilers in the histo- rical and literarv notices I have had occasion to communicate, he may rest assured, that such has been my custom. It is not always in the power of a traveller, to consult the books, to which he would wish to refer ; he cannot carry * Lorenzo de Medici ; and Leo X. See also Shepherd's Life of Politian. f Componinicnti Lirici, reprinted at Naples, 1819, in 4 slight 8vo. vols. LETTER XVII. 1/5 a library about with him. I have therefore omitted the mention of innumerable things, which though they were fairly on my memory, I could not cite with sufficient exactness and fide- lity, to justify committing them to paper. All vulgar aids, all second-hand information, I have rejected in conformity to my preponderant prin- ciple. As to the common guides, and most of the po- pular books of travels, useful as they are as pocket-companions, they seldom convev even the slightest sketches of the information, on which an inquisitive mind is most desirous to have his memory refreshed. They are merely Topogra- phical and Statistical ;— scarce in the smallest degree historical. When a traveller proposes to give a descrip- tion of the society and manners of a nation, pro- vince, or city, he undertakes a very interesting and profound Topic. But when the talents, the sagacity, the rare opportunity, the time neces- sary to execute this perilous task with discrimina- tion and truth, are considered, it will appear an effort sufficiently ludicrous on the part of a com- mon tour-writer ! 176 LETTER XVII. What is in the power of books best sought on the spot to give ; what the hints derived from personal intercourse with learned men may facili- tate: what the sight of monuments; what the prospect of the features of nature ; what the ex- ternal appearance of a people, their dress, their occupations, their customs, may suggest, is all within the range of the easy performance of a traveller of a cultivated mind, and moderate abilities. He may write a useful book : his asso- ciations of ideas and images may be refreshed, and improved ; and he may communicate this improvement to those who peruse his pages. A foreigner sees peculiarity in many things, which are unnoticed by a native ; and rejects as common many things, on which a native errone- ously prides himself. He would therefore per- haps reject many things as superflous ; and sup- ply others, in which they have been omissive. It is in this way that lie may advantageously recast their information ; and derive ihe due ad- vantage from their writings. But, alas, how many works of travellers are written to feed the rage of temporary politics ! to LETTER XVII. 177 furnish examples of some momentary whim of opinion ! to exalt hy exaggerated praise : to make odious hy exaggerated contrast ! to convey under the new form of a flowery disguise the poison of mischievous principles ! or to gratify the vulgar curiosity of vulgar minds ! To such, to recall what has passed in the long roll of departed ages, the succession of a coun- try's princes, its wars, its violences, its conquests, its misfortunes, is to revive the dull and stultified annals of barbarous ancestors, whom it becomes the wise to pity and forget ! all is to be a parade of philosophy, and reason, and new illumination! ........v.,.,^^.^.^^^^^^"^*"'* KENT: ^rtntct) at i\)t pubate ^regs of TLtc ^rioi'g. BY JOHN WARWICK. LETTERS FROM THE CONTINENT. PART II. CONTENTS. LETTER. PAGE. Preface 18..Reggio birth-place of Ariosto— Learned Men of Modena, Castelvetro, Tassoni, Muratori, Tira- boschi, &c 178 19. . Dukes of Modena, of the House of Est 265 20. . Remarks on the subjects of the last Letters— His- tory— -Bibliography— Public Taste 343 21 . . Concluding Letter 355 Preface. Geneva, 21*/ November, 1821. THE Printer being desirous not to delay the publication of another Volume (or Part) of the Letters from the Continent, it becomes necessary to say something by way of Preface ; which I should have done before the First Part, if I had been aware of the time when it was brought to a conclusion . I was, however, at that period in a remote part of Italy. It might have been adviseable to have prepared the rea- der for that which was intended to be offered to him. Yet the First Letter declared that it was the Writer's positive resolution, to refrain from adding another to the already superabundant heap of Works, called Tours and Travels. He hears therefore with some surprise the complaint, that he has not been more of a Tourist. Whether the matter, which he has brought forward is or is not of curiosity or use, it must be for the sound-minded to judge. It is that, of which he had himself found the want, among books of modern circulation. He does not pre- tend that it required much effort of intellect, or any extra- ordinary erudition to produce it; but it required a search among works a little out of the common track. One of the great purposes and one of the highest grati- fications to a cultivated taste in a visit to Italy, is the oppor- tunity of materializing the associations of the ideas of the 11 PREFACE. past with the present. This country is not merely Classic ground; but here was the scene of the revival of Literature : and here occurred a large portion of the most interesting events and features of the Middle Ages. There is scarce a large City in Italy, which was not the seat of a separate Principality in those Ages. Whether these separate Principalities were a good, or an evil, is a question irrelevant to the present consideration : that the} have aug- mented the subjects of exercise to the memory and fancy of the Traveller is certain. The two modern Works on Italy most in the hands of the English, before that of Lady Morgan, (of which the public Journals have said too much to allow another word,) are those of Eustace and Forsyth. The latter is the highly- endowed Gentleman, who has the goodness to inform his readers, that Redi and Pignotti are two far better Poets than Petrarch ! ! having learned, ( I believe, at the head of an Academy at Newington- Butts,) how to instruct the fine Ladies and Gentlemen from the environs of Grosvenor Square, in their future appreciation of Italian genius. But both these very profound productions, which have so happily hit the popular feeling, pass over Milan, Parma, Modena, Bologna, Mantua, Ferrara, &c. with scarce a men- tion of the Viscontis, Sforzas, Farneses, Bentivoglios, Gon- zagas, Estes, &c. The conjuration by which any clear idea of the History of this part of the Continent in the Middle Ages, and of what PREFACE. Ill is most remarkable in its great Cities, can be formed, with- out a distinct conception of the leading events and characters of these Families, far exceeds that of any common magic ! If indeed the Traveller goes only to behold Nature and sce- nery ; and even extends his observations to modern manners, the case is different. But a great part of that which gives interest to the study of the Arts is wanting ; and almost all that excites the attention of the scholar and the man of deep reflection, is deficient in its first materials. All the objects which a common Tourist desires to visit, are sufficiently described in the local Guides, which every considerable place furnishes ; and almost all the intelligence which the generality of Travels supply is purloined, and re- peated in a disguised form, from these sources. With regard to modern manners and habits of society, how slight and superficial is the knowledge which is picked up by these Authors ! Their views of politics are equally ignorant and prejudiced. Of this I had a personal oppor- tunity of witnessing the most glaring instances at Naples and Rome, in the Autumn of 1820, and the Spring of 1821, during the commencement, progress, and termination of the Neapolitan Revolution. But on this topic I shall probably have occasion to say much more hereafter. The hasty manner, in which a large portion of the English pass over the Continent, is inconsistent with those calm, sober, and well-regulated impressions, which it be- ' comes an enlightened mind to cultivate. Novelty is apt to IV PREFACE. give a false effect, of which transitoriness is the very essence. I am persuaded that such momentary views rather mislead than inform the judgement; and that a traveller of this sort has less correct ideas on his return even than he had before he set out. I lived a year and seven months in Italy, from 13th October 1819, to 9th May 1821; and during this period I gave myself up to its literature with the ardour which is a part of my nature. The additional knowledge, which has poured in upon me, is too multifarious to find vent in any small space, or short time. If little of it has appeared in these Letters, it has partly arisen from a desire, (perhaps ill- judged ) to clear the ground, and lay the foundation ; and partly from following the order of the Route, which has hitherto kept my reader from arriving at the Cities where I spent most of my time. Half a year at Florence; seven months at Naples ; and four months at Rome, enabled me to take a calm survey of those illustrious Cities. If my mind was not directed to the same points of obser- vation as is usual to, and required from the generality of Travellers, it ought not to be assumed that on that account it was less properly employed. Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture all alike go to see in this once-glorious part of the world j but to describe them adequately demands the pen of an eloquent professor of these wonderful Arts : the unin- structed admiration and affected praise of a scribbling Tour- ist is insufferably impertinent and odious. PREFACE. V It is the mental temperament, and general conclusions produced on those habituated to think, and capable of think- ing with vigour and justness, by a residence in these places, that a reader seeking the moral knowledge most prized by the highest classes of intellect, desires to learn. With the little paltry details of temporary ton, or tem- porary costume, no wise man would degrade his pages,— any more than with the adventures of the post, the perils of the road, or the hardships of mean accommodation. Scenery indeed is a noble field of description : but it requires powers of so high a kind; and those powers in so happy a mood, that I, for one, have shrunk from it, where I had to describe views, of which so many gifted geniuses have already given sketches. I took no notes at the time; and I now find that my recollections are too general for local pictures. The passage over the Alps and the Appenines no fancy capable of receiving vivid impressions can ever forget. It was on two October days, of wind and rain and sunshine by fits, that we first mounted over the latter : mighty and ter- riffic gust were frequently crossing between the Adriatic and the Mediterranean : and then the sun broke out again, and all was serene and balmy; and the beech and chesnut groves in the hollows, and feathering down the slopes of the moun- tains, their leaves all of gold, half - strewing the ground, or glittering in the renewed rays of that gentle splendor, which attends the departing year, seemed like a vision of Romance, V] PREFACE. too full of colours and shapes of enchantment for the exhi- bitions of reality ! It rained again hideously, and a black night came on before we reached our humble resting-place on the Mountains^ which we found full of Travellers) and ill-calculated to accommodate us ! A bright morning shone on our descent into Tuscany: but after mid-day we entered Florence under torrents of rain. Multitudes of English overflowed through this beautiful City. The noble Gallery was beset with throngs to gaze with wondering eyes upon the Paintings ; and to look with scanning curiosity on the Venus de Medicis, whose inimitable proportions were examined with a dangerous eagerness, and whose slender and inimitable grace was willingly mistaken by the ladies of small stature for the perfect height. But I forget that my Letters have not yet conducted my readers to Florence. Is it asked, what merit I claim for the Historical, Genea- logical, and Biographical memorials, which I have given ?--- None ! They are compiled from Books not rare, but volu- minous ; and seldom within an English reader's range. They may not be the less useful, because they tend little to prove the Author's talents or learning. To be a mere compiler is certainly but an humble occu- pation in literature : but I am not much afraid of incurring this contemptuous designation. I have indulged myself in too many walks of composition , and been too excursive in the labours of my mind to dread such a censure. What is PREFACE. Ml here presented to the Public is indeed a mere trifle compared with all in which I have employed myself during the same period. But we are " fallen upon evil d;iys ; " upon days of un- qualified bitterness and malignity. The Populace, great and small, are the rulers of the Public mind. The critical Works in fashion are seasoned to their palates j and the highest de- light is to bait an Author ; and as Book-making is become a mercenary profession, it is useless to praise any production not formed to gratify popular prejudices. From the moment that the Press became the slave of the Public, it became an evil rather than a good. * It gave authority to the test of vulgar opinion ; and submitted all judgments to the passions of the multitude. It is the ignorance of the Age, which allows it to assume to itself the credit of peculiar enlightenment : for this igno- rance shuts from it the opportunity of comparison. Men now venture to become Authors, who are unacquainted with the true models of composition ; and who are utterly unap- prized of what has been already elucidated ; and still more of the reasonings or facts by which it has been established or confirmed. Scholars formerly held the pen : and habituated to look to future times for their reward, they felt a responsibility beyond what a mere plausible covering might give to what * It appears to me that this is the idea with which Cornelius 4gri/>pa Sets out in his Tract, De Vanitate Scientiarum. Vlll PREFACE. they wrote. Jt is necessary that an Author should write from conviction, not merely as an advocate. Every thing is now hollow ; corrupt ; and calculated for momentary effect; for piquancy, and vendability ! All regard to past opinions is called Prejudice: and every witling affects to set up on the stock of his own ideas ; and to judge for himself. Is the simpleton aware how little a way the greatest genius can proceed in literature without building on the stock of his predecessors? How far could Bacon or Newton have advanced, if they had not commencJ at a forward point, to which ages had been clearing the way for them ? What could Dante, or Tasso, or Milton have done but for the stores of antiquity ? Flippant scribblers now arise; and without erudition, without reflection, without experience, undertake to reverse all the characters of History ; to rejudge all those, on whom their cotemporaries, and the wisest and best- informed of pos- terity, have pronounced a verdict; and to speak of things according to the view which their own superficial, presump- tuous, and twilight understandings , or malignant and de- grading passions present. Is there no weight in authority? Is there no deference to integrity; and long- exercised and deeply-matured ability? But " Lo! I, the Oracle come forth; and all else shall be silent, and dumb!" Our ancestors shall be pronounced to have been all fools, or flatterers, or slaves ! Are there any words of contempt and derision sufficient for this ineffable arrogance of ignorant stupidity ? All of wis- PREFACE. IX dom and truth that can now be said, has been said before j — and generally better said ! I have been blamed for endeavouring; to draw back the Public notice to the Latin writers soon after the revival of Literature, especially those of Italy,— the Demi- Ancients, as Le-Clerc properly calls them. It is asked, who reads modern Latin? If no one reads such books, it follows that no one consults the sources of modern History, either Literary, or Political! that no one is a scholar! that no one studies the new birth of genius undepressed by a semi -barbarous lan- guage ! that no one can guess at what an height of polish, and eloquence, and wisdom, the Learned of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries had arrived ! liut this disgraceful charge is far from universally true ! From what sources has M. Sismondi written his History of the Italian Republics?* From what sources is he now composing his History of France ? From what sources did Gibbon draw the latter volumes of his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire? The Author, who is in general content to rest without consulting original authorities, (and indeed original editions,) is a Char- latan, who does not deserve the name of Learned ! Most modern books are so utterly sophisticated ; so full of tinsel j so deficient in solid and honest ingredients, that with the novelty of the phrase, the type, and the paper, the charm evaporates, before the volumes have been a month on the shelves ! Who turns back to them for any sound know- * 16' vols. 8vo. 2d Ed. Paris 1818. X PREFACE. ledge ? Who refers to them for an happy elucidation of nice questions in morality ? Who seeks them for felicity of lan- guage, and beauty of illustration ? I have at length come to the determination to conclude these Letters abruptly. I know not to what point of those Letters, sent from Naples in 1820, my Printer has reached. It is for his benefit that they have been written ; and I give him leave to close the press at what part of the MS. suits his convenience. He says that the Booksellers demand of him to finish these Letters and the Sylvan Wanderer, before they will engage to take any thing else off his hands. The inconvenience of supplying him with Copy at all times, while visiting remote regions of the Continent; the impossibility of a proper superintendance of the Press at all times, while military duties call my son from home ; the losses from long delay, incurred by this Printer, who as he has all the emolument is subjected to the risk of these publi- cations, which he is ill-prepared to endure; (even after all the expensive assistance, which, though never engaged for, has in fact been amply extended to him, ) make it more pru- dent to incur the alternative of exposing myself to malignant criticisms for giving to the Public an imperfect Work, than to let an helpless individual suffer by the circumstances in which he is placed. There is a limit to all things. The Lee Press was set up at the earnest and repeated desire and for the exclusive benefit of the two Printers originally engaged in it. As I PREFACE. XI would have disdained to have had any concern with the pro- duce ; so I deemed it prudent to take every precaution which I could suggest, to protect myself from every part of the expence. These precautions were vain : the expenses were heavy to me, while in England 5 and have been heavy to my Son, since my absence. The publications, which I have given to the World, in thirty -seven years, are beyond my power of enumeration. Of all, which have been at my own risk, (and they have been not a few,) neither the expences, nor probably one half the expences in printing and paper have ever been returned to me. Of those undertaken by Booksellers, 1 have never re- ceived, nor asked, one shilling of copy money ! I am forced to make this declaration, because the base heart of mankind thirsting only for lucre, thinks that 1 like them could only be actuated by mercenary motives in my multifarious labours. I have now completed my fifty -ninth year 3 and the pecuniary returns of literature have never up to this hour reached the value of a single sixpence ; except in the volun- tary presents of Books which the publishers made to me for the immense labour in editing the New Edition of Collins's Peerage ! On the other hand I have spent a little fortune among Printers, .Stationers, and Engravers ! This has been among the prime amusements of my life : and how could I have r endured the gigantic injuries and oppressions, by which I Xll PREFACE. have been pursued, unless my mind had indulged itself in some favourite and oblivious recreation ? The same passion adheres to me amid the inconveniences of a mitigratory life ; and in the three last years I have equally sought occupation in the employment of Foreign Presses. In 1819, I printed at Geneva. 1. A Volume on Popu- lation and Riches. 2. Coningsby, a Tragic Tale. 3. Lord Brokenhurst, a Tragic Tale. In 1820, I printed at Florence. 4. Sir Ralph JVil- loughby, a Tale. 5. Alavice Regice. 60 copies only for pri- vate use. In the same year I printed at Naples. 6. Res Literaritp, Vol. I. only 75 copies. In 1821, I printed at Rome. 7- Res Literarite. Vol. 2. In the Autumn of the same year I printed at Geneva. 8. Valerianus de Infelicitate Literatorum, Editio Nova. 87 copies. 9. What are Riches? an examination into the defini- tions of that subject. 100 copies. In 1822, I am completing at the same place. 10. Res Literariee, Vol 3. nearly finished. 11. The Anti-Critic, Vol I. nearly finished. 12. Lamento di Strozzi, S ^Tcn of i*ToUena, <£a$tdbctro, STa^om, i^uratou, Euabcgdbi $rc. Naples, VAth July, 1820. UNE of the trreatest ornaments of Parma was Antonio Allegri, called Corregio, the famous Painter: born at Corregio in the Modenese in 1494. He owed the whole of his progress in the Art to his wonderful genius rather than to Masters. He died 5th March, 1534, aged 40. He was the Founder of the Parmigian School of Painting, by which name for its excellence the School of Lombardy is known. 2 a 1^9 LETTER XVIII. " II carattere dominante della scuola parmigiana, che per excellenza dicesi anco la lombarda, e lo scorto, come della fiorenlina la espressione de' nervi, e de' muscoli : ne serve aggiungere, che ancor qui si e da alcuni caricato e alfettuto lo scorto, come ivi il nudo : 1' imitar bene e dif- ficile in ogni luogo. Entra pur nel carattere della scuola lo studio del cbiaroscuro, e de' panni piu cbe quello del corpo umano, nel quale pochi si contano veramente va- lenti. I lor contorni son largbi, i volti non tanto ideali, quanto scelti fra mezzo alia nazione cbe gli produce ben ritondati, e ben eoloriti, e spezzo di quelle fattezze e di quella giocondita, cbe si stima originale nel Corregio: cosi notava un professore statu gran tempo in Parma" * Whosoever is desirous of having a critical idea of Corregio 's excellencies will do well to consult Lanzi's elegant and learned Storia Pitto- rica iV Italia. Parmigiano and Lanfranc were also celebra- ted ornaments of Parma. Ariosto was a native of Reggio. The family was ancient: it had been transplanted from Bo- logna to Ferrara; had made honorable alliances; and had even contracted a marriage with the princely House of Este, in the person of Lippa, • Lanzi Storia Pittorica della Italia, Edit. 4. Tisa, 1816. 12mo. vol IV. p. 87. LETTER XVIII. 180 or Filippa Ariosta, who was first the concubine, and afterwards the wife of Obizzo III. Sovereign of Ferrara; which princess died in 134}% three years before her husband. Nicolas, the poet's Father, was 4th son of Rinaldo Ariosto. He had the title of Count as well as his brothers Francesco, and Ludovico, conferred on him by the Emperor Frederic on his visit to Ferrara 146V). Hercules, Duke of Ferrara, appointed him Captain of the Citadel of Reggio. He held this post 14/4, when his eldest son, Lodovico was born. His wife was Daria, daughter of Gabriele Malaguzzi, a Noble of Reggio, a Doctor of medicine, by Taddea de' Valeri, (a family originally of Parma. ) Gahriele was a man of science and a poet. Over a House in the Piazza adjoining the Cathedral of Reggio, is the following Inscription. Ludovicus Ariostws. PoETA TR/ECLARISSIMUS MANU PROPRIO CaROLI V. iMPER : Laureatus Xatus Regii Ex Matre daria Malagutici de Valeriis in Camera Media Primi Ordinis erga Plateas r Axso MCCCCLXXIV. Die VIII. Septembris. 181 LETTER XVIII. Baruffaldi gives satisfactory reasons to con- clude that the Poet was not born here: but in the Citadel : and that this House, which is assert- ed to have belong' d to the mother's family, did not come in their possession till long afterwards: and that the Inscription must have been of a date, at least half a Century posterior to the Poet's death. A Memoir of Ariosto would occupy too much space in these Letters. But as something requires to be said of his general character, perhaps there may be most novelty at present in reviving the Sketch of a learned Cotemporary. The old Bio- graphers were deficient in many of the attrac- tions possessed by modern authors in this depart- ment. They were general and declamatory; and wanted the criticism, the precision, the minute- ness of those, whom the last Century has pro- duced. But these last in searching for what is new, or particular, have often wandered too far from original impressions; and buried the great outlines of feature in a mass of incumbering pet- tinesses. It becomes therefore sometimes instruc- tive, if not necessary, to recur for the characters LETTER XVIII. 182 of the Great Dead, long departed, to these origi- nal Memorialists. I will therefore copy the character of our Poet by the celebrated Paulus Jovius in his Elogi<( Virorum Liter is Hlustrium Basil, 157/, Folio. " Ludovicus Ariostus nobili genere Ferrarice natus, cum paterna haereditas inter numerosam fratrum sobolem diducta, ipsi pertennis obvenisset, ingenium in Uteris vigi- lanter exercuit, ut certo nobilique praesidio familiae nomen tueretur. Sed uti pari prope necessitatis et glorias sti- mulo vehementer excitatus, feliciore certe judicio inter primos Etruscae linguae poetas celebrari, quam inter Lati- nos in secundis gradibus consistere maluit: quod ejus industriae labor, cum eruditis ac idiotis latissime dispen- satus, uberiorem pnesentis praemii, et ditfusae laudis frue- tum ostenderct. Adhaesit comes Hippolyto atestino Cardinali in Paunoniam profecto : quum ille erudito ac illustri comitatu apud reges Hungaros ambitiose gauderet : sed iterum euntem, quum sequi recusasset, usque adeo graviter offendit, ut pene implacabilis odii discrimen adi- erit. Receptus hide est ab Alfonso Principe tanquam horarum omnium amicus, et sodalis, cujus benigna manu urbanam domum cxtruxit peramaena hortorum ubertate, frugi mensas quotidianos sumptus adaequantem. In eo autem civili otio, extra aulae strepitum poemata factitavit : «atvras in primis mordaci sale conspersas, ac item comae- 183 LETTER XVIII. dias plures theatrali voluptate saepe repetitas inter eas autem, maxime Suppositi excellunt, inventionis atque suc- cessus amaenitate cum Plautinis facile contendentes, si utriusque Seculi mores non inepte comparentur. Sed luculentissimum, ob idque forsitan aeternum id volumen existimatur, quo Orlandi fabuhsi Herois admiranda bello facinora, octonario modulo decantavit, Boiardo hercle, ipsoque Pulcio peregregie superatis. Quandoquidem et hunc rerum, et Carminum accurata granditate devicerit: ac ilium surrepto inventionis titulo, ac eo quidem variis elegantioris doctrines luminibus illustrato penitus extinx- erit. Cuncta enim evolvisse volumina videtur, ut sibi undique collecta gratia, ex jucundissimis floribus longe puleberrimam, ideoque perennem, quo lepidum caput or- naretur coronam intexeret. Interiit in patria salari aetatis anno, quum diu pectoris angustia ex pituitae stillicidio laborasset. Hoc autem Carmen vivens composuit, ut Sep v Ichro i n c i dere t ur . Ludovici Ariosti humantur ossa Sub boc marmore, seu sub bac humo : seu Sub quicquid voluit benignus baeres : Sive baercde benignior comes : seu Opportunius incidens viator : Nam scire baud potuit futura, sed nee Tanti erat vacuam sibi cadaver: Ut urnam euperet parare vivens, Vivens ista tamen sibi paravit, Quae scribi voluit suo sepulcbro, Olim si quod baberet is sepulcbrum : LETTER XVIII. 184 Nc cum spiritus hoc brevi peracto Praeseripto spacio misellus artus, Quos aegre ante reliquerat, reposcet : Hac, et hac cinerem hunc et hunc rcvcllcns: Dum noscat proprium, diu vagetur. C.elii Calcagnini Tu repetas caelum, et terras Arioste, relinquis Et loca jam mentis inferiora tuis. Nos miseri, et curis longe mortalibus acti, Non tibi, sed nobis fundimus has lachrymas. Gloria te niveis subducit in aethera bigis ; Nos sine te luctu perpetuo opprimimur. Latomi Anna, virumque canens, Etruscan carmina Musae, Palmam Virgilio vel tribuente refers. Scit sua te melius patrio sermone Latina, Quam sese Latio Graia referre sono. * f * Giambatista Pigna published an Edition of Orlando Fu- rioso, Ferrara, 1521. 4 to . (40 Cantos) Again Venice, 1556, 4 t0 . by Valgrisi, with a Life of the Poet prefixed. This Life again appeared in the Variorum Edition, Venice 15S4, 4 to . Giambatista Pigna, the Historian of the House of Este, was not born till 15*29, 8 years after the first edition of the other Pigna's Orlando Furioso. t Paulus Jovius was born at Como in the Milanese 19th 185 LETTER XVIII. Modena has a fine Library; and has been the birthplace, or residence of many eminent men. See Dottori Modonesi — opera dl D. Lodovico Vednan'i da Modena, l655, 4to. adorned with Portraits; most of them spirited; and some well engraved. Lodovico Castelvetro, the Commentator on Petrarch was a Modenese : so also Alessan- dro Tassoni author of the celebrated poem, the Sechia Rapita. April, 1483. He passed a part of his youth in Como, Padua, Pavia, and Milan. In Pavia he studied Medicine, and began to practice this Art in Como, and Milan. In this science he obtained the notice of Leo X. In 1528, he was made Bishop of Nocera. In 15 49, he retired to Como, and in 1550, to Florence, where he died on the 11 Dec. 1552, .aged 69. His Funeral was honoured by all the Court of Cosmo de Medici, and his body was honorably buried in the Church of St. Lorenzo." His merits procured him many rich benefices, besides a pension from Charles V. The Duke of Milan, the Farnese,the Estes, the Dukes of Urbino, the Medici, the Gon- zaghi, distinguish'd him. It would seem impossible that Jovius could write so much, while his time was occupied in Travels, in literary leisure, in the ollices and visits of Courts: in the pleasant suppers of the Cardinals Farnese, and Carpi. He was too apt to lavish his praise, or his blame according to his private passions. It was said that he boasted that he had two pens, one of gold; the other of iron ; and that he could use either as he had occasion. His Elogia of Famous Men were LETTER XVIII. 186 Castelvetro was of a noble Family at Modena, where he was born 1505. He studied in the prin- cipal Universities of Italy, Bologna, Ferrara, Pa- dua and Siena. Thence he went to Rome under the patronage of his relation Giovanni Maria dalla Porta, a Noble Modenese. From Rome he returned to his favourite studies at Siena, and cultivated Greek, Latin, and Italian Literature. By his intense application, he now fell into extreme ill health, and could only use a vegatable diet. At his Father's desire he returned to Modena, written in his delightful Villa on the Lake of Como, where he had collected Portraits of these distinguished Persons, which these Elogia were intended to accompany. These Portraits formed the Foundation of the Series, which now adorn the Gallery at Florence. All his Works were collec- ted and published in 6 vols. Folio, Basil, 1578 See a severe character of this Author in Ritratti Poetici Storici, e Critici of App. Ann. de Faba Cviz. Appiano Buonafede) 2 v ols. 8*°. (6th. Edit.) Venice, 1796 vol. 1. p. 268. "Egli si crede di poter esse signore e tiranno in una provincia, ov' era vassallo, e crede di poter sacrificare al suo utile la verita, sulla quale non avea verun dirittoj di poter fare della menzogna una fruttuosa mercantanzia ; e di poter usare le indipendenze e i privilegi de' pittori e de' poeti. Per le quali cose si ode tra gli eruditi un giusto lamento, che la venalita del Giovio abbia deturpato il candor della storia." See also Thuanus, and Boyle, * B 187 LETTER XVIII. where he continued the same course of Life ; and exerted himself to promote Letters in his native City. Ahout 153/ it was at his persuasion that Francesco Porto, a Greek a native of Candia was called to lecture in the Greek tongue at Modena. Porto remained here till 1546, when he was called to Ferrara with a rich provision hy Duke Her- cules II. who was intent npon drawing celebrated men to the University of Ferrara. The vacant Chair was soon filled by Carlo Sigonio a Citizen of Modena, who afterwards became one of the most famous and learned men, not only of Italy, but of all Italy. Another Contemporary and friend of Castelvetro, who honoured Modena by his learning was Giovanni Grileuzone, a Citizen and Physician here, of whom Castelvetro has written some memorials preserved by Muratori. In 1540 Modena could shew among its living Citizen, (besides Castelvetro and Grileuzone) 1. Cardinal Jacopo Sadoleto, one of the great- est Luminaries of the Sacred College ; to which his printed works bear testimony. 2. Cardinal Tommaso Badia, Master of the Sacred Palace, famous for his Sanctity and pro- LETTER XVIII. 188 found Knowledge. 3. Cardinal Gregorio Cortese, a worthy emu- lator of Sadoleto, in skill in the Greek and Latin Languages, an illustrious Poet and Theologian, as his Books shew. 4. Giovanne Moroni, Bishop of Modena, crea- ted Cardinal 1542 by Paul III, one of the most learned and illustrious of the Purple, who sus- tained the honour of the Roman Church in the Council of Trent, and at Rome ; for though he was by birth a Milanese, he was educated from infancy in Modena; here made his studies; and was honoured with his father with the Citizen- ship, and afterwards with the Mitre of this City 5. Gabriello Fallopia, eminent for his science, and his medical works. All these men, versed in the Greek, and Latin languages, had great obligations to Castelvetro. To these may be added, 6. Francesco Maria Molza, famous for his Latin and Italian poetry. 7- Gandolfo Porrino, whose Rimas were in great credit. 8. Antonio Fiordibello, Canon of the Cathedral 189 LETTER XVIII. 1537; Bishop of Lavello, 1558; and together with the celebrated Monsignor Giovanni dalla Casa Secretary of Paul IV. and Paul V. a man in great reputation for his Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, Literature. 9« In the same degree of Secretary to Pope Julio III. served Paulo Sadoleto, son of a cousin of Cardinal Jacobo; famous as a Philosopher, and Theologian; and for his great eloquence in the Greek and Latin Tongues. 10. Benedetto Manzuolo, afterwards Bishop of Reggio, an excellent philosopher, and delicate Poet. 11. Giovan Maria Barbieri, the companion of Castelvetro's studies; afterwards Chancellor and Secretary of the State; an excellent Italian Poet, who had given much of his attention to the ancient Italian language, in which Castelvetro delighted. 12. Agostino Gadaldino, who profited by his learning and example, whose posterity flourished in illustrious rank at Venice; and Avho translated from Greek into Latin various works of Galen, Oribasius, and other Greek physicians. In these Studies he had an imitator in. LETTER XVIII. 1 90 13. Niccollo Macchella, wellknown to learned Physicians by his translations from the Greek; and his works in Medicine. Castelvetro was esteemed as another Socrates in his native City. At this time the doctrines of" Lnther having spread even into Italy, the literary societies of Modena, supposed to have caught the taint raised the jealousy and vigilance of the Court of Rome. But Cardinal Jacopo Sadoleto from love of his native City took advantage of his power to endeavour to appease these suspicions. In 1553 commenced Castelvetro's literary quarrel with Anmbal Caro. * This poet had written a Canzone in praise of the Casa Farnese; and in deification of the Royal House of France. This was so superlatively commended by the friends of Caro; as to be placed equal or supe- rior to Petrarch. Among many Modenese then at Rome was Aurelio Bellincini, a man of learn- ing:, into whose hands this Canzone of Caro came; and who marvelling at the admiration, * Annibal Caro was a poet of a great name and a fertile , pen, born in Civitanova in the Marches of Ancona, 1507., and Secretary to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. 191 LETTER XVIII. yet unwilling to trust his own judgment sent it to Castelvetro, requesting bis opinion. Castel- vetro, as was his custom with his friends, freely gave his thoughts on this production in twenty words or little more; but begged Bellincini not to talk about it; and not to say it was bis: not because he felt doubtful of the truth of his criti- cism: but because he considered Caro a per- son of a poor and base condition mounted into a high place by the favour of a Great Prince, and by his faculty of poetizing: and that he would deeply resent the freedom of any one who could call into doubt the beauty and merit of his verses; and would not want a pretext to sav or do any thing his passions should prompt him towards such an offender. Bellincini betrayed the opinion; but without discovering; the Author. This however Caro soon learned through Gasparo Calori, a Modenese ; and vented his rage in Rome by the most oppro- brious invectives. Literati, and especially poets, have seldom much philosophy; and do not like to have their conquests in the fields of Fame and Glory disturbed. Hence arise wars more fierce LETTER XVIII. lf)2 than the Princes of the World make for temporal Kingdoms. Thus Caro commenced, and carried on his war furiously; while Castelvetro in his defence kept the temper of a philosopher always serious and reasonable without descending to in- juries, invectives, and scorn. Defences and Re- plies rapidly followed each other: but Caro was not willing to trust alone to the force of his pen : he called in a more efficacious instrument; the processes of the Holy Inquisition ! In aid of his writing, he called in many of the Literati then at Rome, who were friends of the House of Farnese ; especially Benedetto Varchi; and Giovan Fran- cesco Commendone, afterwards Cardinal; both persons of great power in the Italian language, as well as the Latin; and also in Poetry, and Oratory. They introduced all sorts of buffoonery into their attacks ; and stuffed them with all sorts of scandal and bitterness. They required to have these Libels distributed in M S, not only through Rome ; but through other Cities of Italv, in the ~ .'5 hope that the poison might produce its effect while the means should be kept concealed from the Victim. Castelvetro perceived the effect, 193 LETTER XVIII. without being able to get at so distinct a know- ledge of particulars, as would enable him to know on what points to defend himself. At length in 1558, five years after the com- mencement of the controversy, this secret Libel was published under the title of Apologia degli Accademici di Banchi di Roma contra Lodovico Castelvetro in difesa delta sequente Canzone del Commendatore Annibal Caro. — Parma, par Viotti. It took little time to Castelvetro to write an answer. But he did not publish it till 1560, un- der the following title, according to Muratori. " Di Lodovico Castelvetro Ragionedi alcune cose segnate nella canzone di Annibal Caro : Ve- nite aW ombra de' gran Gigli d' oro. Venezia presso Andrea Arrivabene. But a copy of an early Edition, I believe the original and very rare Edition now lies before me, of which this is the exact title: LETTER XVIII. I94 Ragione D' Alcune Cose Segnate Nella Canzone d' Annibal Caro. Venite al' Ombra De Gran Gigli d' Oro [A rude Cut of an Owl sitting on a fallen Urn] KEKPIKA. * without date, small 4 t0 . p. 1 16. besides 4 pages of Contents. In his first page he mentions Caro having given to the world his Apologia degli Academi di Banchi di Roma printed at Parma in Nov. 1558, after five years study. The Heads of Castelvetro's Tract are 1 . Mala Elettione di parole forestreri. 2. Mala Formatione di Traslationi 3. Parole di significato nocivo. 4. Parole di significato improprio. 5. Guastamento dell' uso della lingua. 6. Vilta di parole. * See Poggiali-Testi di Lingua. 11. 186. 2 C 19 5 LETTER XVIII. 7- Falsita di sentimenti. 8. Nocumento di sentimenti. 9. Superflita di sentimenti. 10. Difeto di Sentimenti. 11* Ignoranza di Lod. Castelvetro. 12. Vilta di Lod. Castelvetro. 13. Malvagita di Lod. Castelvetro. 14. Canzone d' An. Caro. 15. Commento di An. Caro. 16. Parer di Lod. Castelvetro. 17. Dichiaratione di Lod. Castelvetro. To this Work of Castelvetro, Caro made no reply. But his friend Benedetto Varchi, a Flo- rentine, a man of letters of great credit in those times, but satirical, took the occasion of his Dia- logues on Language to defend him against the censures of Castelvetro. But for whatever rea- son this did not appear in print till 1570, four years after his death. It then appeared from the Press of Filippo Giunti at Florence thus: L" Ercolano Dkrfogo di Benedetto Varchi, net quale si ragiona generahnente delle L'mgue 8$c. com- posto dalui suit ocean ione delta disputa occorsa LETTER XVIII. I / " trdl Commendator Caro, Lodovico Castelvetro. Though at this time Castelvetro was a wanderer, and in countries where he could not command Books, and under the aggravation of various misfortunes, almost on the point of death, yet when this production of Varchi came under his eyes, he could not refrain from giving an Answer, by the mere strength of his memory, to show that the Dialogue was erroneous in the whole, or ma- jor part of its principal points. And certainly this Argument on Language was in his province; and such as a Litterateur so practised and saga- cious in these studies could throw light upon. But Death, which seized him in the following year, Feb. 1571, did not permit him to continue; much less, to complete these studies. There ex- isted only a first draught, that is, some pieces, not read over, or corrected, which yet his Bro- ther Giovan-Maria Castelvetro, judged with rea- son to be worthy of the light ; and published the following year 1572, in Basil under the title of Correzione di alcune Cose del Dialogo delle Lin- gue del Varchi per Lodovico Castelvetro. But in his lifetime these had been published in Bo- 197 LETTER XVIII. logne from the printing office of Alessandro Be- nacci, 1567, Discorso di Girolamo Zoppio intorno al alcuni oppozioni di Lodovico Castelvetro, alia Canzone de 1 Gigli d' oro compost a da Anmbal Caro in lode di Real Casa di Francia. Castel- vetro probably knew nothing of the publication of this little piece. Such was the course of the literary contro- versy between Caro and Castelvetro. Many learned and powerful persons endeavoured to make peace between these Litigants, to which Castelvetro was inclined; but which Caro re- mained obstinately averse to. On the contrary Caro sought among the bad Citizens of Modena, ( and such are to be found in all Cities, ) for evidence to support a charge of heresy against Castelvetro. He found out that in 1556 there had been a bad understanding be- tween his adversary, and his brother Paul, who, having been a spendthrift was many times fra- ternally admonished without amendment. This irritated him so much, that he joined with Caro against his Brother. The accusation is black; and not lightly to be made; but it seems too true LETTER XVIII. 1,98 that Caro wished to oppress his adversary by one of the most tremendous Tribunals of Rome. Caste! vetro was accordingly cited to appear before this Tribunal ; where though he had no- thing to fear from any consciousness of guilt, he had much to fear from the power of such an enemy as Caro, and his supporters. He con- cealed himself therefore in the States of the Duke of Ferrara till the Pontificate of Paul IV. of the House of Caraffa. Then his friends advised him to go to Rome to purge himself of the Calumny; and especially Egidio Foscberari, Bishop of Mo- dena. At length he obeyed in company with his Brother Giovan- Maria: and going to Rome with a safe conduct presented himself before the Car- dinals in Assembly. After many disputes, the Convent of Santa Maria in Vice, was assigned for his prison; but without requiring Bail; and with liberty to consult with whom he pleased, which attracted to him the continual visits of Gentlemen, and Men of Letters, desirous to know the person of one so distinguished for his wisdom and acquirements. Many were the examinations of Castelvetro 199 LETTER XVIII. made by Brother Tommasso da Vigevano, depu- ted for this Process, who with the Chancellor of the Holy Inquisition tried the means to discover his guilt; but rinding nothing in Lodovico but good habits and profound science, he came to severer methods, threatening both him, and his brother Giovan- Maria with the most frightful treatment, if they did not confess the faults laid to their charge; Castelvetro remained firm, con- fiding in his innocence. But hearing: afterwards that Cardinal Alessandrino, afterwards Pope Pius V, remarkable for his severity to whosoever was accused or suspected of Heresy, threw out great threats against every one subjected to the processes of the Inquisition, the Sage's courage began to fail ; and especially from reflecting on the character of the Enemies he had at Rome ; so that his fears increased so strongly, as to throw him into a melancholy, which made him imagine that he always saw a Bailiff at his heels ready to confine him within the miserable walls of a pri- son. Then he lamented to his Brother his re- gret at having been the occasion of bringing him also into so cruel a situation. But Giovan-Maria LETTER XVIII. 200 endeavoured to reason him out of these fears; re- presenting the integrity of the Sacred Tribunal ; and that the Innocent might well place their re- liance on Heaven ; but Lodovico replied by other strong reasoning, shewing the foundation of these terrors, notwithstanding he felt conscious of no fault. Thus, notwithstanding the comfort of his conscience, the ideas of the threatened dangers so increased upon him, that he resolved to take flight. He accordingly escaped from the Mo- nastery, and from Rome ; and in company with his Brother bent his way towards Lombardy. They got safe through their journey, though they had run through difficulties and perils, by the necessity of frequenting bye-roads, to avoid falling into the hands of the Officers and Gove- nors of the Pontifical States, as they had good intelligence, that Letters were immediately sent out to search for and arrest the Fugitives. " I do not" says Muratori, "undertake to de- fend, or excuse Castelvetro ; because I am equ- ally ignorant of the accusations, and on the other hand of the justifications and grounds of Defence p of my illustrious Fellow-Citizen. Flight seems 201 LETTER XVIII. the indication of Guilt: but is not always the mark of a wicked cause : it may sometimes ac- company innocence, and a right conscience. Judges may he misled; and are subject to the secret operation of powerful Passions ; and the means of discovering Truth may be used to ob- tain credit for Falsehood." Whatever was the case of Castelvctro, he thought that the only safe- ty was in flight from enemies so powerful, in times when Governments were so severe. He might well dread the suspicion of being misrepresented amid the discord of the dogmas of the Catholic Church, and of being exposed to the malignant Zealots, who had prisons and torments always at hand. He had two striking examples before him from his own City. Cardinal Morone; and Egidio Foscherari. The former filled the Epis- copal Chair of Modena from 152<) to 1550, with the highest applause. But in the time of Pope Paul IV. Caraffa, remarkable for his fiery and indiscreet zeal, he fell under suspicion, was con- fined a prisoner in the Castle of St. Angelo; and and would probably have been deprived of the Purple and other dignities, but for the timely LETTER XVIII. 202 death of the Pope 15 59. He survived to die in glory at Rome Bishop of Ostia, 1580. Fosche- rari his friend incurred the same hazard ; and long languished miserably till the same pontiffs death released him. He died at Rome 1564. It must not therefore be marvelled, that while Paul IV. lived, Castelvetro had not the courage to stand his Trial at Rome; and that he deemed his best safety in flight. Annibal Caro was not slow in taking advantage of this event; and with the aid of his protectors caused Castelvetro to be condemned, and excommunicated for contumacy, on the presumption that he was guilty of the charges made against him: and this Sentence was published in the usual form. His Brother, Giovan- Maria, for having kept him company was rigorously cited to Rome under penalty of excommunication, and not having obeyed this Citation, was obliged to become a Wanderer with his Brother, to the great injury of himself and his family, Now Caro had the triumph of seeing his adversary depressed: not indeed by his literary attacts ; but by ill Fortune. How- ever he enjoyed this victory but a few years. Hav- 2 d 203 LETTER XVIII. ing requested of his old Patron Cardinal Farnese to give up to one of his nephews a Commandery of Malta of the rent of 1000 scudi, formerly ob- tained notwithstanding the baseness of his birth through this Cardinal; and being refused this favour, he immediately requested a release from his service. The Cardinal answered bitterly this request; reproached him with his former favours ; undeservedly, as he said, conferred on him; and more especially for having been the occasion of his discountenancing the greatest Literateur of that age; as was attested by Count Jacopo Bos- chetti, a Noble Bolonese, then in the Cardinals Service. By these words the miserable old man was struck to the heart, having lost, besides the hope of accomodating his nephew, the favour of his Patron, whom he had so many years served in the office of Secretary: and thus he died on 28 Nov. 156U * Castelvetro, having fled into Lombardy con- * Caro translated Virgil's JSneid into Italian Verse. The most rare Edition is that of Venice 1581, 4'°. See two son- nets of Caro in Matthias's Componimenti, IV. 144. 145. LETTER XV r III. 204 cealed himself for that winter in a Villa in the Province of Modena; and was at that time kindly received by Count Ercole Contrario in his terri- tory of Vignola, and afterwards secretly in his Palace in Ferrara, a resort then common to all the Literati. But having soon afterwards heard of his condemnation, and of all the severe edicts against the planners, accomplices, and favourers of Heresy, he resolved to yield to his fate, and retire out of Italy with his Brother Giovan-Maria. In the first favourable opening therefore of the year 156l he departed for Chiavenna near the Lake of Como, in the Republic (or Canton) of the Grisons, where he found Francesco Porto, the Greek already mentioned, his old friend, who received him with the greatest kindness. This Territory was but small ; and of little fertility, inhabited by a small population, intent only on traffic and lucre: Castelvetro thefore begun to think of going into France, where he did not want friends, who having heard of his misfor- tunes, invited him thither with large promises. Porto was about to set off to Paris on his own affairs ; when he took upon himself to procure 205 LETTER XVIII. that also of his friend. He set forwards for Lyons ; but passing through Geneva, the Repub- lic of that City applied to him to remain there to read Lectures in the Greek language, which the good Greek accepted : and took up his residence there with his family. The French friends of Castelvetro did not refrain from soliciting him to pass into their country : and sent him money for his journey: but as he began to fall into age; and was subject to a suppression of urine, which caused him great torments, instead of going, he sent his Brother to carry back the money; and to make his excuses, that being prevented by his maladies from visiting them, he could not accept their generous offers. Another motive for not leaving the Territory of Chiavenna was that he found himself in the neighbourhood of Trent where the famous Coun- cil was held: and thence he indulged a hope of finding a way out of the Labyrinth in which he had so long; been involved. In 156l he made vari- ous applications to this venerable assembly, repre- senting the calumnies, which had undeservedly been thrown upon him ; and the Sentence fulmi- LETTER XVIII. 206 nated against him from Rome; what happened the Reader may find in the History of the Coun- cil of Trent * by the celebrated pen of the Car- dinal Sforza Pallavicino, (Liv XV. cap. 10.) All the efforts of Castelvetro, which merited a more kind reception, could gain nothing; and seeing the Council of Trent about to end, he be- gan to lose all hope of recovering his quiet ; and of beholding an end to his misfortunes. For this reason ; or from the increased invitations of the French ; or perhaps from the desire, which he had to find air, food, and wine more favour- able to his debiliated and melancholy Constitu- tion ; he went to Lyons in France ; and there took up his Station. How much time he spent at Lyons is unknown; certainly not a little; for he there composed his Comment on the Poeties of Aristotle. It is beyond doubt, that while Castelvetro was here quietly enjoying his sojourn in this great City, that the Civil Wars broke out between the Catholics and the Hugonots. On this occasion according to custom the houses of the innocent were pillaged ; and among them that of the unhappy Castelvetro. Thus the two * Printed at Rome in 1656, in 2 Vols. Fol. 207 LETTER XVIII. Modenese found themselves most unwillingly in- ' volved in these noisy and dangerous tumults; and had no remedy but in flight. Having with great difficulty, obtained of the Governor the escort of two Halberdiers, who ac- companied them one league out of Lyons; when they travelled in company with other Fugitives for the safety of their persons. But as one mis- fortune never comes alone, armed bravos on the road came on their backs; robbed them; and with difficulty spared their lives. Castelvetro so entirely lost his courage, and his strength, that he could scarcely move his feet; and before he could get out of the danger, it was necessary to travel three miles; and on foot; a thing impos- sible for him. But God did not abandon him in this Strait; for there came on the road a Ferra- rese Gentleman, who, having heard that he had departed from Lyons, recognized him; made two of his Servants dismount from their horses; and put upon them the two Modenese ; and carried them away with him in safety. In his portman- teau Castelvetro had brought with him besides bis apparel, some of his best printed Books that LETTER XVIII. 208 lie could find; and what was worse, his MSS, among which a Grammar on his Native Tongue; a Comment on the greater part of the Dialogues of Plato ; and a Judgement on the Comedies of Plautus and Terence; all written in the Italian language; and of which there only remain a few fragments of his hand, which came into the pos- session of Muratori. The Comments which he had written on the Comedia of Dante, and which he had tried to recompose, were not conducted beyond the XXIX Cap. of the Inferno. At that time his Translation of the New Testament into Italian, was missing; bnt a copy having been luckily left in the hands of a Friend, it was re- covered. Having given a copy of his Comment on the Poeties of Aristotle when just finished to Giro- lamo Arnolfino, Merchant of Lucca, to save it from this tempest, and return it, this faithless man could by no instances be prevailed on to restore it; and this literary labour would proba- bly have been entirely lost; but that luckily ano- ther Copy had been made by him, and sent to Modena some months before. 209 LETTER XVIII. Castelvetro having escaped in this manner from these dangers, went to Geneva, where he was received most kindly by Francesco Porto ; and remained there till he could replace his ap- parel, and replenish his pocket, not turning to his first resting place at Chiavenna, till he had made a sojourn of more than a year. His great- est comfort and restorer in this solitude was the friendship and familiarity, which he formed with Ridolfo Salice a Gentleman of one of the most noble and powerful families of the Grisons ; a Colonel under the Emperor, Maxamilian II, with whom he was a great favourite; and who had shewn him benefits and courtesies in all sorts of offices. Immediately the fame of Castelvetro's know- ledge attracted there many youths desirous to obtain the Greek Letters ; and he consented to give them in private a Lecture on Homer, &c. But his brother Giovan-Maria, having been sent to the Imperial Court at Vienna, brought back the protection of the Emperor, Maximilian : aud the two Brothers thought it better to trans- LETTER XVIII. 210 fer themselves thither, as to a noble port in those hazardous times. Daring his stay at Vienna Ludovico was so kindly received by Maximilian, that having been advised by his friends to publish his Exposition of the Poetics of Aristotle, he determined to de- dicate it to this his most August Protector; and had it printed in that City. Soon after rose a suspicion of the Plague in Vienna, and he, who would not voluntarily be present at this new and dismal Tragedy, judged it better to return to Chiavenna, where he ended his unfortunate life 21 Feb. 157 1 . He passed his youth in the company of the noble, the accomplished, and the lettered; in the exercise of arms, of the lance and the sword ; in dancing and such other toils as keep the body in health. Having moderated his love of study, he returned early to it ; but from that time no longer enjoyed a sound constitution ; and was afterwards tormented with continual maladies. He cared not for the honours, nor riches, nor jjleasures, after which most men so eagerly run ; and though frequently invited by great men into 2 E 21 1 LETTER XVIII. their service he could not bear to be the com- panion of this worldly greatness, from his ab- horence of those chains, which, though they might be of gold, were still chains ! Among these was the Cardinal Bernardino Maffeo, who in- vited him to Rome; that is, to the most frequent- ed Emporium of the best Wits: and Vitellozzo Vitelli, afterwards Cardinal, who had formed a strict intimacy with him at Padua, who said he had learned more from his familiar reasonings, than from all the pompous Lectures of the Pub- lic Readers of the University. He had a great love of changing his climate ; and of travelling, not from the vain curiosity of feeding his eyes with the Material part of Cities; but to profit by the conversation of the Learned, who then flourished in Italy at a distance from his native spot. On his Mother's death he went to Pisa, hav- ing a great desire to know personally Francesco Robortello, who then read Lectures with great celebrity at that University. He afterwards formed so strict an intimacy with him at Venice and at Padua, that Robortello deeply interested LETTER XVIII. 212 himself to assist him against Caro: but he did not accept the offer; though he had great want of subsidiaries in this War. Castelvetro went equally to Florence to seek the acquaintance of Pier Vittorio, or rather Vet- tori, one of the most learned and famous persons, which Italy then had in the science of the Greek and Latin Literature. From Florence he went to Padua, an Univer- sity then abounding in Professors and men of great Literature, into whose friendship he intro- duced himself; and gained great reputation a- mong various Gentlemen, lovers of Letters, who sojourned in that City. Castelvetro was a man of honorable, and ex- cellent habits; and no one received any other than good advice from him. Zealous to serve his friends and relations, he spared no fatigue to help the oppressed, and console the afflicted. Be- sides the lessons, which he gave with so much kindness and courtesy to the youth of his own country, he endeavoured to serve every one who had resort to him; nor was there a dissention ■ 213 LETTER XVIII. among the Citizens, of which the reconcilement was not committed to him. He saw his House always frequented by the most noble and honourable of his countrymen; and himself universally beloved through the whole City. Among the Nobles who especially distinguished him was Count Alessandro Ran- gone, who venerated him as a Father; and visit- ed him every day, while he remained in his Country; and in his exile always sought to assist him in every manner he could. His conversation was always of great profit to those, who were lovers of literature ; and he had the talent of re- lating in the most agreeable manner the adven- tures with which he had become acquainted more especially of the time, during which he had studied at Rome. It was his custom to con- verse in a low voice; and with few words; a habit, which appears in his writings, which a- bound with sense and thoughts, and are marked by that clearness, which is one of the greatest excellencies of style. He was steady in abstemiousness of food, partly from virtue; and partly from his habitual LETTER XVIII. 214 ill health. His dress was simple; and even austere. He never married; and abhorred all sensual luxuries. Persecution and adversity could not shake the fortitude of his mind, so long as he enjoyed liberty; and he sustained exile for fifteen years with intrepidity and patience observ- ing that to a brave man every place was his country. He was naturally irascible; but by reason and virtue moderated this heat; and easily par- doned those who offended him, except in literary disputes, in which, when his adversaries were ob- stinate, he was obstinate also; and the more emi- nent thev were, the more he exerted himself to oppose them. He had disputes with many; but with none so bitter, or so prejudicial to his quiet, as with Annibal Caro. He was accustomed to say, that he did not enter into contests with able men, but to benefit the world by searching out the truth of things : that he was not instigated by any passion : that his study was not from am- bition; nor for his own private benefit; but only for the honourable recreation of his mind ; and to point out to others that which he believed to be true, or the best. 215 LETTER XVIII. Many contend that his genius was peculiarly censorious and critical. It is certain that he could not have arrived at great fame in literature, if he had not discovered the base and the false; and other defects in the writings and conduct of others. But it is necessary to guard against the excess of such studies; as all are liable to faults and errors : and we ought to refrain from search- ing only for that which we may reprehend and oppose in their works, as if all were blind and negligent but ourselves. He certainly was fond of censure, and literary war: and this his natural inclination appears in the features, which the painter has preserved of his countenance; not open, but ruffled and gloomy. Torcjnato Tasso, who praised and esteemed this learned man, yet mentions in one of his Letters, that he found in his Books something peevish and fantastical, which he disliked ; and a certain desire to sink others who came under his hands, which dis- pleased him. Yet it is true, that Castelvetro was not professedly a Cynic, nor properly Satiri- cal and biting; but he was too subtle; and refined too much on the opinions and compositions of LETTER XVIII. 2l6* others ; and sometimes over-argued points in the wish to explain defects. This he was more espe- cially accustomed to do in his greener years. But his judgment encreased with age ; and his sentiments became more just and moderate. Bat he never ceased to be over-acute; and too easy in finding faults, where they did not exist. As he loved to contradict, and to censure, in consequence of that philosophical and pene- trating spirit, which urged him to reflect, and subtilize on every subject, which came before him ; so he was little loved by many ; though not the less venerated, especially in matters of Rhe- toric, poetry, and grammar, in which he was most eminent; and above all, for his singular skill in language. He had also a good know- ledge of Hebrew, having had for a Master a cer- tain Davide Gindeo, a Modenese; a man, who not only possessed this language; bat was a Phi- losopher, and Theologian not to be despised. He had also acquired great skill in the Pro- vencal language ; having had for guide Giovan- Maria Barbieri, a Modenese, who, if he was not the only one, was certainly the most eminent for 217 LETTER XVIII. his knowledge in this Tongue. Associated with him, he translated many Canzons of Arnaldo Daniello, and of many other Provencal Poets; and perhaps to these able men belonged that most precious and very ancient MS. of the Rimes of the Provencals, preserved in the Biblio- theca Estense. They also translated into Italian the Lives of these Poets; and a Provencal Grammar by a good Author ; and other things belonging to this Language, with a view to have them all printed, as they were pressed to by many persons ; and especially by Alessandro Beccadelli, Archbishop of' Ragusa. But from the persecu- tions, which befell Castelvetro; and from other interruptions, the design was dropped; and their labours were dispersed ; which might have been of great use to Giovan-Maria Crescimbeni, and the Canon Antonio Bastero of Barcelona, who in the commencement of the last Century labour- ed not a little at Rome to illustrate this language, and its ancient Poets. * * Nostradamus wrote the Lives of the Provencal Poets in French, in the middle of the XVI th . Century. This was soon after translated into Italian by Gindici, and printed at LETTER XVIII. 218 Unquestionably Castelvetro was without a rival in the knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages. He composed in the first both in prose, and in verse ; and wrote with no ordinary purity and elegance, imitating, as much as pos- sible, the stile of Caesar, and of Cicero; deeming Caesar superior in purity to the other; delighting much in the copiousness and sweetness of Ovid; but still more the sobriety and grandeur of Vir- gil, whom yet he held inferior in invention and other gifts to Homer. But his forte was in Latin poetry; for this he was held in most value by Giovanni Guidic- cioni; Marco Antonio Flaminio; Giraldi the elder; Pigna, and others. Cardinal Bembo also highly commended some of his Latin verses, as the best of that age. Some of his Latin Verses Lyons 1575. 8vo. Crescimbeni made a new Translation with Notes and Additions, Roma, 172*2, 4to. now scarce. Dela Curue St Palaije made great Collections for a History of the Troubadours j and Millet wrote their Lives, Paris 1773, 3 vols. 12mo. from St Palayes MSS. Selections from Troubadour Poetry have been lately pub- lishing at Paris by Renouard, with Notes and Observations Critical and Biographical. 2 f 21*) LETTER XVIII. have seen the light; but the greater part are lost. Castelvetro was also a marvellous Master of the Greek Tongue ; at that time cultivated with so much application by the Italians, and espe- cially the Modenese; and now so much neglect- ed. He composed many Epigrams in this lan- guage, and made many Translations from it. His Translation and Exposition of Aristotle s Poetics printed at Vienna, 15/0; and again at Basil, 1576; and his last Commentary on the Dialogues of Plato were proofs of his skill. By such skill in language and such acuteness of talent, he became almost miraculous in deducing the Etymology of Italian words from the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin ; in which after him the most distinguished were Ferrari, Menagio, and the Abate Anton-Maria Salvini. For this skill in the Greek he was esteemed by the first Literati of his age ; and especially by the famous Harry Stevens, who considered him the first greek Scho- lar of his age, and dedicated to him the Book of Parrasius de rebus per Epistolam qucesitis, which was afterwards reprinted by Gruter in the first LKTTER XVIII. 220 volume of his Thesaurus Criticus. Stevens calls him "the greatest of Critics; and a man the most eminent for his skill in poetry." Castelvetro was also preeminently skilled in the Italian language. To this he gave the great- est study ; and the most continued attention, which it well deserved. The famous Cardinal Sadoleto residing in his Bishopric of Carpentras in France; and with him Paolo Sadoleto, and Antonio Fiordibello, also Modenese, who both became eminent Literati, and Bishops, there fell under the inspection of this famous Prelate, the glory of the Modenese, some Italian Letters of Castelvetro, of Filippo Valentino, and of others of their companions : and it appearing to him that they gave more study to the Italian language than became them, he caused Fiordibello to write a long Latin Argument in dispraise of this Lan- guage, and of its Authors ; and in commendation of the Latin, and of its Authors ; warning his stu- dious fellow-citizens to despise the one, and at- tend to the other. Paolo Sadoleto wrote another Discourse in Italian, intended to prove this lan- guage was only fit for common things; and 221 LETTER XVIII. that the Latin ought to be used in matters of importance; and such as were worthy of remem- brance, These two Arguments were directed to Cas- telvetro, to Valentino, to Giovanni Falloppia, to Alessandro Melano, and to Frances Camo- rana, ingenious men then of this City. Castel- vetro and Valentino retired into the Country ; and with strong reason and much erudition com- posed an Answer, proving that in our times the Italians could write much better in their liv- ing language than in Latin ; an argument happily handled in the XVIII th Century by Antonio Val- Usnieri, a celebrated Physician and Philosopher of the University of Padua, published anony- mously. No reply was made to the Answer of Castel- vetro, and Valentino. In a more vigorous age Castelvetro wrote his Comento sopra le Rime di Fraucesco Petrarca; but to which he did not give his last hand ; and from which he reserved the three First Sonnets, having a controversy on these with Ghdio Cam- Mo Delminio, who had commented on them LETTER XVIII. 222 before him ; which made him desire to labour them with more attention. This Work, which consisted of his private readings in his juvenile studies, was published some years after his death ; being printed at Ba- sil, 1582; but with some defects, which the Au- thor had not removed, not having prepared the Work for publication. In a MS copy, the Au- thor has noted that this Comment was finished on 8th Oct. 1545.* This Edition of 1582 is rare and esteemed. It was reprinted at Venice by Zatta, 1^56, 4 to . * Jllessandro Vellutello, a native of Lucca published Pe- trarch's Rimes with a Commentary. Venice, 1525, 4to.--1528, 4to.--1532, 8vo.-1538, 1552, 1554, 1560, 1568, 1584 4to See Dessade, 1. Pre/. XXXII. Bernardino Daniello, published Petrarch's Rimes, with a Comment, 1549, 4to. Venice. Among the best of the early Lives of Petrarch, was that of Beecadelli, Archbishop of Ragusa, first printed in Tomasi- ni's Pretrarcha Redivivus 1635, 4to. Of this learned Prelate, whose exquisite Portrait adorns the Tribune of the Royal Gal- lery at Florence, See Monumenti di Varia Litteratura Tratti dui Manoscritti di Monsignor Lodovico Beecadelli Jrcivescovo di Ragusa. 3 vols. 4to. Bologna, 1797,-1804. He died 17th Oct. 1572, oet. 71. He was born at Bologna, 29th. Jan, 1501, of a noble and ancient, but decayed family. '223 LETTER XVIII. Within four or five years of this time Cas- telvetro was impelled by his critical genius to write a Volume of Criticism on the Prose del celebre Cardinal Pietro Bembo, where he treated minutely on the Grammar of the Italian lan- guage; sometimes approving, sometimes blaming the examples which he drew from Bembo. He suffered a part of this work to see the light at Modena, in 156'3; but without his name. Other fragments came out appended to the Cor- rections of the Dialogue of Varchi 1572. Other parts, preserved in the Bibliotheca Estense were furnished bv Muratori, and added to the beautiful edition of the Prose of Bembo, Naples, 1714. * The greatest favourites of Castelvetro in the Ita- lian language were Petrarch, and Boccace. He often read over the Novels; and said he always found something new in them. He highly esteemed Dante; and had written *Muratori says, the meaning of the Motto, KEKPICA at the bottom of the title of the answer to Annibal Caro, &c. is ho giudicato: and that the empty Vase is a device to ex- press a person swelled with too high an opinion of himself, but without wisdom, or judgment. LETTER XVIII. 224 a Comment on him, which was lost at Lyons in the shipwreck of his writings. The first Part, containing an Exposition of the Infermo as far as Canto XXIX. This was found among the MSS of Cardinal d' Este ; and was once recovered by Muratori; but lost again. He persuaded the famous Printers, the Gi- unti, to print the vast Latin Comment of Beneve- nuto da Incola upon the Comedia of Dante, having found a good and ancient text in the hands of the Canons of Reggio in Lombardy, and thinking that this work, full of Philosophy, Theology, and History, ought not to perish in darkness. In almost all the works of Literary Elogia of Italy, Castelvetro is highly praised. * It has been already said, that his death hap- pened at Chiavenna, after his return from Vienna. He was looking to the Spring to go to Basil, * See (among others) Glullo Ccesure Capaccio: Elogi. Giovan-Matteo Tbscano-Peplus Italiee. Lorenzo Crasso- Elogi. Gaddi- Scrittori non Ecclesiastici. Teissier Elogi de i Letterati ! 22o LETTER XVIII. whither he had been invited by some Italian friends, when his old complaint of a stoppage of urine returned upon him with greater violence : and in the space of four days he died 21st. Feb. 1571, aet. 66. He was buried there; and a mar- ble Inscription is erected to his memory. * His intellectual character; his learning; his morals ; his person, have been already described. His example may incite to an imitation of his Learning; and of his moral virtues; but not of his literary irratibility: for Literature and Sci- ence should be used to make our lot more happy in this world; not more full of troubles. -f* Alas ! of all bitternesses what is so bitter, as the spirit of Literary Quarrels? To envy, to scorn, to censure, to misrepresent, to dissect, to delight in debasing, what is it but an emanation of the fire of the Infernal Regions ? It breaks the heart of the kind, and the good! It never yet reformed or convinced Stupidity, or Folly ! The *See it in Ghilini, Teatro Degli Uomini Letterati, 1. 147. f Drawn from the Life prefixed by Muratori to Opere vurie Critiche di Lodovko Castelvetro. Milan 1727. 4to. LETTER XVIII. 220* Mob look on with grinning delight : they exult to see Genius and Superior Acquirements hunted into the Gulf of Despair! Then how are these Weapons used as the instruments of Party Per- secution! To exalt the base: to try down the dreaded Rival: to destroy the influence of oppo- site opinions, by destroying the credit of the ve- hicle of them: to "damn with faint praise;" to render ridiculous by drawing attention in pre- tended kindness, to false points : to lay down the erroneous precept, as if in pure impartiality, at a distance from the part, on which it is designed to bear: to borrow all that is good, and dress it up as the Critic's own : to aggravate the bad ; and then load with it in broadest light the shoul- ders of the Author! — is this a state of vigour and health: or of rottenness, disunion, and ap- proaching dissolution ? How happens it, that He, who cannot write a Book himself, no soon- er assumes the pen and the character of a Critic, than he becomes an authority, and an Oracle, from which there is no appeal? Ludovico Antonio Muratori, the honour of Modern, of Italy and of literature, was born 2 G 227 LETTER XVIII. at Vignola in 1672. His education was com- mitted to the Jesuits of Modena. He embraced the Ecclesiastical State ; and theu made theology and morals his particular study ; afterwards Poe- try, Moral Philosophy, and Antiquities had the most attraction for him. He had scarcely at- tained the age of 22, when count Carlo Borromeo committed to him the care of the Ambrosian Li- brary. Rinaldo di Este Duke of Modena re- called him, and appointed him Librarian, and Superintendant of the Archives of the duchy. In this station Muratori passed the remainder of his Life. Here he established a multiplied cor- respondence with all the persons in Europe most remarkable for their knowledge, the celebrated Cardinal Noris, Ciampini, Magliabecchi, Mabil- lon, Montfaucon, Papelbrochio the Jesuit, Maflei, Gori, Cardinal Quirini, and many others too nu- merous to mention. In 17I/, he published the first Part of his Antkhita Estense. He was now busy in pre- paring his two great works, his Antiquities of Italy of the middle ages ; and his grand collec- tion of The Historians of Italy. In his youth LETTER XVIII. 228 he had nothing in his head but the Greek and Roman Antiquities. The magnificent impres- sions of so many examples of illustrious virtue, above all the polish and genius of their authors ; their fabrics, statues, inscriptions, monies, &c. enraptured him. On the contrary the Story of the subsequent ages; their authors, rites, customs; troubles seemed to involve him in perplexities, and barbarities; and to place him among horrid mountains and miserable hovels, in the midst of a fierce people. In a maturer age he repented of having been so dazzled, and resolved to regulate his taste, which could only admire Italy in triumph, and make no allowance for the oppressions of Fo- reign Rulers; and the wounds of raging internal Factions; and remembering that it was his Coun- try, who drew their mingled blood from so many strange invaders, as well as from the Romans, he began to interest himself about the actions and adventures of these Iron Ages. At length he felt persuaded that the study of the Low Ages was for the Learned a sort of traffic more gain- ful, than that of a more hoary Antiquity, because 229 LETTER XVIII. the latter was nearly exhausted, so many of his predecessors having undertaken to illustrate the revival of Letters in Italy; while the literature of the Middle Ages Avas untouched, or obscure, and opened a field for great fame to a Man of Letters. He turned his thoughts therefore to this sort of erudition. His first design was to collect all the History of Italy from the year 500, to the year 1500: to form a Body of all the events of the Barbarous Ages as the principal foundation of the learning of these Times. When he composed his Tract on Good Taste, he had expressed a wish that some other of the Learned would Undertake this Task; he little thought that it would fall to himself; more es- pecially as he had entertained some hopes, that Apostolo Zeno would engage in it. But this laborious, intelligent, and able Author having passed into the Emperors service; and Muratoii despairing that any other would involve himself in so great a toil, resolved to set his shoulders to the work. Immediately he began to collect the Histories LETTER XV in. 230 of Italy, not only such as were printed ; but such as remained in MSS; ransacking various Libra- ries, especially the Ambrosienne, and the Royal Library of the House of Este ( Bibliotheca Es- tensis) as well as those of many private persons, it would be tedious to detail the fatigues and dif- ficulties he thus encountered ; The Princes, and more especiallv the Republics of Italy, being full of jealousy, and fear lest any thing should be di- vulged, to their prejudice; and seeming to think that to permit the transcript and publication of their MSS, was to lose a treasure. But he succeeded in recovering so many Chronicles and Stories not yet published, that they possibly outnumbered those already pub- lished; conferring an high benefit on the Public by this service, by preserving so many precious relics from the danger of destruction, such as had happened to so many others; and thus opening so vast a field for obtaining a knowledge of events, which filled up the interval between the time of the Romans, and the last ages. At the same time he had an opportunity of colla- ting the Histories already published with MS 231 LETTER XVIII. copies. To each of these he took the opportu- nity to prefix Prefaces and short Annotations. He now wanted a place in Italy where he could print so large a mass of Italian Chrono- cles; nor was it less difficult to find one who would incur the enormous expence of putting them to press. But in a short time he was re- lieved from this distress. The Emperor Charles VI, not only took the Edition under his Royal Protection ; bnt granted a place for printing it in the Ducal Palace at Milan ; and the Nobles of this City, animated by their good genius, over- looked the progress of the Printing, and caused a Work so magnificent, beautiful, and correct as rendered it above the envy of the best of other Nations. The first volume of this grand Collection was published in 1J"23 under the title of Rerum Ita- licarum Scriptores; and others to the number of 2/ were published between that year and 1/38. To these he added another in 1751 containing various Chronicles and inedited Works with a part of the Indexes. Another (I believe posthu- mous) was afterwards published, with a general LETTER XVIII. 232 Index of the whole Work. This grand publi- cation had a successful sale, as well within, as beyond Italy; and encouraged the celebrated Benedictine Fathers of St. Maine to undertake their grand Collection of the Scriptores Rerum rrancicarum. The other mode taken by Muratori to illus- trate the erudition of the Middle Ages, was to treat more minutely of Italy in the times of Bar- barism and Ignorance. This sort of erudition could not like that of the Greek and Latin, be collected from the Authors, who lived in those times. Both Greece and the Roman Repub- lic had a great number of Philosophers, Histo- rians, Orators, Epic, Tragic, and Satirical Poets &c. among which skilful research would find the rites and customs of those ages celebrated for sci- ence and the Arts: while Italy, fallen from its splendour, subjected to barbarous Nations, and having lost the taste for Letters, had but a few- books and compositions belonging to these times : and these could supply scarcely any notices to feed the just curiosity of the Learned. The hope of supplying in any degree the 233 LETTER XVIII. want of these lights rested in the ancient Ar- chives, where might be found Diplomas, Wills, Donations, and other similar Acts concerning the rights and customs of those Ages ; and con- taining at the same time great lights for History, and Chronology ; and for knowing the eminent persons of those times both sacred and profane. For this end having occasion to visit the most noted Cathedrals and Monasteries of the various Provinces of Italy to search for notices to form the Genealogy of the house of Este, he suc- ceeded in gathering another Harvest by collect- ing a great number of inedited Documents, Di- plomas of Emperors, Kings, Princes, Founda- tions of Monasteries, Donations, Wills, Bulls of Popes and Bishops, and other like inedited Me- morials of the Dark Ages, which he found well worthy of seeing the light on this account, leaving behind innumerable other parchments of no value which he had inspected; rejecting them as of no aid to literature. It required talents and sagacity possessed by few to distinguish the legitimate ancient monuments from the fabri- cated and the false; and to understand the LETTER XVIII. 234 strange characters in which they were often writ- ten according to the diversity of Provinces ; and to separate those of one age from those of ano- ther. In this respect the otherwise commend- able Italia Sacra of Ughelli was very defective, giving many false characters ; and many most unhappily copied, either through the fault of the Compiler, or of those, who supplied them. Mu- ratori was well-skilled in critical diplomacy; and in the knowledge of Ancient characters, having served a long Noviciate among the Ambrosian MSS; and in the Archives of the house of Este, and of the Cathedral of Modena. Hence he was enabled to enrich Italy with a most ample Collection of ancient Documents ; and these served him to form his great work, his Antiqui- tates Italice Med'd Avi, consisting of 75 Disserta- tions relative to the rites, customs, laws, dignities, Judges, Military, Commerce, Arts, Contracts, and other similar arguments which form an en- tire picture of Italy from the decline of the Ro- man Empire. He had intended to give these Dissertations in the Italian language with a de- sign that they should succeed to the First Part * H 235 LETTER XVIII. of the History of the House of Est 'e; but being obliged by a long illness, which occurred in 1720, he was about to give up his Task, doubting his strength to prosecute so vast a labour. But hav- ing afterwards recovered his former vigour; and having experienced the happy reception of hi^ celebrated Collection of Italian Writers; and these having furnished new matter to increase the number of his Dissertations, he took courage to resume the Compilation; and to make it in- telligible to those born out of Italy, put it into Latin. None of his Works cost Muratori more fatigue than this, as well from the great diversity and obscurity of the subjects treated in it, as from having composed it in two languages. But no other gave greater proof of his vast and profound erudition; of his great judgment in matters of Antiquity Sacred and Profane of the Middle Ages; And no other was more applauded both by Italian, and Foreign Literati. Besides the prodigious quantity of Documents produced to prove his opinions, he inserted many Chroni- cles and Small Pieces not before published, not having come to his hands in time to place them LETTER XVIII. 236 in their proper places in his great Body of Scrip- tores Italic?, so that these Dissertations were to b& considered as an Appendix to this great Collec- tion. The Printing of his 27 large Volumes not having been finished till 1738, The Edition of these Six Volumes in Folio did not appear till 1741 ; when they came out through the same care and expence of the Noble Society of the Palace of Milan. The great Collection of Ancient Inscriptions made by the celebrated Gruter, was always in the highest esteem being admitted by all the In- telligent to contain a noble treasure of Greek and Latin erudition. It occurred to Muratori during his sojourn at Milan to undertake a work, which should embrace things not preserved by Gruter, nor Rainesius, nor Spon, who had first laboured in this field of Learning. But soon af- terwards there appeared the excellent Work and Collection of Rafaelle Fabretti:* he therefore desisted from this task, because Fabretti had pub- lished no small part of the same marbles as he had * lnscrptionum Antiquarum explicatio, Roma, 1669 Vol, He died at Rome, 1700, oet. 81. 23^ LETTER XVIII. collected. He afterwards resumed this design, -when he had finished his Dissertations: and re- solved to add another copious Collection of In- scriptions, in great part inedited, drawn from mss, and communicated by his friends ; and in part collected from Books and Histories already pub- lished; but which were not in the works already mentioned. Four large Volumes in Folio com- pose this Work; of which the First saw the light in 1739; ana " others in the following years from the Press of Milan, with this title: Novus The- saurus Veterum Inscriptionum. After the Pre- face prefixed by Muratori to the First Volume, succeed some Dissertations of the learned Baron Joseph de Bimard, Baron de la Bastia, * by whose death a few years before that of Muratori, a powerful associate of the Royal Academy of Inscriptions at Paris was lost. To render this great Treasure of Inscriptions more useful the * De Bimard was of the Ancient Noblesse of Dauphine, born at Carpentras 6 June. 1/03, and died 5 or 6 Aug. 1742. In 1740 he communicated to the Academy of Inscriptions at Paris, a Memoir of the Life of Petrarch. See De-Sade y s cha- racter of this Life, Memoires-Vrct. 1. p. LVIII. LETTER XVIII. 23S Compiler added Notes, and necessary Indexes, to be found in the last Volume. These three grand Works would probably have occupied the whole Life of any other Lite- rateur, so as to preclude his application to any other studies: but our Author had no need of so much time. Besides these, he brought forth many other productions of his ingenuity. The limits of the Letter which contains this Memoir, will not allow me to particularize all these mi- nor labours of Muratori. At the desire of Filippo Argelati, the learn- ed compiler of the Bibliotheca Scriptorum Me- diolanensium, he compiled a Life of Lodovico Castelvetro, to be prefixed to an Edition of his Inedited Pieces, 1727. This Life was reprinted in the beautiful Edition delle Rime del Petrarca col Comento di Castelvetro, Printed at Venice, 1756. At the desire of Argelati also he wrote a Life in Latin of the Learned Modenese, Carlo Sigo- nio to be prefixed to a magnificent Edition of all his Works, which issued from the press of Mi- lan in 1732. 239 LETTER XVIII. In 1/35, he published an edition of the Rimes and other Works of his Friend the Mar- chese Gian-Giuseppe Orsi, a Noble and Literary Bolonese, who died 1733. Bartolomeo Soliano, a Bookseller at Modena being desirous to give a sumptuous re-impression of the Heroi Comic Poem, the Secchia Rapita by Alessandro Tassoni, Muratori, at his desire, wrote a Life of his renowned fellow-Citizen, to be placed before that Edition. Our author hav- ing afterwards collected more Notices, to enrich the Life, rewrote it, and Soliani reprinted it twice in 1/44; once in 4to. and once in a less form. In 1743 appeared the Works of the celebrat- ed Modenese Physician, Francesco Forti : and prefixed to them, a Life in Latin by Muratori. The Inscription on his Tomb in the Church of St. Agostino was by the same Author. Muratori also wrote a short Latin Compen- dium of the Life of his Patron Rinaldo I. Duke of Modena; which was afterwards augmented by Lami, and reprinted in his Memorabilia Ita- lorum, 1"42, 8vo. In 1735, appeared a long Letter from the pen LETTER XVIII. 240 of Muratori, addressed to Apostolo Zeno, in which he discusses the motives by which Duke Alfonso II. was actuated, to confine Tasso in the Hospital of St. Anna of Ferrara. This Epis- tle was prefixed to many inedited Letters of this celebrated Poet, collected by Muratori, and to be found in vol. 10, of the Works of Tasso, printed at Venice in 1739- In 1740 Muratori published Part II delle An- tichita Estensi. This volume, which issued from the Press of Modena, contains the actions of the Princes of Este from 1215 to 1739. The great knowledge, which Muratori had of the Ancient facts of the Italian History induced many Literati to prompt him to compile the Ci- vil Annals of Italy. He applied himself to this work in 1740; and conducted it down to the year 1500. It was published in nine volumes in 4to. 1744 from the press of Venice; but with the date of Milan; and from thence was translated into German, and printed at Leipsic. Being af- terwards requested to continue the annals to his own times he complied, and brought them down to 1749 in three volumes. Another Edition ap- 241 LETTER XVIII. peared at Rome in XII. volumes, divided into XXIV. Parts, 8vo. with a Critical Preface by P. Gniseppe Catalan i : and another at Naples in XII. vols. 4to. and at Venice, with the date of Milan, in XVII. vols. 8vo. comprising a volume of Indexes. The works already mentioned have been prin- cipally Historical, or Biographical. As early as 1'06 he published from the Modena Press in 2 volumes 4to. his Tract Delia Perfetta Poesia Italiana, a Avork which cost much study and me- ditation ; and which was generally well received ; though it was not without opposers. He had designed to entitle it Riforma delta Poesia Ita- liana: but some of his friends thought that the word Reform would offend some of the Poets of his Time. It was reprinted at Venice with the Notes and observations of Abate Anton Maria Salvini, 1724. In 1711 Mnratori gave an edition delle Rime di Francesco Petrarca, colle Considerazioni di Alessandroni Tassoni, e di Girolamo Muzio, to which he added his own, with a Compendium of the Life of this great Poet: 4to. reprinted at LETTER XVIII. 242 Venice, 1727; 4to. and again at Venice, 1741. The most powerful opposition which Mura- tori incurred to the criticisms of his Perfect Ita- lian Poetry was made to his censure of the three celebrated Canzoni of Petrarch. These are en- titled Canzoni sopra gli occhi di Madonna Laura dette le tre So re He. The first begins " Perche la Vita e breve;" And consist of 7 Stanzas of 15 lines each. The Second begins " Gentil mia Donna, io veggio." And consists of 5 Stanzas. The Third begins, " Perche per mio destino" And consists of 6 Stanzas. The Answer is entitled Difesa delle Tre Can- zoni degli Occhi e di alcuni Sonetti, e vari Passi delle Rime di Frncesco Petrarca; dalle Opposi- zione del Signor Lodovico Autonio Muratori Compost a da Gio: Bartohmmeo Casaregi, Gio: Tommaso Canevari, e Antonio Tommasi chierico Regolare delta Madre di Dio Pastori Arcadi. In Lucca 1709, per Pellegniro Fredian'r 8vo. pp. 3 1 1 . 2 1 243 LETTER XV III. Muratori's Life of Petrarch is now generally agreed to be one of the least exact and least happy of all his publications. Abbe De Sade criticises it very severely, (See Memoir es, Pre- face I. p. II LVI.) The only excuse he admits for its errors, is, that it was done for recreation at his villa in the Country, removed from Public Libraries. * Whoever knew Muratori in his youth would not have believed that he could have been long- lived, his form was so slender and his looks so unfavourable. And especially when they saw him in his tender age apply so indefatigably to study, which, as experience proves, when taken without moderation, is more prejudicial to the health, than any other great fatigue of the body. To the marvel of all he enjoyed a long life of health ; and reached his 78th year. He suffered only one great attack of sickness; which was in 1720. In the Autumn oT 1746, and 1747, he * Yet Madam de Genlis in her late Romance of Petrarque et Laure cites it, ( in spite of De Sade's criticisms lying before her' or which she pretends to be lying before her, ) as one of the best and most exact Lives of this Superlative Poet. LETTER XVIII. 244 was attacked by a Tertian Fever. In the Au- tumn of 1/48, and Winter of 17 4 9, he suffered under a great weakness of the Knees; with pain and swelling. He still enjoyed a great part of his intellect ; though the health of his body was fallen into a rapid decay. The Physicians pre- scribed to him the Broth of Vipers. The month of May, and great part of June was singularly cold in that year: which made it more necessary to be cautious in the use of this remedy: but he, who had distributed his hours for study, abhor- ring idleness beyond any thing, could not be per- suaded to go to bed to promote the perspiration, after having taken the broth; nor to remain in the House, which the unusual fall of rain this year rendered necessary. But every day, as long as he could mount the Stairs, he would go at his accustomed hour to the Ducal Library. His strength continued to diminish with the loss of his appetite, and the humour in his knees rose to his arms and hands ; with great pain, especi- ally in the right, so that for some months he was unable to use the pen ; which prevented his put- ting an end to his Translation into Italian of his 245 LETTER XVIII. Dissertations on the Antiquities of Italy in the Middle Ages. In the month of August he fell of nights, into profuse perspirations ; and no reme- dies availed; but in September the air revived him; he partly recovered his appetite; and the strength of his hand sufficiently to write. But this amendment was of short duration; scarce a month had passed, when new symptoms of dis- ease, the forerunners of his fate appeared. The first days of November were ushered in by clouds, and South-East- Winds. He began to lose his taste in food; his debility grew worse; a vertigo attacked him; and mists before his eyes, so that he could no longer leave the house. These new disorders were the warnings to prepare for his great passage to Eternity. He was desirous now to give an account of his Soul to his God; and to make his Confes- sion on the 25th of this month. The sentiments of Christian piety he displayed drew tears from the eyes of his Confessor, Dr. Antonio Gardani. He admired the sublime entrepidity, with which he beheld the death, that he saw was not far dis- tant. In this state he continued till the 27th LETTER XVIII. 2 l6 when he became totally blind; and was led to his bed by the hand: but having reposed a little while, he recovered his sight, and not knowing what had happened, placed himself at the Table to finish his Italian Compendium of his Disserta- tions, which wanted only the end of the LXIX th . and the subsequent ones, to finish it. Blisters were now applied to his arm, to draw the humour from his head. They did not produce the expected result. He experienced contractions in his arm, and right hand, which continued some days; and were followed by a fever of great violence. It was now thought ne- cessary to administer the Mass, which he received with extraordinary devotion after dinner on 31st. December. On the following day, the first of the year 17^0, extreme Unction was administer- ed: and his disorders increasing from day to day, accompanied with extreme pain in his whole body; and a total loss of strength and pulse, not without some wanderings of his senses as the fe- ver increased, his Confessor was again called in. But the term of his life was not yet arrived. He began to revive; and after three days, to every 047 LETTER XVIII. one's astonishment the fever left him, He re- covered his strength so far as to write two Let- ters of the 15th. and 20th Jan. 1750. His friends began to flatter themselves, that he mis;ht recover from these infirmities ; and even live to dictate other Works. But on the 23rd. of this month, at midnight, he was attacked by a sudden pain of the heart, which he thought to be nothing but flatulency. When it ceased he again fell into a tranquil sleep: but this was only a truce: the mine was prepared: the spasm re- turned; and he breathed no more. He was aged 21 years, 3 months, and 2 days; having been born on Oct. 21 1672. His stature was of the common size; but square, and inclining to fat. He had a long face; with a good colour; a large nose: a high and spacious forehead; and blue eyes. His countenance had an air of sweet- ness, not unmixed with gravity, which conciliated the affection and veneration of whoever beheld him. In his face might be read the candour of his soul; in his conversation and his manner a religious sincerity ; and an incomparable mo- desty. He was affable, and courteous to all ; and LETTER XVIII. 248 lively in conversation; delighting to see others and especially the young, innocently merry. To a singular simplicity of manners he joined admi- rable sense; and a rare prudence, of which he gave multiplied proofs, principally in finding means to compose the dissensions of others; in which he frequently employed himself; often by the order of his Sovereign; and was always suc- cessful. No place was found in his mind for pride, os- tentation, envy, hatred; nor scorn of others; but he was full of humility, sweetness, benevolence, and esteem towards all. In short, he had the virtues, but not the defects, commonly observed in Men of Letters. Of these defects he had at one time had the design to treat; and had even put his hand to the work: but he did not prose- cute the task, fearing that it might seem too much like a Satire. By the death of Muratori, the City of Mo- dena lost its grand Ornament; and all Italy, the man most distinguished for his Literature. Sure- ly none among the Literati of his day equalled him, if we compare the number of his Books; all 24J) LETTER XVIII. useful to Letters; to the State; or to the Church. His knowledge was universal; and with the ex- ception of Mathematics, to which he had not applied, he was profoundly skilled in all other Sciences; on whatever subject he exercised his pen, he treated it with nicety of judgment, with erudition, with fine taste ; and in a good stile, as well in Italian, as in Latin ; and as if he spoke in his own tongue, which it is not easy to imitate. To all this he added a great love of truth, which he spared no pains to discover, and had the courage always to communicate. As he had no end in writing, but to be useful to others, so he studied in the choice of his Arguments always to select those, which would best answer this purpose. Besides the Latin language, he was w r ell ver- sed in the Greek; and he had also a sufficient tincture of the Hebrew idiom, to draw from the Lexicons the force of each word according to the occasion. He possessed perfectly the French and Spanish languages; and after his 50th year be- gan to learn English ; but he did not pursue it, when he came to observe that there were Trans- lations of the best Books of that Learned Nation. LETTER XVIII. 250 In his youth he loved Poetry, and always es- teemed all Poets but the mediocre. He could make good verses, as well in Latin, as in Italian, and some were printed in the Collections of Gobbi, Crescimbeni; and in that of Lucca; as well as in the Life of Maggi, written by him. In his old age, at the instance of some Neapolitan Nobles, who had a great veneration for his name, he composed four Sonnets on the immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin, in 1743, 1744, 1745, 1746. His discernment was excellent in distinguishing the beautiful from the deformed; and especially in poetry ; of which he gave strik- ing proofs in his Perfetta Poesia; and in his observations on the Rimes of Petrarch. These studies procured him the friendship of the most celebrated Poets of his time ; viz. of Carlo Maria Maggi ; of Francesco de Lemene ; of Anton-Ma- ria Salvini ; of P, Tommaso Ceva of the Society of Jesus ; of Alessandro Guidi; of Eustachio Manfredi; of Pier Jacopo Martelli; ofVincenzo da Filicaia ; and of Apostolo Zeno ; &c. In Philosophy he shewed his proficiency by his little Tracts On the Force of the Human 2 K 251 LETTER XVIII. Understanding; and On the Force of the Human Fancy ; and also by his Moral Philosophy. In Civil Law he proved his skill by his Difetti delta Giurlsprudenza. In Medicine he published his Governo delta Peste, which is much praised. In Theology he published several Tracts, which are evidence of his proficiency. To comprehend how eminent he was in His- tory, in Diplomacy, in Lapidary Antiquities, and how great was his erudition Sacred and Profane, we must cast our eyes upon his Anecdotes Greek and Latin ; upon the Prefaces and Notes inserted in his celebrated Collection Rerum Italicarum ; and in his Dissertations on the Italian Antiqui- ties of the Middle Ages ; and his Antiquities of the House of Este ; his Annals of Italy ; and his Thesaurus of Ancient Inscriptions. No one has certainly done more to illustrate the affairs of Italy; and the erudition of the Middle Ages; and no one has laboured more to introduce good taste into the Arts and Sciences ; having not only given the precepts in his Book on Good Taste; but furnished examples in all his own compo- sitions. LETTER XVIII. 252 He was most skilful in the Art of Criticism ; and all his Tracts afford light to those who have a genius for Letters, by dispersing prejudices, and teaching a method in their studies. Muratori was held in high esteem by the greatest personages of his age ; by the Popes, the Emperor, the King of England, the King of Sardinia; the two Dukes of Modena, whom he served as Librarian &c. And through all Italy, France, Germany, Holland, and England, his name enjoyed a singular reputation. How he could economize his time so as to perform such gigantic literary labours, has been minutely related by his relation and Biographer Gian- Francesco- Soli Muratori, who wrote his Life published at Naples 17^8, 4to. from whence this Account is extracted. See also Lami-Me- morabilia Italorum eruditione pra?stantium, Flo- rence, 1742, 8vo. I. 208. If this Life is deemed to fill too large a space in the present Letters, let it be recollected that it is the Memoir of one, who, at least in point of the value and extent of his materials is the great- est name among the Historical Antiquaries, if 253 LETTER XVIII. not among the Historical Writers of Europe. His publications by themselves form an in- exhaustible Library: and to have passed Modena without a notice, or with only a brief notice of Him, would have been a sort of neglect which my predominant Love of Literary history would have made me ashamed of. I enter into no rivalry with Guides, and Itineraries. I leave Lists and Descriptions of Buildings and Pictures; and Narratives of Road Adventures to others. I go, in search of Remi- niscences of the Past; to behold the spots that have been consecrated by the departed Great. To call up each illustrious Hero's shade : In sombre groves, and aweful aisles to tread, By Godlike Poets venerable made ! On the death of Muratori the Duke of Mo- dena oifered the situation of Librarian to Pro- fessor Corsini of Pisa: but he declined it; and this office was conferred on Francescantonio Zaccaria, a celebrated Jesuit. Of this author we have, among other works, Ribliothcca Pisto- riensis a Francisco Antonio Zacharia, Societafis LETTER XVIII. 25 I Jesu Presbytero. Augustae Taurinorum 1/52 4to. 2. Francisci Antonii Zacharice Societatis Jesu Excursus Liter arii per Italiam ab anno 1742 ud annum 1752 Venetiis, 1754. Ato. He also appears to have been the anonymous Editor of Storia Literaria d' Italia, commenc- ing from Sept. 1748, vol 1. Venice, 1750. Vol. 5. Modena 175- vol. 14. Modena, 1759, 8vo. Fol- lowed by Annali Letterari d' Italia, vol. 1. Mo- dena 1762. vol. 2. same year and place, 8vo. He was a Venetion : and reported at one time to have been removed from his Office, and exiled by the Duke of Modena; which he denies. See Storia Letter aria d' Italia 1755. vol. XIV. p. 403. See also Lami; Novelle Liter arie 1751. Tom. XII. p. 676. Giovanni Granelli, a learned Jesuit, died Li- brarian here 3 March, 1770, aged 6j, and was succeeded by the celebrated Tiraboschi. Gru- nelli was the author of many works in Divinity History, Criticism, and Poetry. Abate Girolamo Tiraboschi was born at Bergamo 18 Dec. 1731. At the termination of his education, he found himself so impressed with 2.55 LETTER XVIII. the love of a retired life, and of profound study, that he determined to embrace the institution of the Jesuits, from whom he had received his first instructions ; and for this purpose went to Ge- noa, where he was admitted 25 th Oct. 1746. Having fulfilled the hopes of his Noviciate, and gone through the studies of philosophy, and rhe- toric with great praise for wisdom and talent, he was destined to the care of the Grammatical de- partment in the University of Brera at Milan, 1755; when totally occupied by the desire of being of use to his pupils he published the Voca- bolario Italiano e Latino of P. Mandosio his as- sociate, re-formed, and judiciously corrected with a perfect knowledge of both the languages. Being at this time assigned as an assistant to an able Librarian of this College, with his guidance, and with the precious stores of this famous Library, he began to collect matter for the works, which he meditated. Inclined as he was by genius to polite literature, and known as he was to his Su- periors for his good taste, and his rare ability in such studies, he was destined to the Professorship of Eloquence in this University. His Orations LETTER XVIII. 256 recited publicly at Milan, and especially his Ve- tera Humiliatorum Monument a , ( Mediolani , 1766, 3 vols 4to. ) recommended him to the es- teem of all the Learned; and especially to the enlightened Ministers of this Imperial Govern- ment, and above all, to Count Firmian, a great Mecenas, and promoter of every useful and sci- entific establishment. His fame therefore resting on the real merit of a sage critic, an indefatigable researcher, and a Literateur of deep erudition, upon the vacancy of the office of Librarian to the Duke of Modena, by the death of P. Gra- nelli, 3d May 1,"70, tms place was, through the medium of Count Firmian, offered to Tiraboschi. He was at first unwilling to undertake this Duty, through a diffidence of his sufficiency. But at length by the persuasion of his friends, he ac- cepted it: and passing to Modena in June 177°> on 21st of that month he took possession of this most ample and well chosen Library. He now applied himself to attain a know- ledge of the most important riches and rarities of this Library; and in a short time acquired a complete intelligence of them. 257 LETTER XVIII. He had cherished a desire in his younger years to confer new honours on Italy, and to de- fend it at the same time against the envy of many Foreigners, who pretended to have a right to a great part of its Authors, or had endeavour- ed to obscure their merit, or had impudently ar- rogated their inventions to themselves, by under- taking to write the General History of Italian Literature bringing it down from the earliest times to the end of the XVII th . Century. There existed indeed many Books relative to this subject: but none offered an exact account of the origin, progress, decay, revival; in short, of all the vicissitudes which Letters and the Arts had encountered in these countries. " Ch' Appennia parte, e' I mar circonda e V Alpe." The only sketch, which existed of the Gene- ral History of Italian literature was Idea delict Storia deir Italia Letterata of Giacinto Gimma, a celebrated Literateur, a native of Bari, printed at Naples, 1723, 2 vols. 4to. To such a work was wanting the rare union of immense reading with a critical taste, and to infinite abundance LETTER XVIII. 258 the addition of a sage discernment. The glory of compiling a Work so vast, so laborious, so learned, was reserved for Tiraboschi. # As to particular portions of Italian Literature, Crescimbeni had given Storia della Poesia Ita- liana Venice, 1731, 7 v0 ^ s - 4to.~\- From 1739, to 1752 appeared at Bologna, or Milan in 7 vols, thick Quarto, Della Storia e della Ragione d" Ogni, Poesia di Francesco Sa- verio Quadrio della Compagnia di Gesu." J * Gimma's Work is dated from Bari, which is on the con- fines of the Gulph of Venice, 17 of July 1723. — It consists of two small 4to. volumes : vol. 1. pp. 408. vol. 2. pp. 504. (together 912.) f He published at Rome 1698, in one small vol. 4to. L' Istoria della Volgar Poesia: (the foundation, I presume, of the larger work. ) Mr Mathias has reprinted at London Commentari intorno all' Istoria della Poesia Italiana scritta da Gio: Mario Cres- cimbeni., 3 vols. Crescimbeni was born, 1663, and died 1728, aet. 64. X Quadrio was born in the Valtcline 1695, and died 21 Nov. 1756, aged 61, leaving a great reputation for his multifarious learning. He first published Della Poesia Italiana, under the name of Giuseppe Andrucci, Venice, 1734, 4to. Crescimbeni having written at a time when Criticism had 2 L 259 LETTER XVIII. To this magnificent undertaking Tiraboschi put his hand in 17/0. He succeeded in com- pleting this vast labour in eleven years, having in that time brought it to an happy end in 12 large quarto volumes. * This he accomplished by the prompt penetration of his talents, by his rare nicety in criticism, by the marvellous faci- lity of his flowing pen, by his grand stores of knowledge of matter and authors, and finally by the riches with which this superb and useful Li- brary supplied him. This work, which by the elegance and lumi- nousness of a pure and natural stile, never tedious and monotonous (always free from the contagion of a Foreign idiom and foreign words ; ) by the extent of its erudition; by its profound and dili- made but little progress, Quadrio much improved upon him : and tho' Tiraboschi corrected many errors, into which he also had fallen, and confuted many opinions, by means of a still more enlightened criticism, and far more copious knowledge, yet Quadrio's work proves great erudition united to indefati- gable industry. * An Edition was published at Florence by Molini in 1813 in 9 thickly printed 8vo. volumes divided into 20 Parts. The 9th vol. is entirely fdled by a most ample Index. LETTER XVIII. 26'0 gent researches, by its sensible and modest judg- ments in every sort of literature; by its philo- sophical spirit, moderated always by the clear- est reason; and by the pure religion which it breathes, immediately obtained the admiration and praises of all the Learned of Europe, pro- cured to the author with great justice the appel- lation of The Father of Italian Literature. Yet Pignotti in his Storia Toscana (IV. 187 -J speaks of him, as "Tiraboschi, uomo dottissimo, ma dotato piu d' erudizione che di fino gusto." Pignotti was a Poet, perhaps a little too much inclined to censorionsness, who demanded a finer taste, than is possible in combination with such toilsome and never-ending researches. After all, the great faculty exercised in this department is memory: but to bring the taste, however natu- rally exquisite, to its highest sensibility, requires incessant practice and skill in the nicest distinc- tions, in patient investigation, in original think- ing, in long and repeated excursions amid the airy and ever-changing Castles of the Air, which leave little time for the labour of compilation, for the wearisome collections of the memory; 26 1 LETTER XVIII. for nice examinations of references and dates; for a digest of conflicting authorities. The late Thomas Wharton was perhaps almost the only Author, who united these contradictions: and let Censurers say what they will, he has wonder- fully united them in his History of English Poe- try, a work, of which the merits are not yet sufficiently appreciated! But if the praise given to Tiraboschi, be taken relatively, it is true! Compared with his Prede- cessors, he has exhibited an elegant taste; and a philosophical, and just spirit of Criticism. Tiraboschi composed and published numer- ous other Works; most of them of permanent value, which it is surprizing how he could find time for; as he was beset by the visits of his friends; and had a long and reputed corres- pondence with a large portion of the most cele- brated Literati of his day. Method and regula- rity were the means, by which he was carried successfully through these extraordinary labours. All these merits prompted Hercules III, the reigning Duke of Modena to confer on Tirabos- chi the title of Cavaliere; and of his Counsellor, LETTER XVIII. 26*2 at the same time he had a diploma of Modenese nobility, with its rank, and privileges. The most distinguished Academies of Italy enrolled him amongst its Members; and the most cele- brated Literati of Europe loaded him with Eu- logies. The goodness of his heart, and his practical virtues did not yield to his scientific and literary merits. He was sociable, docile, modest, tran- quil, beneficent, grateful, humane, religious. The love of Truth, the honour of the Church, of Rome, of Italy, always regulated his pen, and his studies. He only ceased to write, in ceas- ing to live. While he was intent on printing the 4th volume of the Mentor ie Storiche Mode- nese, * to be followed by the 5th just commenced, * Memorie Storiche Modenesi col Codice Diplomato illus- trate con Note. Modena 1793, 3 vols 4to. A 4th vol. (pos- thumous) was published 1794, It contains the Series of the Bishops of Modena, and Reggio ; and ample Genealogical Notices of the Family of Pichi of Mirandola. A 5th. vol. was expected. Tiraboschi also published earlier, Biblioteca Modenese, o Notizie delta Vita e delle opere degli Scrittori natii degli State del serenissimo Duca di Modena. Modena 1/81 1786. 6 vols 26*3 LETTER XVIII. lie fell ill of a most violent attack of the piles, attended bv other mortal disorders. Advised of his great danger, he made the proper dispositions of his worldly affairs ; and with a display of sound devotion, placidly breathed his last, five days after the attack, on 3d of June 17,94, aged 62 years, 5 months, and 6 davs. Among other things, Tiraboschi edited the following Work of Barbieri, already mentioned in the Memoir of Castelvetro. DelV origine dellu Poesia rimata, Opera di Gimbatista Barbi- eri Modenese, publicata per la prima volta e con annotazioni it llust rat a, Modena, 1790. -j~ Among the most learned men of Modena, I 4to. The Gth vol. contains Additions and Corrections 3 and also Notizie de' Pittori, scultori incisori e Architetti natii de medisimi Stati, con una Appendice de' professori di musica. This voluminous work, written with his accustomed ele- gance, and full of laborious research, shews that in every kind of serious and pleasing literature, as well as in the Arts, Modena has nothing to fear by a comparison with the greater part of the Provinces of Italy. f Tiraboschi has several articles in Nuovo Giornale dei Let- terati d' Italia, commenced in Modena, 1773, and carried on, till 1790. LETTER XVIII. 26*4 ought not to have omitted Carlo Sigonio, horn at Modena, of an honourable family in 1520. He was destined by his Father to the study of Medicine: but his genius led him to literature. He was a Professor at Padua ; and obtained a pension from the Republic of Venice. He died in his own Country 28th Aug. 1584, at the age of 64. He had a difficulty in speaking; but he wrote well; and his Latinity was very pure. His spirit was full of moderation. He refused the service of Stephen, King of Poland, He would not marry ; and when asked the reason, answered: Minerva e Venere non hanno mat po- tato vivere insieme. He has left many great Works, collected at Milan 1732, 1733, in 6 vols Fol. with a Life of the Author, written by Mu- ratori. The principal of these, are 1. De Repnblica Hebrceoram. 2. De Republica Atheniensium Libri IV. 3. Historia de Occidents Imperio. 4. De Regno Italia? Libri XX de anno 679, ad annum 1300. 5. Stor^ia Ecclesiastica, printed at Milan, 1734 2 vols. 4to. 265 LETTER XIX. 33ufce0 of ittotiena, of t&c fJ^ouge of i&t. «T#-*^^#-^* •*+••+*•-*+ "-**-** *r^+*t ** ** Naples, 22 d July 1820. iVlODENA, with Reggio and Ferrara, Avas long possessed by the Marquises of Tuscany, till the death of Mathilda, the grand Countess, when they were disputed by the Popes and the Empe- rors; and thence took occasion to emancipate themselves, like the greater part of the Cities of Italy, by means of the troubles, which these two Powers excited against each other. Borso, natural son of Lionel d' Est, Prince of Ferrara, (who died 1450) was created by the Emperor Duke of Modena and Reggio 18th May 1452. The origin and history of the House of Est LETTER XIX. 266 lias been laboriously written by Pigna, Mura- tori, Leibnity, Gibbon, and others. They are descended from Boniface I. Marquis of Tuscany, 828. Genealogists are not exactly agreed as to the particular generation from which they branched off. Leibnity and Gibbon think that looniface, younger son of Adalbert 1. Marquis of Tuscany, (who was son of Boniface I.) was their ancestor; (and not Qui, his nephew, as commonly supposed. ) Gni appears to have been father of Albert III. Marquis of Tuscany. Boniface II. Marquis of Tuscany, (of the el- der line) married Beatrix, daughter of Frederic, Duke of High Lorraine, and died 7 th May 1052. His son Frederic died young ; and left the inhe- ritance to his sister. This was the Countess celebrated in History, called Matilda, the Grand. Pignotti in his Storia di Toscana -j- makes * Historia de Principi di Este di Gio. Bait. Pigna, a Donno Alfonso Secondo, Duci di Ferrara. In Ferrara 1750: Fol. (a rare Book.) fMuratori Delle Antichita Estense. Modena, 1717, 2 vols Fol. Pisa, 1815, 10 vols. 12mo. 2 M 2^7 LETTER XIX. two Bonifaces in succession before Adalbert I. and thus speaks of this House. "Lasciando nell' oblio quei, dei quali si cognosce poco piu che il nome, la di cui serie, sempre incerta, esertita le inutile richerche de' futicosi eruditi, daremo noi un splendido principio a questa specie di governo coi nomi di Bonifacio, ed Adalberto, che formano le stipite, onde derivano due dellc piu illustri famiglie d' Europa, la Casa d' Este, e quella di Brunswick. II favore accordata dalla prima agli uomini di lettere ha ricevuto la piu fortu- nata rieompensa nell' immortalita, che le hanno data due dei cinque, o sei capi d' opera che 1' ingegno umano ab- biain Europa saputo finora produrre, V Orlando Furioso, e la Gerusalemme Liberata. La Seconda famiglia, dopo varie splendide vicende e stabilita sul trono d' una dellc nazioni piu potente. Sogliono per lo piu i genealogici alberi, che la vanita ostenta agli occhi del publico, co- minciare da un uomo illustre, al disopra de quale manca la chiarezza della sorgente: cio non e vero di Bonifazio: discendeva da una famiglia padrona degli ampi domini della Baviera e della Sassonia, i di cui limit i nell antica geografia si estendevano assai piu de Moderni." &c. (vol 11. p. c;. Boniface, younger son of Adalbert I. was living in 884. His son Obert I. Marquis of Italy, and Count of the Sacred Palace, 931— 97 1. was father of LETTER XIX. 20*8 Obert II. Marquis of Italy who lived 994^ 1014, and left Albert- Azzo I. Marquis of Italy, bis son and heir, who was father of Albert Azzo II. Marquis of Italy, Count of Lunigiana, and Prince, or Seigneur of Est and of llovigo. He died 1097, By his two wives he was ancestor of the German Branch of Bruns- wick; and the Italian Branch of Ferrara and Modena. His Jirst wife was Cunegonde a Princess of the House of Gitelf'e: whence comes the Ger- man Branch. His second wife was Gersende dau enter of Herbert, EvcWe-Chien, Comte du Maine, by whom he had Foulke I. Marquis of Italy, Prince of Est, Rovigo, &c, who died in lKib". His son, Obizzo i. Marquis of Est died in 1194, leaving his son and heir Azzo VI; Marquis of Est and Ancona, Prince of Ferrara. He acquired great autho- rity, and also obtained the Seigniory of Padua. In 1205, he drove Salinguerra de Torrelli from 269 LETTER XIX. Ferrara. In 1209 he accompanied Otto, King of the Romans, to receive the Imperial Crown at Rome. But was mortified to see this Prince shew more favour to his rival Salinguerra. Be- fore this epoch Pope Innocent III. had confer- red on him the Marquisate of Ancona: the Em- peror, to strengthen these rights, now conferred on him the same dignity, in defiance of the oath he had given on receiving the Imperial Crown, to restore to the Holy See the lands of the Coun- tess Matilda, of which this formed a part. In 1210, the Pope having declared Otto under for- feit of his Empire, Azzolin abandoned his party to take that of his competitor Frederic II. Avhom Innocent patronized. But he died in Nov. 1212, leaving by his first Wife Leonore, daughter of Thomas, Comte de Savoy, Aldrovandin I. his son and heir, who suc- ceeded him in the Marquisate of Est, and of the March of Ancona. Salinguerra gained back part of the power in Ferrara from him. On this ac- count he entered into a league with the Parme- sans, the Mantuans, and the Modenese against this enemy. At the desire of the Pope he took LETTER XIX. 2/0 arms to recover the March of Ancona of which the Marquises of Celano, partisans of Otto IV. had wrested a great part from him. He died of poison 1215, leaving; only a daughter Beatrix, married to Andre II. Kins: of Hunsrarv. He was succeeded by his half brother Azzo VII. (whose mother was Adelaide, daughter of Renaud de Chatillon, Prince of An- tioch.) He was obliged to give up almost all the authority of Ferrara to Salinguerra. After several alternations of success ; of taking, and retaking; Azzo made Salinguerra a prisoner; and having delivered himself of a dangerous ene- my, Ferrara opened its gates to him. The cele- brated Ecelin V. Governor or Chief Of Padua, the most powerful Tyrant of Italy, having des- poiled him of part of his lands, Azzo, in 1256, entered into the Crusade proclaimed by the Pope against this Marauder. He marched with the Crusaders to the Siege of Padua: and the City being taken on the 20th of June, Azzo recovered his lands. In 1259, ^ e formed a league with the Milanese, the Bolonese, the Cremonese, and the Padouans, against this Ecelin, who continued to 2/1 LETTER XIX. desolate Lombardy with his brigandages and cru- elties. Azzo, at the head of the Confederates stopped him, on the 26'th Sept. at the Bridge of Cassano, which he tried to pass to enter into the Milanese. Eeelin, wounded in the attack, re- tired; and made an effort at another passage by the Adda: but the next day, attacked afresh, he was taken, and conducted to Soncino, where he died 2/th of the same month of the wounds he had received. On l6th or 1/th Feb. 1264, Azzo died, at the age of 50, at Ferrara, which he had governed with much wisdom * for 2 1 years. He was succeeded by his grandson. Obizzo II, (second of the name, of this fa- mily,) son of Renaud, succeeded to the Marqui- sate of Est: and was declared, by the common consent of the inhabitants Lord or Prince of Fer- *The Republics did not confine themselves to defend their liberty against tyrants . they were scarcely less occupied in aggrandising themselves at the expence of their neigh- bours. One of these contests about the City of Notandola in the Modenese, gave occasion to Tassoni's Heroi-Comic poem, the Secchia Rapita. See the Histoire diplomatique of the Abbey of Notandola by F. Marie-d* Est Bishop of Reggio, published by Tiraboschi, 1764, 2 vols. Fol. LETTER XIX. 2/2 \ra. In 126b, he marched to the succour of Charles of Aiijou against Manfroi King of Sicily, in virtue of a league concluded between them Aug. 5th of this year. On March 30th 1276', he received of the Commissaries of the Emperor Rodolph I. the investiture of his estates situated within the sovereignty of the Empire. The Mo- denese, who, after they were set at liberty, being under a Governor, were desolated by Factions, deputed on 15th Dec. 1288, their Bishop Philip Boschetti, Lanfranc Rangone, and Guido Gui- done, to Marquis Obizzo to offer the principality to him. Obizzo accepted their offers, and sent his relation, Count Cinello, to take possession of the Sovereignty of Modena in his name. He made his solemn entry in person in Jan. fol- lowing. # Being chosen in the same manner Prince of Reggio on 15th Jan. 1290, the better to attach to his party the Ren/gone, an illustrious and powerful family, ~f who enjoyed at that time * Chronica di Bolog. Muratori, Rer. Ital. T. XVIII. p. 295. f The Rangone family transplanted themselves from Sax- ony into Italy at the End of the Xlth Century. Several of 2/3 LETTER XIX. great credit among the Modenese, and had de- termined to submit themselves to the House of Est, Obizzo married his second son Aldrobrandin to Alda, daughter of Tobie Rangone. The year following he made his Will; and ended his days 13th Feb. 1293, leaving by Jacqueline de Fiesche 3 sons, Azzo, Francis, and Aldrovandin ; and one daughter Beatrix, married to Rene Scotto, Judge, or Lord of Gallure, in Sardinia; and 2dly to Galeas Visconti, Prince of Milan. He had no issue by Constance dalla Scala, his second wife. Azzo III, his eldest son, succeeded him. On 3d March following (1293,) Modena chose him for its Prince. A few days afterwards Reggio conferred the same honour on him. But Fran- cis and Aldrovandin, his two Brothers pretended, one to the Seigniory of Modena; the other, of Reggio. Aldrovandin, supported by the Ran- gone, surprized on the 29th March the same year the City of Modena; but was immediately them were Governors of Bologna. They have been cele- brated in Arms, and Letters. They were existing in 1785 as chamberlains to the Duke of Modena. LETTER XIX. 274 chased from it by the people. The Padouans espoused his interest ; and having armed in his favour took and ruined the Castles of Est, Cotto, and Calaone. In 1294 Peace was established by a Treaty between the three Brothers. The two following years Azzo had war with the Bolog- nese, and the Parmesans ; and withdrew himself with advantage. On 26th Jan. 1306, the Mode- nese, excited by the Captains placed over them by Azzo, chased his partisans, and set themselves at liberty. The next day those of Reggio imi- tated the example. In Feb. following these two Cities made a league with those of Padua, Ve- rona, Brescia, Mantua, and Parma, to drive the Marquis also from Ferrara: but their efforts fail- ed. Azzo died in his Castle of Est 31st Jan. 1308, issueless, tho twice married. On his death bed he named for his heir Foulke, son of Fresco, his Bastard, to the prejudice of his two brothers Francis and Aldrovandin, and the sons of the last. Foulke, son of Fresco, bastard of Azzo VIII, was put in possession of the principality of Fer- rara, by his father, with the aid of the Bolonese. 2 N 275 LETTER XIX. But Francis and Aldrovandin possessed them- selves of Est, and many other territories of their House. Hence commenced a war between Foulke and the legitimate Princes of Est. These had recourse to the Pope for his assistance. But the Court of Rome required that they should ac- knowledge Ferrara a City dependent on the Ro- man Church. This point accorded, the Pope sent Officers and Troops to take possession of Ferrara under the orders of Francis d' Est. Foulke then made proposals to the Venetians to yield the City to them under certain conditions. The proposition being accepted, the Venetians sent Troops who forced the Ferrarese after seve- ral battles, to demand peace, and to receive a Governor such as the Conquerors chose to give them. Pope Clement V. irritated at this enter- prise of the Venetians, published against them on 27th March 1309, a Bull, says Muratori, the most terrible and the most unjust to possess him- self of Ferrara. To join Temporal to Spiritual arms, he caused a Crusade to be preached aginst them, which procured him in a little time a con- siderable army. The Venetians defended them- LETTER XIX. 276 selves valiantly; but on the 28th Aug. of the same year, the Ferrarese gained a complete vic- tory over them, which decided the quarrel. The Pope having become by this Master of Ferrara, gave the Vicariat to Robert, King of Naples, without thinking of Francis d' Est, who had taken so much pains to obtain the repossession of this City. The Ferrarese, outraged by the bad treatment of the Officers, and Troops of the King of Naples, rose against them on Aug. 4th 1317, an d having obliged them to retire into the Castle of Tedaldi, carried that fortress with the aid of the Marquis d' Est and the Bolonese, massacred the Troops, and delivered the place to the flames. On the 15th of the same August, Renaud and Obizzo III, (sons of the Marquis Aldro- vandin by Alda Rangone) were reestablished in the Sovereignty of Ferrara; and associated their third Brother Nicolas, first of the name. Pope John XXII. saw not this reestablishment with indifference. He summoned the three Marquises to abandon Ferrara; and on their refusal, as re- spectful and reasonable, he put the City under 277 LETTER XIX. an interdict, excommunicated them in 1320, and had them prosecuted by the Inquisition as Here- tics. In 1329 the three Marquises approached the Pope, and abandoned the Emperor, Louis of Bavaria, his enemy, whose Party they had hi- therto embraced ; but the reconciliation was not consummated till 1332. The Marquises, having- submitted to acknowledge the Pope as Sovereign of Ferrara, obtained of him a Bull, which con- ferred on them the Vicariat of this City, and its District, with the exception of Argenta, which the Pope reserved to himself; and which was committed to his Legat. In 1335 the three Mar- quises came to besiege the City of Modena, then possessed by the Pii. Renaud fell ill at the Siege, and having returned to Ferrara, died there Dec. 31st the same year. Gui and Manfroi des Pii, seeing the city of Modena pressed by the Ests who had rendered themselves Masters of all the Cities of the District, delivered them up this place on 17th April, and they took pos- session May 13th. In 1346, Obizzo sold to Luchin Visconti, Prince of Milan, the City of Parma, which he had acquired in 1344, of Azzo LETTER XIX. _7«S de Corregio. The Marquis Nicolas died May 1st, of this year, leaving one son Renaud, who died in 1369. Obizzo on 27th May 1350, procured the re- moval of the Interdict placed from the end of 1313 on Modena by Pope Clement V. for the murder of Raymond d' Aspel, Marquis of An- cona, his relation, whom the Modenese had mas- sacred and pillaged with his suite, as he passed through their territory to go into his Marqui- sate. On the 19th or 20th of May 1352, Obizzo died, leaving by Rippa Ariosta, his concubine, whom he afterwards married, five sons, and four daughters— Aldrovandin, Nicolas, Foulke, Hugh and Albert; Alda, wife of Louis II. de Gonzag- na, Captain of Mantua; Beatrix, wife of Walde- mar, Prince of Anhal t- Dessau ; Alice married 12th of July 1349 to Guy, son of Bernardin de Polenta, Lord of Ravenna; and Constance mar- ried 2d May 1362 to N... Malatesta, Lord of Rimini. Aldrovandin III, eldest son of Obizzon III, succeeded him; and governed his Estates, though very young, with much vigilance, and vigour" 2^9 LETTER XIX. The Emperor Charles IV. having come in 1354 into Italy, recognized his merit; and honoured him with singular esteem. Aldrovandin ended by a Treaty of Peace the quarrels he had had with the Dukes of Mantua, and Milan. But he did not long enjoy this advantage; for he died 3d Sep. 1361, aged 26. By Beatrix de Camino, his wife, he left Obizzo, who died a little time afterwards; and Verde married to Conrad, Due de Teck. Nicolas II. (of the name) succeeded his Bro- ther Aldrovandin, to the prejudice of his nephew Obizzo. On Dec. 19th 136l, he and his two Brothers, Hugh, and Albert, were invested by the Emperor Charles IV, with Rovigo, Adria, Comachio, and other places. At the same time the Emperor confirmed to them the Vicariat which he had given in 1354 to Aldrovandin II. Nicolas had long quarrels with the Viscontis, which were terminated by a Treaty of Peace, in Feb. 1369. In 1371 he wrested the City of Reggio from Feltrin de Gonzagua, who was its Sovereign. But Feltrin sold it at the same time to Bernabo Visconti, Prince of Milan, who drove LETTER XIX. 280 away the Troops of the Marquis d'EsT. Nico- las died 26th March, 1388, leaving by Verde, daughter of Mastin II. dalla Scala, a daughter Taddea married 3 1st May 13/7, to Francis II. de Carrara, Prince of Padua. Albert succeeded his brother Nicolas in the Sovereignty of Ferrara. A little time afterwards a Conspiracy was formed by the Princes of Pa- dua, and the Florentines to assassinate him, and put his nephew Obizzo in his place. The Plot was discovered; and the Conspirators severely punished. Albert became immediately strictly united with Jean Galeas Visconti. He entered into the League of this Prince, and Francis de Gonzagua, Marquis of Mantua, against the Bo- lonese; but the Duke of Bavaria, who had passed into Italy with a strong army to succour the Bo- lonese having arrived on 3d October 1390, at Ferrara, succeeded in detaching Albert from the League; and in inducing him to contract on November 3d a new one with those, of whom he had declared himself the enemy. He died 30th July, 1393, much regretted by his subjects, 281 LETTER XIX. leaving by his wife Jane, daughter of Gabrino Roberti, a son and heir Nicolas. Nicolas III. succeeded his father in infancy, under the regency of many nobles named by his Father; and the protection of the Republic of Venice, whom Albert had gained over to him. In 1394, Azzo, Marquis d' Est, (son of the Marquis Francis II. and first Cousin to Renaud, and Obizzo III.) who, having been driven from Ferrara, had become General of the Armies of Galeas Visconti, took advantage of the youth of Nicolas to attempt to get his Estates from him. Having entered into intelligences with many Fer- rarese nobles and vassals of the House of Est, he entered the State of Ferrara, where he pos- sessed himself of many places : but the Vene- tians, the Rolonese, and the Florentines having; come to the sucour of Nicolas, obliged Azzo to retire. Azzo, having returned the following year, was beat on l6'th April, and made prisoner by Astor de Manfredi, Lord of Faenza, who carried him to the prisons of that City. In 1397, Nico- las, at the age of 13 years, married in June, Ju- lia de Carrara, daughter of Francis II. Prince LETTER XIX. 282 of Padua. In 1403 Nicolas entered into the League formed against the Duke of Milan by Pope Boniface IX, who nominated him Captain- General of the Army of the Church. In con- cert with the inhabitants of Regcio, he took this City from the Duke of Milan ; but was driven out by Ottoboni, who feigning to come to the Duke's succour, kept the City for himself after having become master of it. On 13th May, 1408, Nicolas concluded a Treaty with Jean Vis- conti, Duke of Milan, and other Princes, to re- press the brigandages which Ottoboni incessantly exercised in Lombardy. On 27 th May 1409, Ottoboni was slain by Sforza Cotignola, General of the Troops of Nicolas, in a parley which he demanded of the Marquis to treat of Peace with him. On 27th July following Nicolas entered into Parma; and was declared its Prince; and rendered himself Master at the same time, of Reggio. In 1414, in a journey which he made to St. James in Galicia, he was made prisoner by the Castellan of the Castle of St. Michel, belonging to the Marquis of Caretto ; and this solely for the purpose, according to the custom 2 o 283 LETTER XIX. of those times, of obtaining ransom - money ; which was immediately paid. In March 1425 Nicolas caused the head to be taken off of Parasina Malatesta his second wife, and also of Hugh, his natural son, con- victed of a criminal intercourse with her. Al- drovandin Rangone, and two females, the ac- complices of the adultery, submitted to the same fate. On 9th Jan. 1426, Nicolas entered into a league with the Florentines and Venetians a- gainst the Duke of Milan; and was placed at the head of their Troops. In 1431, Charles VII. King of France, by Letters dated from Chiuon, 1st Jan. permitted Nicolas to add to the White Eagle of his Coat of Arms the bearing of the Kings of France, the three Jleurs de lis of gold in an azure Jield * In 1433, Nicolas reconciled to the Duke of Milan, became Mediator in the war between the Venetians, the Florentines, and their Confede- rates ; and succeeded in concluding a Treaty of Peace on the 22d April of this year. In 1441 he went to Milan, on an invitation from the * Muratori, I. 195, LETTER XIX. 284 Duke; and there found his death, which carried him oft' on 26th Dec. not without suspicion of poison, By Richarda, his third wife, daughter of the Marquis of Salnces, he left two sons in minority, Hercules, and Sigismond. He had also five natural children, Lionel, Borso, Renaud, Albert, and one daughter, Blanche, married in 1468 to Galeotto Pico de la Mirandola. Lionel, his natural son, succeeded, by the disposition of his Father, and that of the Pope, to the Principalities of Ferrara, Modena, Rovigo, and Comachio, &c. to the prejudice of the legi- timate children of Nicolas. In Jan. 1435, he married Margaret, daughter of John -Francis I, de Gonzagna, Marquis of Mantua ; she died 1439; ar, d m 1444 he married Mary, natural daughter of Alphonso V. King of Aragon: but this Princess died 9th Dec. 1449- In 1450, Lio- nel was the Mediator of a Peace concluded at Ferrara between the Venetians; and Alfonso, King of Sicily. This Prince died Oct. 1st 1450, leaving by his second Marriage one son named Nicolas. He was the protector of Letters ; and wrote well himself in Latin. 285 LETTER XIX. Borso, the natural Brother of Lionel, was preferred to his legitimate Brothers, Hercules, and Sigismond ; and succeeded to the Sove- reignty. In 1452, he went to meet the Empe- ror Frederic III. on his visit to Italy; and en- tered Ferrara with him on 17th Jan. The Em- peror revisited him 10th May on his return from Rome ; and to witness to Borso the satisfaction he derived from his reception, he created him Duke of Modena and Reggio on the 18th of the same month : but he required for this favour an annual payment of 4000 golden florins. In 1459 Borso had the honour to receive at Ferrara Pope Paul II. He did not long enjoy this ho- nour; for on returning to this City, he died 20th Aug. of the same year unmarried. He was the most accomplished Prince of his age. The pro- tector of Letters, he brought the infant Art of Printing into his States : and according to Mat- taire, Andreus Callus was the first, who exer- cised the Art at Ferrara. Hercules I. the legitimate Brother of Borso. born 1433, put himself into the possession of the Estates after Borso's death; and thus frustated LETTER XIX. 286 the hopes of Nicolas d' Est, (son of Lionel) who expected to succeed Borso, On 1st Sep. 1476 Nicolas, during the absence of Hercules, sur- prized Ferrara, by the treason of a Priest; but was driven away the same day by the Brothers of the Duke; and being pursued by Louis Trotti, was detained a prisoner at Ferrara, where, three days afterwards, he lost his head. In 14/8, Her- cules was chosen by the Florentines to command their Troops against the Army of the Pope, and the King of Naples. In 1482, the Venetians, leagued with Pope Sixtus IV. declared war against the duke of Ferrara. This Prince after having made efforts to avoid it, entered into a League, on his side, with his father-in-law, Fer- dinand, King of Naples, Louis le More, Gover- nor of Milan; Frederic, Marquis of Mantua; the Florentines, and the Bentivoglios. Hostilities commenced in May; and on the 21st Aug. Al- fonso, Duke of Calabria, was beat by Count Je- rome Riario, Nephew of the Pope, joined to Robert Malatesta, the Venetian Captain, at Carn- po Morto, near to Velletri. On Dec. 12th, fol- lowing, the Pope, having detached himself from 28* LETTER XIX. the Venetians made a peace with King Ferdi- nand, the Duke of Ferrara, and their Allies. Thence all the Powers of Italy declared them- selves against the Venetians. Sextus wished to make himself the arbiter of the Peace; and find- ing the Venetians opposed to his desires, excom- municated them on 25th May 1483, and put all their territories under interdict. The Venetians appealed from the Bull; and continued the War. After two years hostilities, the Duke of Ferrara, abandoned by his allies, made peace on 7*h Aug. 1484 with these Republicans; to whom he sur- rendered Rovigo, and all the Polesin, of which thev had possessed themselves. The Duke Hercules died 5th Jan. 1505, leav- ing by Leonore, daughter of Ferdinand 1. King of Naples: (whom he had married in 14/3, and who died 1493,) three sons, Alfonso, Ferdinand, and Hippolito, afterwards Cardinal: with two daughters, Beatrix wife of Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, and Isabel married in 1490 to John - Francis II, de Gonzagua, Marquis of Mantua. This Duke has the praise of having intro- LETTER XIX. 288 duced into Italy a proper taste in Theatrical compositions and scenery. Ariosto wrote at the age of 19, a beautiful Elegy on the death of the Duchess Eleonore of Aragon. * The Duke had patronised the Poet. "Nell' anno sequente, 1505" says Baruffaldi " segui la morte del Duco Ercole, il quale manco li l6 Gennaro, e nel mese stesso fu proclamato Duca, Alfonso fratello del Cardinale, il quale erasi trovato presente alia morte del padre, ed intervenne al solenne possesso preso dal nuovo Duca. L' Ariosto sommamente amato da Ercole avuta gran parte nel lutto universale della citta e della Corte." -f- But his son, the Cardinal Hippolito is known to have been the principal patron of this Poet. He died 1520, aged 41. See his Character in BaruffaldVs Life of Ariosto, p. 121, and seq. " Secondo observarono Harotti nell' Elogio d' Ercole, e il Tiraboschi nella sua Storia letteraria, al genio di quel Prin- cipe dee principalmente 1' Italia 1' introduzione del nuovo buon gusto in materia di Teatro," Baruffaldi- La Vitadi 31. Lodv- vico Ariosto. Ferrara, 1807, 4£o p. 60 lb 70. f I b. 1<27. 289 LETTER XIX. The Biographer says the Cardinal was at Rome, when the Orlando Furioso was first published in April, 15l6, and discusses at length the tale of the exclamation attributed to the Cardinal on his first interview with the Poet, after reading his wonderful production. " Messer Lodovico, dove avete mat trovate tantefanfalnche?. Some attribute this to an affected humility and reserve " delle molte lode a se date ed alia Casa Es- tense." * Alfonso I. (the Cardinals elder Brother) who succeeded his Father Hercules, was also a patron of Ariosto; gave him a pension; and built a Theatre for the exhibition of his Plays. This Prince, born 1476, married three times. 1st. on 23 Jan. 1491, aged 15, Anne, daughter of Galeas Marie-Sforza, who died enceinte 30th Nov. 1497* 2dly Lucrece Borgia, daughter of the Pope Alex- ander II. This Lady had already had three hus- bands : the two first marriages had been set aside by her Father: the third husband, Alfonso of Aragon, had been strangled on 18th Aug. 1500 * li>. p. 174. LETTER XIX. 29O by the order of Caesar Borgia, the brother of Lu- cretia. And after the death of Lucretia, which happened in 1520, Alfonso married in his latter days Laura Eustochia del Dianti, of a low birth, after having had two sons, Alfonso and Alfo- main, whom he procured to be legitimated by the Emperor ; but whose legitimacy the Court of Rome would not acknowledge. (Alfonso was father of Ccesar d'Este, afterwards Duke of Mo- dena, and Reggio. ) Alfonso, having entered into the League of Cambrai, was created, on 19th April 1509, by Pope Julius II.* Gonfa- lonier of the Church : but this Pontif , in the fol- lowing year having withdrawn from the League, tried to detach also the Duke of Ferrara: and not succeeding, thundered a Bull against him, by which he excommunicated him, and deprived him of Ferrara; and all his lands within the Holy See. Six days afterwards the Troops of the Pope possessed themselves of Modena, by means of secret intelligences which Julius had carried on in the City. They made several con- * De la Rovere, 2 P 291 LETTER XIX. quests iii the Ferrarese; and at the same time the Venetian on their side possessed themselves of the Polesin, which Alfonso had recovered . The valour of Alfonso saved the City of Ferrara, which Troops of the Pope, commanded by his nephew, the Duke of Urbino, had approached. This General took the same year from Duke Al- fonso, Reggio, and Brecello. Alfonso was more happy in 1512 at the Battle of Ravenna, fought on 1 1th April, three miles from this place. It was by the force of his artillery, that he rendered the French victorious this time. Hoping, after such brilliant success, to find the Pope more tractable, he demanded a safe- conduct, which was granted him that he might visit Rome. Having arrived in June, he was absolved by the Pope from censures, and admitted to kiss his feet. But while he was in this City the Duke of Orbino took from him several places in Ro- mania, and forced Reggio, which he had re- covered, to surrender itself. The Pope wanted Alfonso to cede to him the Duchy of Ferrara: but not being able to obtain this sacrifice, he re- solved to keep him prisoner. The Duke, hav- LETTER XIX. 292 ing penetrated his design, escaped by the aid of the Colonas, and returned to Ferrara, where he heard without regret the death of Julius, which happened 21st Feb. of the following year. In 1514, Pope Leo X. bought of the Empe- ror for 40,000 gold ducats, the City of Modena, which Julius II. had placed as a depot in his hands. Leo, having promised to Duke Alfonso, in the presence of Francis I. to give up to him this City, as well as Reggio, was so far from keeping his word, that he charged the Bishop of Vintiglia, who was at Bologna, to get pos- session by susprise of Ferrara, during an illness, which held the Duke in inaction. Happily the Marquis of Mantua, nephew of Alfonso, having perceived the Troops of the Pope approaching Ferrara obliged them to retire. Leo who had concluded a Secret League on 8th May 1521, with the Emperor and the Floren- tines, made a new attempt on Ferrara; and fail- ed as before. Thence, furious to see himself frustrated of his hopes he did not blush to thun- der out his Monitoire against the Duke Alfonso; and to put Ferrara under interdict. But the 2£)3 LETTER XIX. 1st of December following Leo X. went to ren- der to his God the account of his actions ; and hy his death delivered Duke Alfonso of a most powerful enemy. This Prince, * unable to contain his joy at this event, caused money to be coined, on the reverse of which is the device of a Man rescuing a lamb from the claws of a Lion, with these words underneath: De Manu Leonis. He recovered a part of his Territories in 1522; and in the following year, after having made an attempt upon the city of Modena, de- fended by Giuchardin, Governor for the Pope, whom he vainly summoned to return to his obe- dience, he presented himself on 29th September before Reggio, which opened its gates to him without resistance. In 1527, he obliged the Rangoni, who then commanded at Modena, to give up the place to him; and made his entry the next day, amid the acclamations of the People, On 15th Nov. following he entered against his Will, into the League formed by the Holy * Medici LETTER XIX. 294 College, the Kings of France and England, the Duke of Milan, the Republics of Venice and Florence, against the Emperor Charles V. for the deliverance of Pope Clement VII.* This Pope so little acknowledged the service, that the following years he entered into two several plots to deprive him of his Estates ; and even of his life. The Emperor, being at Bologna, in 1530, with the Pope, persuaded him to admit the Duke to a reconciliation. The Duke agreed with the Pope to submit their differences to the Emperor. The Emperor decided that Reggio and Modena belonged of right to the Duke; and for the sum of 100,000 ducats the Pope should give him a new investiture of Ferrara. This judgement was made at Coloque, 21st Dec. 1530; but not published till 21st April fol- lowing. Clement VII. refused to submit; and watched his opportunity to revenge himself both of the Emperor, and of the Duke; but before the opportunity occurred, he died on 25th Sep- tember 1534. Alfonso soon followed him to the tomb, hav- * Medici natural Nephew to Leo X. 2$5 LETTER XIX. ing deceased on 3 1st Oct. of the same year: aged 6$: and having survived the incomparable Poet, who in his Orlando Furioso has rendered the House of Este so glorious, only a year. Alfonso "was a Prince" says Muratori, "who in good sense and valour, had few equals in his time: and he had great need of these qualities to sustain him against three powerful Popes, full of worldly passions; and desiring ardently to de- prive of their territories the very noble house of Este." By his second Duchess Lucretia Borgia, he had three sons, Hercules, his successor; Fran- cesco, Marquis of Massa; and Cardinal Hippo- lito (2d of the name.) Hercules II. Duke of Ferrara and Mo- dena, eldest son, was born 4th April 1508. In his youth he delighted in the genius, and took upon himself the patronage of Ariosto. He mar- ried Renee of France, 2d daughter of Louis XII and of Anne of Bretagne, (his 1st wife) with whom he had in portion the Duchv of Chartres, which the King created in his favour. One of the first objects of Hercules, after LETTER XIX. 296 having taken possession of his estates, was to endeavour to get the new Pope, Paul, III.* to approve the judgment given by Charles V. in favour of his House. With this design, after having sent an Ambassador, he went himself to Rome on 9th Oct. 1535; and having received only equivocal answers from the Pope, he went from thence to Naples to wait upon the Empe- ror, who was returning triumphant from his ex- pedition to Africa. Charles V in passing through Rome in 1536, pressed the Pope on this point; and could obtain nothing. At last on 23d Feb. 1539, Francis D' Este, brother of the Duke ter- minated this great affair at Rome, whence he returned with the renewal of the investiture of Ferrara, given by Alexander VI, to the House of Este. In 1543 Hercules received Paul III, on April 3d, at Modena, and on 21st of the same month at Ferrara. In 1556, ceding to the menaces of Pope Paul IV, f and to the solicitations of the Duke * Farncsc. t Caraffa .!• 297 LETTER XIX. of Guise, his son-in-law, he unwillingly signed on Nov. 3d the League formed by the Pope; and by France against Spain. The Pope named him General of the Army of the Church,- and the Kins of France created him Lieut. General in Italy. But the arms of Spain being unsuccessful in Italy, aud the Pope having accomodated with Philip II. the Duke of Ferrara, after havin taken some places in the Duchy of Parma, was anxious to make peace; and succeeded by a Treaty concluded 8th March 1588. He died 3d Oct. 1559, »*• 52 - % Renee of France, he had issue two sons and three daugh- ters. 1. Alfonso II. his successor. 2, Louis, afterwards Cardinal, and Archbishop of Auch, who deserved, (says De Thou,) the treasure of the Poor ; the glory of the Sacred College ; and the ornament of the Court of Rome. The three daughters were. 1. Anne, who married the Duke of Guise; and afterwards in 1566, Jacques de Savoie, Due de Nemours. 2. Lucretia, married 19th Jan. 1570, to Franc Mar. De la Rovere, Duke of Urbino. 3. Eleonore lived single, and died l6th Feb. 1581 -- the Princess to whom LETTER XIX. 298 Tosses supposed attachment is ascribed as the cause both of his cruel imprisonment, and his in- sanity. Renee, the Dukes widow, lived till 1575, her 69th year. She was a Princess, learned and the protectress of Literature. She returned into France; and died in the Castle of Montargis, having embraced the Protestant Faith. The House of this Princess, while she remained in Italy, was the asylum of all the French. To remonstrances on this, she answered : " What ■would you have me do? They are my poor French, who, if God had given me a Beard, and I had been a man, would have been my subjects! Even noiv they had been so, were it not for this wicked Salique Law!"' Alfonso II, born 22d Nov. 1533, was in France in the service of that Crown, when his Father died. He immediately returned to Italy; and with his wife Lucrece de Medicis, daughter of Cosmo I. Duke of Tuscany, made his solemn entry into Ferrara, 26th Nov. Lucrece died about two years and an half afterwards 21st April 156l : and the Duke remarried on 5th Dec. 2 (A 299 LETTER XIX. 1565, the Archduchess Barba, daughter of the Emperor Ferdinand I. On 13th Aug. 1566, he departed from Ferrara with a numerous retinue, preceded by a little Army, to go to the succour of Hungary, attacked by the Turks. But Soli- man II. dying 30th of the same month, and Selim, his successor, showing a disposition for Peace, there were few enterprises on one side or the other; and all reduced itself to the capture of two places by the Turks. On 19th Sep. 1572, the Duchess Barba died. On 2d Dec. following Cardinal Hippolyto d'Este terminated his career. He was Archbishop of of Milan, Bishop of Ferrara, &c. most of which benefices passed to his nephew, Cardinal Louis d'Este. On 25th Feb. 15/9, tne Duke married a third time Marguerite de Gonzagua daughter of Wil- liam, Duke of Mantua. It was on the celebration of the Duke's third marriage with Margerite Gonzuagua, that Tas- so returning from Turin to the Court of Ferrara, to be present at the Festivals, and finding him- self neglected by the Duke; no provision made LETTER XIX. 300 for him; his old apartments occupied, and no attention paid to his various and earnest remon- strances ; broke out at last into such passionate and unbridled reproaches against the House of Este, that the Duke to his eternal reproach, ordered him into confinement in the Hospital of St. Anne, as insane! and suffered him to linger within those wretched walls for seven years of untold and inexpressible horror! That such was the immediate cause of Tasso's confinement, his best Italian Biographer Serassi * has, I think, sufficiently proved, by Extracts from several of Tasso's" own letters! The story therefore of the imprudent kiss stolen from the Duke's sister, the Princess Leonora, must fall to the ground. But the confutation of the Poet's attachment to the Princess does not seem to be established with equal clearness. -j~ * Bergamo, 2vols. 4to. 1790. f 1 have omitted that Tasso's father, Bernardo, had been Secretary to the Duchess Renee, on her first arrival at Fer- rara from France j where he had known her ; and where he had also celebrated Margaret of Valois in his verses. 301 LETTER XIX. The Princess Leonore died 10th Feb. 1581. after a long illness, in her 45th year. * Mr. Hobliouse in his Illustrations of Childe Ha- rold, p. 1 5, says : " It is too certain that Leonora deserted the Poet in the first days of his distress; and it is equally known, that Tasso, who would not have deserted an early flame, did not hang a single garland on the bier of his supposed mis- tress." Of all Lord Byron's Poems the most classical and the most pathetic is surely his Lament of Tasso: a composition for which scarcely any praise can be too high ! -j- Duke Alfonso died without issue 2/th Oct. 159/, at the age of 51 years, regretted by his * On her death was published a Collection of Italian and Latin Poetry with this Title : Lacrime di diversi Poeti volgari. e Latini sparse per la morte dell' Illustriss ed Excellentiss. Madama Leonora di Estc ; e raccolte da Gregorio Ducchi} e dallui dedicate all Illustriss e Reverendiss Sign. Cardinal dEste suo Signore In Vicenza nella Stamperia nuova, MDLXXXl , 4to." Serassi, Vita, II. 49. No verses of Tasso were among these. t Manso's Life of Tasso, is I believe scarce. There is an abridgement of it by Guido Cassonh, at the end of his Poems., Venice 1626, l2mo. LETTER XIX. 302 subjects, whose happiness he promoted ; by the Men of Letters, whom he protected ; and by the Architects whom he did not cease to employ in the decoration of his Palaces ; and of the Pub- lic Buildings of Ferrara and Modena * Tims ended the Dukes of Ferrara, the first Line of this House. DUKES OF MODENA AND REGGIO. C.*:$ar I, son of Alfonso of Este, Marquis de Montechio, by Julia de Rovere, (which Alfonso, was half Uncle of the last Duke of Ferrara, being- son of the last marriage of Duke Alfonso 1. by Laura Eustochia des Dinanti, whose children the Emperor had legitimatised, but whom the Court of Rome did not choose to acknowledge,) was born in Oct. 156*2; and married in Feb. 1586, to Virginia de Medicis, daughter of Cosmo I. grand Duke of Tuscany. On 29th Oct. 1597. * There is a Life of Alfonso I. of Este, the Grandfather by Paulus Jovius. This was translated into Italian by Gio- vambattista Gelli, a Florentine. In J'enetia appresso Gio. Bat- tista, et Gio Bernardo Sessa, 1579, sm. 8vo. Appended to, Commentario delle cose di Ferrara, et de Principi da Este by Giambattista Giraldi, a Gent, of Florence. Ibi. 303 LETTER XIX. he was declared Duke of Ferrara, Modena, &c. in right of the Testament of Duke Al- fonso II. who had declared him his universal heir. Immediately after his coronation, he sent an Ambassador to Rome, to make his part good with Pope Clement VIII. But the Court of Rome, the moment it became apprized of the death of Alfonso, pretended that the Duchy of Ferrara had devolved to the Holy See, ob lineam Jinitam, seu alias causas. In consequence the Pontif far from acknowledging C^sar as the legitimate successor of Alfonso II. caused a Monitory to be published, on 4th Nov. by which he cited him to appear at Rome within 15 days, to shew the reasons for his having taken the title of Duke of Ferrara. At the same time he as- sembled the Troops of the Church, with an order to enter into the Ferrarese. C/esar, in dismay, sent a new Ambassador to the Pope, to explain his reasons. They were examined by the Holy College, whom they embarrassed. Clement VIII. feared that many Princes, even Heretics, would come to the assistance of Him, whom he wished to despoil. An adventurer drew the LETTER XIX. 304 Pope into an intrigue by persuading him to send trusty persons to Ferrara, to seduce the inhabi- tants, and engage them, by large promises, to submit themselves to the Holy See, The expe- dient succeeded. Clement VIII. * published 23d Dec. a sen- tence by which he declared Caesar d'Este (whom he regarded as a bastard, without venturing to call him so, ) incapable of succeeding to the Du- chy of Ferrara; excommunicated this Prince, with all those, who aided, and abetted him. Meantime the Troops, of the Pope to the num- ber of 25,000 men, approached Ferrara. Duke Caesar, after having vainly addressed himself to different powers to obtain aid, endeavoured to put himself in a state of defence. But perceiving that he could not stand alone against so strong a party, he resolved to solicit an accommodation, and to demand a suspension of arms in the inter- val. This was granted him on condition, 1st * Hippolyto Aldrobrandin, born at Fano, on the shores of the Adriatic, 1535, died 1605, aged 69. It was this Prince who designed for Tasso the honour of the Coronation at the Capitol. 305 LETTER XIX. that he should deposit in secret the ornaments of the Ducal Power in the presence of the Magis- trate of Ferrara. 2ly. that he should place in hostage his son, aged 7 years, in the hands of Cardinal Aldrovandin, nephew of the Pope, and Legate at Bologna. These conditions fulfilled, the Cardinal ne phew having gone to Faenza, the place chosen for the conferences, signed with the Minister of the Duke, on 13th January 1598, a Capitulation containing among other clauses, that Caesar d' Este should he absolved from all censures in re- nouncing possession of the Ducky of Ferrara, and its dependencies; and in ceding to the Pope half the artillery and arms, which were in the City. The Duke, after having ratified this Act, de- parted from Ferrara in the same month of Ja- nuary; and went to establish his Court at Mo- dena. In Feb. following, the Pope published a Bull, by which he re-united the Duchy of Fer- rara to the Holy See. * *Ferrara, which had not the title of a City, till after the seventh age of the Church, arrived at an high degree of LETTER XIX. 306 But the Court of Rome, not content with putting itself into possession of this Duchy, sei- zed also the allodial property, and Fiefs depen- dent on the Emperor. splendor and population under the government of these Dukes who neglected nothing to adorn it : and render it one of the most beautiful and best peopled Cities of Italy. Since the time that it has fallen under the power of the Popes, it has become so deserted, that it has scarcely more inhabitants than Houses: though Clement VIII. caused an handsome Citadel to be erected 3 and made it the residence of a Legat. It is situated on the smallest branch of the Po : 10 leagues from Bologna ; 15 from Ravenna; and 76 from Home. See Hobhouse's Note, (Illustr. p. 27 ) to Lord Byron's line. " Ferrara ! in thy wide and grass-grown streets i" Jerome Baruffaldi ( a predecessor and relation of the late Author of the Life of Ariosto, of that name ) published at Fer- rara in a thin 4to. in 1699, Dissertatio de Foetis Ferrarien- sibus : typis Bernardini Pomatelli. pp. 64. Among these are Ariosto, and Tasso, though neither of them born here. Baruffaldi born 1675, died 1/55, aged 80. He was the Author of many Works, see Mazzuchelli. Baruffaldi also wrote della Storia di Ferrara Lib. IX. Ferrara, 1700. 4to. Barotti left one splendid Fol. Volume of Letterati Ferra- rese, 1777, the continuation was terminated by his death, which happened also to the magnificent Fol. Vol. of Lettera- tura Veneziana of Foscarini, 175*2. 2 R 307 LETTER XIX. Duke C/esar gave his attention to the em- bellishment of his new Capital, to which num- bers of Ferrarese, undeceived by the event, as to the vanity of the promises of the Emissaries of the Pope, transported themselves with their ef- fects ; and fixed their abode. In 1602, CLesar had a war with Lucca, on the subject of the territory of Garfaguana, which his house had possessed from 1429, and which was determined in his favour by the Emperor. It was renewed in l6l3, and ended the same year, without any marked success, On Uth Dec. 1628, this Duke died, leaving by Virginia de Medicis his wife, (who died in l6l5) six sons; 1. Alfonso, his successor; 2. Louis: 3. Hippolito; 4. Nicolas; 5. Borso; 6. Foresto: and three daughters. 1. Julia; 2. Lau- ra, wife of Alexander Pico, Duke of Mirandola. 3. Ange-Catherine, a religieuse. Alfonso III. Duke of Modena, eldest son of Duke Caesar, and of Virginia de Medicis, born 22d Nov. 1591, succeeded his father in the Du- chies of Modena, and Reggio. He had been married in Feb. l6'08, to Isabella, daughter of LETTER XIX. 308 Charles -Emanuel I, Duke of Savoy, whom he lost in 1626. Alfonso made his will in 1629, by which he made Francis his eldest son his heir; and made provision for his other children, viz. Obizzo, who was made Bishop ofModena, 1640, and was afterwards a Cardinal; for Caesar, who took an active part in the government of his great nephew; for Charles- Alexander; for Re- naud, who was created a Cardinal l641; for Philibert, who died in 1645, at the Age of 22 years; for Margaret, who married Ferdinand, Duke of Guastalla; for Anne-Beatrix, Avife of Alexander Pico, Duke of Mirandola. * * This family of Pico of Mirandola have been rendered familiar in name to all the intelligent Nations of Europe by the celebrated prodigy of learning John Pico of Mirandola. Mirandola is an Episcopal City, situated between Man- tua and Modena, and is the Capital of a little State, which from the commencement of the XII th Century was possessed by the family of Pico. Their ancestor Pisus de Manfredis was Governor of Ileggio, 1154, In 1416, Jean Pic married Catherine daughter of Wil- liam Bevilacqua, and was father of Jean- Francis Pic, who by Julia daughter of Feltrin Boiardo had three sons. 1. Galeotto. 2. Anthony -Marie. 3. ' Jean. 30<) LETTER XIX. The next day Alfonso solemnly abdicated the Ducal Power : and retiring among the Capu- chins of Morano in the Tyrol, took the habit of their Order, on 8th Sep. under the name of Bro- ther John Baptist of Modena, being then only in his 38th year. He persisted in his vocation, This 3d son was the renowned Scholar. He was called Count ot Mirandola though a younger brothen ; as all the sons seem to have been entitled to share the inheritance and the titles. He studied the Law at Bologna at the age of 14 years ; thence he passed to the most celebrated Universi- ties of France and Italy. He pretended at the age of 18 to be master of 22 languages ; a thing incredible. At the age of 24 he published at Rome a challenge to all the world to to dispute on proposed subjects, which embraced the whole range of the Sciences, de omni scibili. Envy accused some of his Theses of Heresy. The Pope pronounced more than one suspicious : Pico apologised ; and by his submission obtained absolution. Pico then applied himself to the study of the Sacred Writings j and to confute the Jews and Mahometans and to shew the vanity of Judicial Astrology. He renounced his share in ths Principality ; distributed his goods among the Poor; and shut himself up in one of his Castles. ' He died at Florence, in 1494, aged 32. This Epitaph was made on him : Joannes jacet hie Mi- randola; ctelera norunt Et Tagus et Ganges ; forsan et Anti- podes. Pico's Works have been printed at various times from the end of the XVth through the XVlth and XVIIth Centu- LETTER XIX. 310 and died in the course of a Mission, which he made to the Province of Carfagnana, at the foot of the Appenines, 14th May 1644. aet. 54. His eldest son, Francis I. born 5th Septem- ber l6l0, succeeded his Father at his return from a Journey made into France, Flanders, and Germany. ries. A collection of them was printed at Basil, 1573, and 1601, Fol. with his Life by his nephew Gio. Franc. Pico. Cialeotto Pico, his elder Brother, married in 1468, Blanche, daughter of Nicolas III. Marquis d'Est. Proud of this alliance, he pretended to the whole paternal inheri- tance ; and for this purpose accused his next brother Anthony Marie, of treason. He arrested him and put him in irons at the bottom of a Tower. He did the same by his mother Julia, whom he retained prisoner in her chamber, for taking Anthony's part. Anthony was afterwards set at liberty ; and lived sometime in peace with his brother; and during this interval married Constance, daughter of Saint -Benti- voglio. They quarrelled again; and there was no more accommodation. Galeotto died 7th April 1499, leaving by Blanche-Marie, natural daughter of Scipio d'Este, 3 sons, John - Francis ; Louis ; and Frederic, with a daughter, Madeleine, a Reli- gieuse. John -Francis Pico, succeeded his Father, but so far from extinguishing the brand of discord lighted by his Father in his family, trod too closely in his Father's steps. He 311 LETTER XIX. In lb'30 Italy was desolated by the war on account of the succession to the Duchy of Man- tua, and by the Plague then raging in the Coun- try. Francis had the address to keep the first of these evils from his Estates ; but he could not guard it against the other. On the cessation of refused to divide the succession with, his brothers Louis and Frederic. Louis, aided by the forces of Hercules d'Este, and of his father-in-law, Jaques Trivulca, Marquis of Vige- vano, despoiled his elder brother in 1503 of Mirandola and Concordia. Having engaged in the service of the Pope, Julius II. he was slain in 1509, combating at the head of his troops against the Venetians. Two years afterwards Julius II whose 'hatred to the French, and their allies, is known to all, having come in person to make the siege of Mirandola, car- ried it by assault, and entered by the breach. He then sur- rendered it to John-Francis for the sum of 20,000 ducats, which he required of him, with his oath of fidelity. The Battle of Ravenna, gained on the 11th April 1512, by the French, put them again in possession of Mirandola ; and forced John- Fuancis again to quit it. The Emperor re- established him a little time after. He enjoyed these estates peaceably for about 20 years, applying himself entirely to the study of the Belles Lettres, and the Sciences, in imitation of his uncle John, when in 1533 his nephew Caleotto Pico, (2d of the name) son of Louis, having entered in the night into the City, with forty armed men, poignarded him, and his son Albert, as they were pros- trate before a Crucifix. At the same time the assassin had LETTER XIX. o 1 2 the Plague, he thought of marrying. In 1(>31 he espoused Maria Farnese, daughter of Ranuce I Duke of Parma. The Mantuan war always giv- ing him inquietude, he pvovided for the safety of his Capital by a Citadel, which he built in the western Part. It was in this same year^ that Jeanne Caraffa, the wife of John-Francis, and Charlotte des Ursins, with her husband John -Thomas Pico; and Paul the last son, to be imprisoned. Paulus Jovius says that this death was a just retribution for his cruelty ; for that having casued the coin to be debased, and having profited greatly by the fraud, he yet yielded to a capital punishment the person he employed in this business, to appease the murmurs of the people, But many have thrown all the odium of this affair on his wife, who they say engaged in it without his knowledge. Sadoleto says that he was a Prince who united strength with reason, modesty with power, piety with arms, learning with political administra- tion. He had not so much vivacity, or subtlety, or eru- dition, as his Uncle John; but more solidity. Several of his Writings are in print. See Biog. Diet, also Tiraboschi Lett. Ital. and Biblioteca Modenese. Galeotto enjoyed peaceably the fruit of his Crimes till 1556. But his Cousin, John- Thomas, ( son of John-Francis ) having escaped from prison, made efforts to re-enter on the States of his Fathers. Though these efforts were insufficient for his re-establishment, they determined Galeotto in 1562, to deliver up the State to King Francis I. (of France, ) who gave him lands in France in compensation. He died in 1571 313 LETTER XIX. he received from the Emperor Ferdinand and the King of Spain, to whom he was attached the investiture of the Principality of Corregw, which he had obtained of this last Power for the sum of 230,000 gold florins. In Feb. l636, being in a League with the leaving by his wife Hippolita Gonzagua, daughter of Louis de Gonzagua, Count of Sabionetta, a son Louis ; and two daughters, Silvia, wife of Francis, Count de la Rochefou- cauld ; and Fulvia, married to Charles de la Rochefoucauld. Louis, son of Galeotto, survived his father only three years, having died in 1574. By his wife Fulvia, daughter of Hippolyto de Corregio, he had issue, (besides Galeotto, who was a Commander of Malta, ) Frederic, and Alexander. Frederic, his successor, died in 1602, without issue. His brother, Alexander, was by an Imperial Diploma of 1619, created Duke of Mirandola, and died 1637. having married Laura, daughter of Caesar d' Este, Duke of Modena, and leaving a son, Galeotto III, who died before his father, the same year, leaving by his wife, Marie Cibo, a Son in infancy, Alexander, who married Anne-Beatrix d'Est, daughter of Alfonso III. Duke of Modena. He died 1691, having had by the above Anne -Beatrix, four sons, and three daughters. 1. Francis. 2. Galeotto. 3. John. 4. Louis, a Cardinal. 5. Marie-Elizabeth. 6. Laura, married to Ferdinand de Gon- zagua, Prince of Castiglione. 7. Fulvia, wife of Thomas, Prince of Aquino LETTER XIX. 314 Spaniards, he entered into the Territories of his brother-in-law Edward, Duke of Parma. He was beat by the Marquis de Villa at San-Lazaro; but the Marquis de Leganez having sent him a considerable reinforcement, he took several pla- ces in the Parmesan, obliged the French to retire behind the cannon of Parma; and made great waste iii this country. The same year a peace was concluded by the Francis, eldest son, who died before his father, left issue by his wife Camilla Borghese, an only son. Francis-Marie, who succeeded his grandfather. Dur- ing the wars in Italy, between Philip V. and the Emperor, the troops of Germany entered into Mirandola, and obliged La Chetardie, the commander of the French Garrison to retire. In 1704, Francis -Marie, on attaining his majority em- braced the party of France and Spain. The Emperor, irri- tated, confiscated his Estate 5 and sold it for 160,000 pistoles to the Duke of Modena, who received investiture on 12th March 17*1; an ^ secured a pension of 3000 pistoles to the deprived Duke. This Duke died in Spain, without issue by his wife Marie-Therese daughter of Philip Anthony Spinola, Marquis de Los Balbazes, who was drowned at Madrid 15th Septem- ber, 1723, by an inundation which happened to the garden and house of Ognato. 2 S 315 LETTER XIX. mediation of the Pope, and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and he retired into his own States. On 12th Aug. 1628, he departed again from Modena, with a magnificent retinue, to visit Madrid, bringing superb presents for Philip IV, King of Spain, whose daughter Maria- Theresa, the princess who in 1660 espoused Louis XIV, he held at the Font. On 25th Nov. of the same year Modena received back its Sovereign covered with honours, and enriched with the presents re- ceived at the Court of Madrid. His Duchess, Marie, died in Childbed 25th June 1646, In 1647, discontented with the Court of Spain, who persevered in the refusal to remove their Garrison from Corregio, after having sold him that Principality, the Duke turned to the side of France; and accepted the command of their Armies in Italy. He acquired little glory in this post, his designs being always crossed by the French Generals, on whom he was dependent though invested with the title of General in Chief. Finally in 1649, the Marquis de Caracena, Go- vernor of Milan having entered with the Spanish LETTER XIX. 3l6 Troops, into the Modenese, obliged the Duke to demand Peace which was signed 2/th Feb. of this year. In the precedent February lie had married, by the dispensation of Pope Innocent X, Victoire Farnese, sister to his former wife. This Princess died 10th Feb. of the year ensuing. On 23d April, l6'54, the Duke married a third time to Lucrece Barberini, grand-neice of Pope Urban VII I. At the beginning of March l655, the Mar- quis Caracena, wishing to force the Duke of Modena to give up to his brother Renaud the title of Protector of France, put himself in march to enter a second time on the States of this Prince. At this news the Duke sent imme- diately to demand succour from the Court of France, and the Duke of Savoy. Meanwhile he put his places in a state of defence, and put on so good a face, that the Marquis, after having uselessly besieged Reggio, was compelled to re- take the rout for the Milanese. The Duke, having now joined his troops to those of France, and of Savoy, commanded by 317 LETTER XIX. the Prince Thomas, went to the Siege of Pa via, which was opened the 24th July; but he received a bruise in the shoulder, which obliged him to be carried to Asti, where he passed three months in recovering himself. The Siege of Pavia was raised Sep. 15th following; and the Prince Tho- mas returning sick to Turin, died there 22d Jan. 1656. At the commencement of June, Duke Fran- cis, on his return from a journey to Paris, form- ed with his Troops and those of Savoy, the siege of Valence, which surrendered the 7th Sep. In 1657, he had not the same honour at the Siege of Alexandria, which he commenced, 17th July; and which he was obliged to raise on the 19th of August. In July 1658, the young Marquis of Villa, sent by the Duke of Modena, surprized the City of Trin occupied by the Spaniards. On 15th Aug. the Duke made himself master of Mortara. It was his last expedition: lie returned ill; and retired to die at St Agatha, in Piedmont 14th Oct. of the same year, aired 48. By his first wife, Marie Farnese he had two LETTER XIX. 318 sons; and three daughters: 1. Alfonso his suc- cessor. 2. Aymeri. 3. Isabel, born 1635, married l664, to Ranuce II. Duke of Parma. 4. Leo- nore, born l642, a Religieuse at Modena. 5 Ma- rie, born 16*44, third wife of Ranuce II. Duke of Parma. By his last wife, Lucrece Barberini, who died lb'99, he had issue a son, Renaud, (who succeed- ed his nephew Francis II. as Duke of Modena.) Duke Francis joined to the skill of a War- rior a taste for the Belles-Lettres; and a love of the Arts, which flourished at Modena, in his reign. It was He, who commenced the Ducal Palace from the designs of Avanzini. His eldest son, Alfonso IV. born in Febuary 1534, married 2/th May, 1355 Laura Marti- nozzi, niece of Cardinal Mazarin. He succeeded his Father not only in his States, but as General in Chief, of the Armies of France, in Italy, of which the patent was sent to him in Dec. of this year. In 1659, seeing France disposed to make peace with Spain, he tried, by the advice of Mazarin, to make his accommodation with this Power; and succeeded in renouncing the League 519 LETTER XIX. which his Father had contracted with France. By the peace of the Pyrenees, concluded between France and Spain, it was agreed, that Spain should withdraw the garrisson, which it held at Corregio; and that the Emperor should engage to give investiture to the Duke of Modena. The Duke, for some years tormented with the gout, died on 1 6th July l66'2, at the Age of 28 years, leaving by Laura Martinozzi two Chil- dren, Francis, his successor; and Mary, second Wife of James II. King of England. Francis II. born 6'th March l66o, succeeded his Father under the Regency of his Mother, who governed the State of Modena with admi- rable wisdom during the Regency of her Son. In l66'4 by the Treaty of Pisa, which was concluded between Pope Alexander VII. and the King of France, it was provided that the Pope should indemnify the Duke of Modena for the pretensions, which be had on the City and Val- lies of Commachio : but this article was never carried into execution. In March 1674, Francis, having attained the age of 14 years, took the reins of Govern- LETTER XIX. 320 inent into liis own hands. His great uncle Ccc- sar (C Este, acquired such an ascendancy over his mind, that his mother, the Duchess Laura, unable to bear such a rival, took the resolution to retire to Rome, which she executed, notwith- standing her son's entreaties, in April 1676*. In that City, on 19th July 1687, she died, with the reputation of an heroine, and virtuous Princess. On 14th July 1692 Duke Francis married Marguerite Farnese, daughter of Ranuce II; and died of the gout, at Sassuolo, 6th Sep. 1694, set. 35, without issue. He was a great lover of Letters, and the Arts. He founded the rich Library of Este; the Aca- demy of Dissonanti, the University of Modena; and made the beautiful Facade of Marble to the Church of St. George, which had been built from the designs of the celebrated Vigerini. Renaud, uncle of the half- blood to Duke Francis II (son of Duke Francis I, by Lucretia Barberini) was born 25th April l6'55; created a Cardinal 2d Sep. l6'86; and succeeded his ne- phew as Duke of Modena in 1694. He went to Rome in May 1695, and brought back the 321 LETTER XIX. Duchess, his Mother, who had retired thither in Oct. 1683 to shut herself up in a Convent. But the arrival of this Princess occasioned the de- parture of the Duchess Margaret, widow of Francis II. who on 20th Nov. following quitted Modena; and returned to Parma, where she died in June 1699. Eight days after the departure of Margaret, the Duke Renaud married by procuration, at the Castle of Hanover, Charlotte-Felicite, eldest daughter of Jolin-Frederic,* Duke of Brunswic- Hanover, (elder brother of Ernest- Augustus* who b\f his marriage with Sophia, daughter of Frederic, Elector Palatin, was Father of' George I. King of England. * Their Father George of Brunswick -Luneburg, died in 1641. His wife was Anne-Eleonore, daughter of Louis I. Landgrave of Ilessc-Darmstad. His eldest son., Christian Louis, succeeded Ins uncle Frederic II. in 1G48, as Duke of Zell: but died without issue 1668 ; and was succeeded by his next brother George-William, as Duke of Zell. This last died in 1705, leaving a daughter and heir, Sophia-Dorothy, mar- ried to her first Cousin, K. George I. George, of Brunswic, was 5th son, ( but his 4 elder bro- thers left no issue,) of William, Duke of Zell, who died 1592, by Dorothy, daughter of Christian 111. King of Denmark. LETTER XIX. 322 By this marriage the Italian and German Branches of this most ancient and princely House became again united, after a separation of six hundred years. The German Branch are des- cended, as has been shewn, from Albert Azzo II, Marquis of Italy, and Prince of Este, by his Jirst wife, Cunegonde, a Princess of the House of Guelfe: the Italian Branch, from his second This William was younger brother of Henry, who was father of Augustus, ancestor of the line of Brunswic- Wolfenbuttel. Henry and George were sons of Ernest I. Duke of Zell, who died 1546, by Sophia, daughter of Henry, Duke of Mec- lenbourg. Henry, Duke of Lunebourg, was father of Ernest I. by Marguerite, daughter of Ernest, Elector of Saxony : and died 1532. Otto, the Victorious, was father of Henry ; and son of Frederic I. Duke of Lunebourg, who died 14*8— -son of Bernard I, Duke of Lunebourg, who died 1464. 2d son of Magnus II. surnamed Torquatus, Duke of Lunebourg, slain 1373, son of Magnus Debonaire, who died 136S; son of Albert II, of Gottingen and Brunswic, who died 1318; 2d son of Albert, le geand, who died 1278 ; son of Otto I. V En- fant, Duke of Brunswick and Lunebourg, who died 1252, son of William de Lunebourg, who died 1213; 2d son of Henry, the Lion, Duke of Saxony, and Bavaria, who died 1195. 2 t 323 LETTER XIX. marriage with Gersende, daughter of Herbert. Count de Maine. In 1698 Duke Renaud obtained of the Em- peror a diploma, to confirm to him the posses- sion of Corregio, which had been disputed by Gilbert, a descendant of the ancient Sovereigns of the Principality. On 6th Jan. 1702, he delivered up the For- tress of Brescello to the Imperialists, who had already entered into the Mirandola. At length seeing the French Troops ready to overrun his Country, he departed from Modena with his fa- mily and his Court, on 30th July; and went to establish himself at Bologna, till the storm was passed. The French, established at Modena, seized and confiscated, on the 8th Dec. 1/03, all the Revenues of Duke Renaud, under the pretext, says Muratori, that his Minister at Vienna, be- ing; in the Antichamber of the Oueen of the Ro- mans, had saluted the Archduke Charles, after- wards declared King of the Romans, and made his Compliments to him. The unfortunate Duke was not better treated LETTER XIX. 324 by the Imperialists, whose bad conduct had for- ced him to abandon them. On the night of the 19th or 20th of Nov. 1706, they made the as- sault of the City of Modena. The French, who after the breach was forced, were not active in training the Castle, were massacred in the heat of the capture. The following year, w 7 hile the imperialists pressed the Siege of the Citadel of Modena, Duke Renaud arrived from Bologna, on Jan. 31st, and 7th Feb. following, engaged the Gover- nor to give up the Place, notwithstanding the orders he had received to defend it to the last extremity; and notwithstanding the menaces which had been cast upon him, if he should have the negligence to give it up. This was done by Chevalier Folard, notwithstanding the refusal of all the other officers to sign the Capi- tulation, and noth withstanding the indignation of the Garrison. The French should have gone out by the Breach ; but as there was none, one was made. When this labour was finished, a thousand Be- sieged marched out in the presence of six hundred 325 LETTER XIX. Besiegers! This affair ended by a Pension of GOOO livres granted to the Governor. In 1708, an event occurred, which seemed to open to the Duke of Modena, a way to re-enter upon the other inheritence taken from his ances- tors. In May of this year, the Emperor Joseph, discontented with Pope Clement XI. sent Troops into the Ferrarese, to get possession of Comma- chio and its district, as an Imperial Fief usurped under the Pontificate of Clement VIII. He ex- tended these pretentions to all the Ferrarese. Clement XI, unintimidated, caused 20,000 troops, under the command of Count Marsigli, to march against the Imperialist, who had already made themselves Masters of Commachio and other places. But on the 15th Jan. of the fol- lowing year he made a Treaty of Peace with the Emperor, which contained an article that the differences between the Pope and the Duke of Modena should be submitted to arbitration; and that Commachio should remain in the Emperors hands, till it was otherwise agreed on; and that Commissioners should be named on one side and LETTER XIX. 326 on the other to regulate the pretensions of his Imperial Majesty upon the Fief. "The Duke of Modena could not disguise from himself" says Mably "that notwithstand- ing all that was pretended to be stipulated in his favour, his interests were sacrificed to the aviditv oi Joseph; and that this Prince only sought to cover his usurpation under the honourable name of a Sequestration. The Duke therefore pro- tested against the Treaty of 1709." At the commencement of 1 725, Pope Bene- dict XIII, obtained of the Emperor Charles VI. the restitution of Commachio. In 1710, the Emperor, to punish Francis-Ma- rie Pico, Duke of Mirandola, for having taken the part of France and Spain, confiscated his Duchy, and the Marquisate of Goncordia, and put them to public sale, without regard to the well-founded pretensions of the House of To- relli. In May the Duke of Modena made this ac- quisition for 200,000 pistoles. On 28th Sep. 1710 he lost his Duchess, Char- lotte Felicite, who died at Modena, 327 LETTER XIX. In 1714 he was again obliged to retire to Bologna, after the French and the Spaniards had possessed themselves of his estates in the War which they made with the Emperor. In May 1/36 the Enemy having evacuated the Duchy of Modena, the Duke re-entered the end of the same year. In October following he received from the Emperor Charles VI, the in- vestiture of the County of Novellara, vacant by the death of the last Count, Philip de Gonzagua dead without issue. Duke Renaud now fell sick; and died 26th of the same month (May 1736) aged 81; leaving one son, and three daughters; 1. Francis-Ma- rie III. 2. Benedicta-Ernesta, died unmarried 19th Sep. 1/77- 3. Amelia-Josephine. 4. Hen- rietta-Maria, married 1st on Feb. 5 th 1728, An- thony, Duke of Parma, s. p. 2dly in 1740, Leo- pold, Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, who died in 1764, and whom she survived till 1777. Frav cts-Marie III. only son of Duke Re- naud by Charlotte Felieite, of Brunswick, was born 2d July 1698 ; and married on 21st June 1 720, Charlotte- Aglae, daughter of Philip, Duke LETTER XIX. 328 of Orleans, Regent of France, who died in 1736. was at that time in Hungary, serving in the Army of the Emperor against the Turks. At the termination of the Campaign, he came to Vienna, on Nov. 1st, and was here named by the Emperor, General of his Artillery. On 4th Dec. following, he arrived in his Capital, where he received magnificently, in 173<), the Grand Dnke Francis of Lorraine; and his Consort, Maria- Theresa, who were on a visit to their Estates in Tuscany. In 1742, pressed on one side by the Austrians, and on the other, by the Spaniards, in the War then renewed between the Houses of Austria and Bourbou ; the Dnke of Modena took the part of neutrality; but the Austrians demanded that he should declare himself for them. On his refusal the King of Sardinia, the ally of the Queen of Hungary, entered at the head of an Armv, into the States of Modena. The Duke then quitted his Palace of Sassu- olo, where he was with his Court; and retired on June Gth, (1742) to Ferrara, whence he im- mediately passsed to Venice. 329 LETTER XIX. The City of Modena surrendered itself to the Allies, without resistance, hut the Citadel de- fended itself with vigour under the orders of General Paludi; and did not capitulate till the 28th of the same month. The hostilities of the Allies now obliged the Duke to declare himself for the House of Bour- bon. In 1743 the King of Spain appointed him General in Chief of his Troops in Italy. The Duke on his arrival at Rimini, where the army of the Count de Gages was stationed, took upon himself this charge on the 9th of May. In Nov. following he broke up his Camp at Rimini, before the Army of Count Lobknowitz; and turned to the side of Naples. On Aug. 1 1 th of the follow- ing year a detachment of the Austrians surprized the King of Sicily and the Duke of Modena at Veletri. But these Princes, having: rallied their Troops, who had taken flight, fell upon the ene- my, who only occupied themselves in pillaging the City, and putting to flight the troops who had escaped the first fury of the soldiers. On Dec. 29th of the same year, Maria-The- resa-Felicit&, daughter of the Duke and Duchess LETTER XIX. 330 of Modena, born 6th of Oct. 1726, was married at Versailles to Louis- John-Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthievre. On 24th April 1745, the Duke of Modena, having passed the Panaro, entered into the Car- fagnana, a Province of his Estates occupied by the Allies, and possessed himself of Castel-Nuo- vo; and afterwards of Fort Mont- Alfonso. The taking of these places facilitated to him the re- union of his Army with that of the Infant Don Philip, whom he rejoined, in effect, in the State of Genoa, in the month of May following. On the night of the 7th or 8th of August the Duke opened the trenches before Tortona, which he forced to capitulate on Sep. 3d, after a vigo- rous defence. On the night of the 21st or 22d of the same month he entered with a detachment, by an Aqueduct, into Pavia, of which he rendered him- self master. In 1746, Las Minas having come into Italy, with the patent of General, sent on the part of Ferdinand, the new King of Spain, the Infant Don Philip and the Duke of Modena, seeing 2u 331 LETTER XIX. that he would not acknowledge their authority but in appearance; and that he acted despotic- ally, following; secret orders with which he was furnished, took the resolution to retire into Pro- vence. In 1748 the Duke of Modena was re-esta- blished in his States by the Peace of Aix-la-Cha- pelle. The following year he made a journey to England; and arrived in London on 19th April. He departed on June 1st following; and went to Cologne, whence the next day, taking the route by Francfort and the Tyrol, he made his entry at Venice on the 31st of August; and at length, after an absence of seven years, entered Modena, 28th Sep. 1/52; and was received with the most distinguished marks of joy. In Dec. 1753, the Empress -Queen, having named her second son the Archduke Peter-Leo- pold Governor of all the Countries she possessed in Lombardy, sent to the Duke of Modena the Patent of Vice -Governor of these Countries. The Prince, in consequence, arrived at Milan 9th Jan. 1/54; and the next dav took possession of the Government in the name of the Archduke. LETTER XIX. 332 Having left this City Feb. 4th, he returned to it on 22(1 Auit- following:, to resume the adminis- tration of the Duchy of Milan. On Jan. lgtb ljo'l, died at the age of 6*0 years his Duchess Charlotte- Aglae d' Orleans, whom he married on 21st June 1720. The Duke survived her nineteen years ; and ended his career at Varese, 23d Feb. 1/80, at the age of 82 years, leaving by this marriage one son, Hercules-Renaud; and two daughters, Ma- thilda, born /th Feb. 1729, living 1785; and Marie-Fortunee, born 24th Nov. 1731, married 27th Feb. l/59 5 to Louis -Francis -Joseph de Bourbon, Count de la Marche, afterwards Prince of Conti. Hercules-Renaud, Duke of Modena, (only son and heir of Francis-Marie,) born 22d Nov. 1727- succeeded in 1780, to the States of Modena, Reggio, and Mirandola. On 29th Sep. 1741, he married Maria -Theresa, daughter of Alberic II. Cibo-Malespina, # Duke of Massa, * This family were descended from Tope Innocent VIII. (Jean-Baptiste-CiBo) who died 1492. His son Francis Cibo was Count of Aquillara, and Ferentillo, and died aged 333 LETTER XIX. Prince of Carrara, and last branch of the male line of this ancient family. She died at Reggio., 26th Dec. 1/90, and was interred in the Church of the Holy Virgin, called Delia Gkiaia. 70, having married Magdalena daughter of Lorenzo de Me- dic is. His son Lorenzo Cibo, Count of Ferentillo, and first Marquis of Massa died 1546, aged 58, having married Ricor- da Malaspina, daughter and heir of Alberic, Marquis of Massa, and Carrara. His son Alberic I. Cibo, was created Prince of MassA by the Emperor Maximilian I. and died 1623, aged 96, By his first wife Elizabeth de Hovere, daughter of Francis-Maria Duke of Urbino, he was father of Alderamo Cibo, who died before his father, lb'08, leav^ ing by Marfisa d' Este, Carlo I. Cibo, Prince of Massa, and Marquis of Car- rara, who died 1662. He left issue by Brigita Spinola. Alberico II. Cibo first Duke of Massa, and Prince of Carrara, who died 1690, leaving by Fulvia Pico, daughter of Alexander I. Duke of Mirandola. Carlo II. Cibo, Duke of Massa, and Prince of Carrara who died 17 10. His wife was Camilla, daughter of Camillo. Prince of St. Martino. His eldest son Alberico HI. Cibo, Duke of Massa, and Prince of Carrara, died 1715, and was succeeded by his brother Alderamo, Duke of Massa, and Prince of Carrara, who died 1731. His Avife was Ricarda, daughter of Camil- lo II. Count of Novellara. LETTER XIX. 334 In 1796 the Victories obtained in Piedmont by the Armies of France, under the orders of General Napoleon Bonaparte, forced Duke Her- cules III. to determine to quit his States, which were threatened with an irruption on the part of the enemy. He quitted Modena, with his sister, the Prin- cess Mathilda, on the Evening of May 7th 1796, to the great regret of his subjects ; and retired to Venice; having named, before his departure, a Regency, at the head of which was the Mar- quis Girard Rangone. To this Regency the Duke confided the government of his dominions. A little after a deputation was sent to the Gene- ral in Chief, who was at Placenza; and he re- quired a great contribution to be paid to the French Army; and an Embassy to be sent to the Directory of the Republic at Paris, to treat of a Peace with them. The Count of San-Romano, named to this difficult mission, departed immediately accompa- nied by the Professor John-Baptist Venturi, and two Secretaries: but all these proceedings went for nothing: and the French Troops took hos- 335 LETTER XIX. tile occupation of Modena on the evening of Oct. 6th 1796. In this year there was assembled at Reggio, by order of Bonaparte, a Congress composed of Cispadane Italians ; and on 27th Dec. it decreed the unity and indivisibility of the Cispadane Re- public, to which these provinces were joined : but only for a short time; for Bonaparte by his decree of 27th May, 1797? detached them from the Cispadane; and united them to the new Cisalpine Republic ; which had Milan for its Capital. A little time after the Treaty of Leoben, war being renewed, the fate of Arms entirely changed in Italy; and on 30th April 1799, the Germans penetrated on the side of Parma. On 4th May of the same year the Austrians occupied Modena, where a Regency was provisionally established, which published, on 13th May new regulations for administering the Estates of the House of Este. But the French Army, which remained in the Kingdom of Naples, commanded by General Macdonald, approached by forced inarches to LETTER XIX. ;>3b' Modena, to come to the succour of the Grand Array encamped near the Po. A body of Aus- trians, under the orders of General Ott, opposed itself to their passage through these States, with the sole view of retarding their march. In effect the French, having on the evening of 11th of June 1799 given the signal of an attack upon the ramparts of Modena, they put it into execution the day after, and the Austrians sustained it feebly for some time; after which they abandon- ed the City to the French, who entered it, and caused much destruction. The German Corps retired to Placenza, where it rejoined the Army of the General in Chief Melas, aud that of the Russian General Suwarrow , who were watching the French . These last were beat at Trebia, on 19th June; and were obliged to retire, on the 24th in a bad condition, upon Reggio, and Modena. Thence they retired into Tuscany, always closely pursued by the Austrian General Klenau, who, on the 25th, occupied Modena. These provinces then returned under the dominion of Duke Hercules, who named a Re- 337 LETTER XIX. gency, over which presided the Imperial Com- missary, Count Querrieri of Mantua. But the Duke continued his residence at Tre- viso; for he perceived that the affairs of Italy were not yet settled. In effect the Battle of Marengo, gained by the French in June 1800 rendered them again Masters of all Lombardy, and the contiguous Provinces. The Conquerors established the Government of the Cisalpine Republic at Modena as well as at Beggio; a government which subsisted till the epoch of the Foundation of the Kingdom of Italy; of which these States formed two De- partments: one named, of Panaro, having for its chief City, Modena; the other of Crostolo, hav- ing for its chief City, Beggio. When the City of Venice was threatened, and afterwards occupied by the French Arms, Duke Hercules retired to Treviso, with his sis- ter Mathilda. He lived exiled from his States till 1803, when after a long illness sustained with Christian resignation, he died the night of the 13th or 14th of October, aged 75 years, 10 LETTER XIX. 338 months, and 24 days; and was buried in the Church of the Capuchins of that City. In 18l6 the Body was transported to Modena; and de- posited in a tomb in the Cathedral Church ac- cording to the orders of his Will. Here ended the male line of the Italian branch of the very ancient and illustrious House of Este. In the same month the Princess Mathilda died atTreviso: and in the following month, her sister, the Princess Fortunee, widow of the Prince de Bourbon -Conti, terminated her days at Ve- nice. Marie-Beatrix d' Este, only daughter and heir of the last Duke, by Marie-Therese de Ciho Malespina, succeeded her Mother, on 26th Dec. 1790, in the Principalities of Massa and Carrara. On 15th Oct. 177 1 ? this Princess married the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, younger son of the Emperor Francis I. and of Maria-Theresa: and carried to him her rights of inheritance upon Modena, Reggio, and Mirandola. The Events of the war had forced the late Duke to exchange the States of Modena for Bris- gaw and Ortenau in conformity to the provisions 2 V 339 LETTER XIX. of the Peace of Luneville of 1801. But the Duke, not choosing to take possession of these Provinces, made a cession of them to his son-in- law, the Archduke Ferdinand, who preserved the Sovereignty till 1805, when they passed to the Grand-Dnke of Baden. The Archduke Ferdinand died 24th Decem- ber 1806, leaving four sons, and three daughters. Francis IV. (eldest son of Marie - Beatrix clEste by the Archduke Ferdinand) born 6th Oct. 1779? was called to the Duchy of Modena in 1814. At this epoch the affairs of Europe changed their face. The Neapolitan Troops, under the orders of Murat, then King of Naples, appeared, on 21st Jan. without seeming to assume an hos- tile character. But in a few days there arrived two small Corps, one Austrian, and one English, commanded by General Nugent. * These joined themselves to the Neapolitan Troops ; and com- menced hostilities against the Army of the King- dom of Italy. * The same, who was lately Commander in Chief at Naples, till removed by the Revolution of July 6th 1820. LETTER XIX. 340 On 7 tn F eD - General Nugent published a Proclamation, by which he delivered up these States to the legitimate successor, Francis IV, Archduke of Austria, eldest son of Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, deceased, and of the Arch- duchess, Marie -Beatrix d' Este, sole surviving Branch of the ancient family of Este, On 14th July, 1814, the new Sovereign Francis IV. entered solemnly into Modena, ac- companied by his Consort, Marie- Beatrix -Vic- toire, daughter of the King of Sardinia; and followed by Prince Maximilian d'Este, Archduke of Austria, his Brother. This gave the greatest joy among all ranks of the Citizens, who thus saw their wishes accomplished. The tranquillity, which had now commenced in Italy, was disturbed in the following year, 1815; and Modena was again enveloped in the common evils; from which however it was soon relieved bv the activity which its Sovereign took in military affairs, On 4th April 1815, the Army of Mnrat pre- sented itself before the ramparts of Modena, then guarded only by a Corps of German Infantry; 341 LETTER XIX. and a few Cavalry under the orders of the Aus- trian General Bianchi. The Neapolitan Forces were much more considerable, though badly com- manded ; and the Duke of Modena judged it proper to withdraw himself for a little time from the Capital: and therefore went to Mantua, whi- ther he was preceded some days by the Archduke Maximilian, who went immediately into Austria, to accelerate the succours destined for the Ger- man Army in Italy. The Archduchess had already gone some days before to Mantua, while all the family trans- ported itself to Venice. But the Austrian Troops, being already on the road, very quickly arrived, after some partial combats, which they sustained with the enemy; and in which the last were always beaten. On the night of the 1 1th or 12th of April, the Neapolitan Division, preceded by King Mn- rat, quitted Modena, which was entirely relieved by seeing the next morning Duke Francis arrive at the head of a Corps of Hungarian Cavalry. This second Entry of the Prince was an epoch for his subjects more joyous than the first, LETTER XIX. 342 when they saw themselves delivered from the im- minent danger of falling into the hands of Stran- gers. And all hastened to testify their delight at a return so prompt, as well as so desirable. The victories gained by the Germans over the Army of Naples; which in a few days was constrained to quit the States of the Holy See, always closely pursued by the Austrians, encou- raged the Pope to return anew to Rome, whence he had fled a second time, when the Neapolitan Troops approached his Capital. He took the the route of Tuscany, and Genoa : but in return- ing, he honoured, for a fourth time, the City of Modena with his presence; and arrived there on 24th May 1815. He was received at the Gates of the City by the reigning Duke, and remained there till the 27th of the same month. The present Duke has issue. :u3 LETTER XX. ftemavkjs on tl?e {Subject's of the last 2ettcrs===^t0torji=== 33tbUograpfig=--=^ublic Z&ste. Xaplts, hth August 1820. 1 HAVE been induced in my former Letters to give some account of the Sovereigns of three of the chief of the Petty States of Italy: of Milan/ the most considerable Principality of Lombardy; *I have said nothing of the Literary history of Milan, which I ought to have a little enlarged upon. Like all the great Cities of Italy, it has copious and laborious Works, dedicated to the record of the Lives and Writings of its learn- ed Men ; especially Philippi Argelati Bononiensis Bibliotheca Scriptorum Mediolanensium. Two splendid Folio Volumes, Milan, 1745. Among these may be mentioned Andreas Alic- atus, well-known to the English for his Emblems : and Car- dan, the Physician, for whom see No I. of the Retrospective Review. LETTER XX. .'>44 of Parma -|- and of Modena. Whoever is curi- ous about the History of Europe in the XlVth XVth XVIth and XVIIth Centuries, must wish to have a clear understanding of the Viscontis, the Sforzas, the Farneses, and the Estes. Nume- rous as are the accounts of them to be found in the Volumes of learned and well-furnished Libra- ries, they do not often occur in such Books, as are at present in general circulation in England. In truth, though Bibliography is a study, which may be very much abused, and is too often the rage of a Fool with a long memory, yet he, who is not tolerably well versed in the solid parts of this study, must be content, in all the literary departments, of which the fruit is to be derived from the collected wisdom of ages, con- tinually to waste his labour on what has been already done to his hands; and to be blind to a thousand lights, which, if accessible, he will not be forgiven for having neglected. f Cristoforo Poggiali, Librarian of the Royal Library at Placenza, wrote, Memorie per la Storia Letteraria di Piaecnza. 2 vols 4to. Piaceuza, 1 789. 345 LETTER XX. Thus soundly applied, it teaches us a jftst humility by the opportunity of comparison; and, though a learned man may not be a man of genius, or talent, yet talent and genius can ad- vance but a little way without learning. A Nation, which has passed its highest point of Literary vigour and splendor is apt to mistake superficiality for taste; and to call whatever is solid or copious, dull. They like what requires little attention, and still less reflection : a pert joke ; a gaudy metaphor ; an oracular sneer 1 Some short and piquant remark, which may not puzzle the understanding, or overload the me- mory; but may be easily borrowed; carried away; and form a bon-inot for conversation ! Some- thing, which boldly takes part with vulgar feel- ings! Something which, as in some former ages it was the fashion to overrate the claims of lite- rature, panders to the mean passions of the pub- lic of the present day by degrading and debasing them! Something, which glories in coming back to a belief in first appearances which treats what- ever is taken on the authority of the Wise as prejudice: which rejects every thing profound, LETTER XX. 346 as curious and useless subtlety: which relies on the unborrowed and unprompted force of its own understanding; and believes that real illumina- tion, and sound learning, have risen up for the first time in the Nineteenth Centurv ! A Book to please such tastes may easily be written by any practised Author, who will con- descend to apply a very small degree of ingenuity in the exercise of the necessary Charlatanism! The learned John Burchard Menckenius (who died 1732, set. 58,) wrote a Book De Charlate- neria Eruditorum.* This, I believe, was first * In the Charlatanism of Dedications, the Author speaks of our Thomas Fuller, the author of the Worthies; the Church Historij, #c. ' ' Alii, ut Thomas Fullerus, celebratissimus Historicus Anglus, libros suos plurimis voluminibus parti- untur, singulisque singulos prseponunt Principes aut Opti- mates, a quibus lucelli quippiam aucupantur." p. 63. The author speaks of the vain collectors of Books, in the same manner as, it is now the fashion to speak, as if it was a discovery! Ad eos pergo, qui, cum ipsi nihil habeant, quod prodant, vel polliceantur, satis tamen se tueri posse putant nomen eru- diti, si cunctas suas facultates dilapidates, quicquid ubique prodeat librorum, quos nee legunt quidem unquam, nee si legant, intelligunt, avidissime corradant totosque montes con- gerant, quae longo ordine velut in armamentariis disposita, 2Y 347 LETTER XX. published at Amsterdam, in l/l6. I have the 6th edition, published at Naples, 1786. 8vo. But the mode and form of Charlatanism necessarily varies with the Age : it must follow the fashions and prejudices of the day. At the commencement of the Seventeenth Century, Ser- mons and Disquisitions were loaded with endless quotations from the Classics and Fathers. Every thing was proved by authority: Now every thing is proved, by what is called reason ! Books, like assortments of goods, are made for the sole purpose of pleasing the public taste: multoque auro ac purpura distincta aliquoties per diem hila- rem vultu adspectant, amicisque ac clientibus suis identidem ad nauseam usque demonstrant." The Neapolitan Editor adds in a Note the following French Extract : " De toutes les occupations une des plus vaines c'est sans doute celle de faire une Biblotheque, pour ne s'en servir ja- mais. II est vrai, que c'est un meuble qui pare une chambre de meme que les poreellaines, les tables, les peintures, les ta- pisseries. Dons. . . . ne lit, et ne lira jamais; mais il a du bien. ... II achete des livres, les fait relier bien proprement, forme une nombreuse Bibliotheque. A certain jour, a certaine heure, une fois le mois, il fait placer sor fauteuil vis a vis de ces beaux livres ; et la illes contemple.. . Apres quoi il se retire toujours ignorant, mais fort satisfait d'avoir vu des Livres. "& c V. Refl. Mor. Sat. et Com. p. 35, seq. LETTER XX. 348 not to lead it! Not their learning, but their nes- cience, must be consulted ! The pages must be as light as their understandings ; and as fashion- ably devoid of laborious discussion! The tone of fashionable society must be adopted: the current topics must be just touched upon; a piquant thing on the most trifling and insignificant part of them must be said — and then away to something else ! Politics may be touched: — but touched with a smile, and a sneer; as if every thing old was the abuse of the rights of the Many, for the gratifi- cation of the Few; and as if the present Epoch alone had freed our judgments from prejudice! Whether we are in any respect; — either in genius, taste, or learning, advanced beyond our ancestors, may at least be strongly doubted! Whether in Criticism, that Art in which we are supposed to have made the most rapid progress, we have effected any sound and just improve- ment, is a question much less easy to determine, than is supposed. It is true, we have increased tenfold in severity: but I doubt, if there be much sound policy in turning out Authors, to be bated like wild-beasts, for the public entertainment! to 349 LETTER XX. gratify the worst malignities of a literature-hating Mob!* I know, that in these our days other motives than a regard to the cause of Literature, real or pretended, have been the main springs in the propagation of Literary Judgments. The dis- semination of political Opinions ; the advocating the cause of a Party has been the prime purpose of the principal British Journals of the XlXth Century. Literary merit, or demerit, has been * But here again there is perhaps nothing new : In the Notes to Menckenius I find this passage. "In hunc censum (veritatem non dicendi) referendi sunt multi Ephemeridum Scriptores, qui sine ullo aut judicio aut delectu excerpta compilare, et superfluis suis insulsisque ali- eni laboris, sive censuris, sive panegyricis mercedem men- struam promereri soliti sunt. Alii id curant tantum, ut suos ipsi lihellos eosque, qui ex officina Typographi sui prodeant, extollantj ceteros omnes praistantissimos licet, carpant et sugillant, quo id consequi- tur, ut Autores velint nolint, sua seripta offerant gratis Cen- soribus illis ut vol levi saltern censura afficiantur, vel indicia certe maneant. Ita sunt, qui J Clericuni accusant, quod nullo alio fine tot annis scripserit suas Ephemerides, quam ut scrip- tis suis digne recensendis ac \ indicandis, aliorum vero, quibus male vellet, carpendis locum faceret." pp. 187. 1S8. LETTER XX. 350 therefore made a consideration subordinate to these views. The National Reading has therefore been confined to a few Books : and those Books have become the Masters of the Public mind. Indi- viduals are scarcely ever strong enough to face them. One gigantic mind did so; and con- quered ! But the only proper reference, which the subject of Literary Criticism has to these Letters, is the manner of writing Accounts of Travels ; and the objects of the particular Travellers curio- sity. Some go in search of the Arts ; some, of Literature; some, of Society and Manners; some, of the face of Nature ; some, of natural Science ; and some, of political institutions. But without particular opportunity, to how little advantage can most, (if any,) of these be pursued? What that is worth relating can a superficial Connoiseur, always in motion, tell of pictures, and sculptures, and buildings ? Can we by pass- ing a night, a day, or a week at an Hotel, guess at the political character of the people, among whom it is placed ? Can we guess at the evils 351 LETTER XX. that grind them ; can we prognosticate the chan- ges, that would make them happy? Then as to society and manners, — a man like Dr. Moore, travelling with a Duke of Ha- milton, a British nobleman, of the highest rank, and of an historical name, might have an oppor- tunity of seeing them internally; and describing them with exactness ! but what proud spirit, to whom it is not so easy, will come with crouching introductions; and wait the mercy of whim and prejudice; neglect and insult? The access perhaps to Literatiis not so diffi- cult — at least to a busy man, who can condes- cend to solicit introductions ! And the scenes of Nature are open to all! " You cannot shut the windows of the sky, Through which Aurora shews her opening face." * Little incidents and anecdotes, which shew traits of National character, are much sought after and praised! But it too often happens, that these are traits of the mere surface of character, and into the bargain,— of that portion of society, about which little interest can be felt. * Thompson's Castle of Indolence. LETTER XX. 352 As few writers of Travels therefore either know how to select proper topics, or have the talents, the learning, or the opportunities to sup- ply themselves with the proper materials for the due treatment of those topics, few Books in this department are of any permanent value; or even of any momentary interest, except to vulgar and uncultivated curiosity. More than forty years have elapsed, since Coxe's Tour into Sivitzerland first appeared. It still retains its reputation ;— and justly. This ari- ses from the sound and useful matter of which it is formed. The learned Author's mind was directed to whatever was worthy of notice in sce- nery, natural curiosities, history, politics, biogra- phy, literature, geography, statistics. His cha- racter, introductions, address, curiosity, activity, and spirits introduced him every where to the most distinguished local Literati: and from them, or with their aid, he learned, or was directed to the means of learning, whatever it was most de- sirable for his purpose to know, on the numerous topics which the enquiries of his comprehensive and well-stocked mind embraced. 353 LETTER XX. Matter thus widely gathered; then well-sift- ed, admitted with all the guards of a well pre- pared and long-instructed judgment, and told with the skill and precision of a Scholar, must comprehend what is beyond the reach of the in- dividual imparters of the separate portions. Each Local Man of Letters might have been more ex- act, and more profound, as he would have been more original, in his own particular sphere. But in him the combination would have been wanting. It may be also observed, that an observing Stranger has some advantages in selecting pecu- liar traits of manners or whatever else is uncom- mon, over a native, in whom familiarity blunts remark. Coxes Tour therefore has lost little of its value from Time. The sterling ore of the mat- ter preserves it: and though it has been distilled, and hashed up into an hundred subsequent works, there is always a freshness in the original relator, which literary piracy cannot successfully coun- terfeit ! Whenever therefore a Traveller with all the LETTER XX. 354 qualifications of Coxe, including his industry and address, shall arise, he may make a valuable addition to literature, and to knowledge. But how much the greater part of volumes of Travels are pert and offensive trifles, worse than waste paper. An unfortunate opinion prevails, that a man without literary habits, or even without literary talents, may be able to produce an agreeable, if not an useful Book of Travels! — How can he get the information ?—- What substitute can he produce for the want of it? — If a man of genius, or even of literature alone is deficient in the intelligence, which ought to be the first ingre- dient of such Works, still by his general opi- nions, by his taste, by his style, by his very authority, he may make an agreeable and in- structive Book! * z 355 CONCLUDING LETTER. Geneva, bth Ftbruary, 18-22. A.S it has been resolved that the communication to the Public of my Letters from the Conti- nent shall close here, a desire has risen in my mind since yesterday to give here a few parting- words . How far my Printer has conducted the read- er, I know not: probably not beyond Bologna; through which we passed for the first time about the 23d of October I8I9. We remained at Florence till the end of April 1820; then having spent nearly three weeks at Leghorn, arrived at Naples, by sea, the end of May. Here we remained till the 8th or 10th of Dee. —-reached Rome in the evening of the fourth day, after a perilous escape from the Brigands; LETTER XXI. 356 staid there till 7th of April 1821; thence passed back to Florence; and by Bologna, Ferrara, Ro- vigo, and Padua, to Venice; which City we left again on the fifth day. We now returned through Padua, Vicenza, Brescia, and Bergamo, to Milan, where we rested only one day. By Vercelli and Novara we came to Turin; and passing the Alps again by Mont Cents, reach- ed Geneva a second time on 12th May, 1821 It was curious to have an opportunity of ob- serving the short reign of the Carbonari govern- ment at Naples. It was not less so to have one's ears every moment assailed by the cunning and deep-plan- ned reports, framed of utter invention, which thousands of emissaries were propagating dur- ing the passage of the Austrians round the walls of Rome in March 1821; and which English credulity repeated with untired and undestruc- tible eagerness. It would have taught to me, if I had not known before, of what stuff revolutions were made. I wrote privately to England my observations and opinions; but my intelligence 357 LETTER XXI. was not palatable; and therefore few would give credit to it. What astonished me was the utter want of accurate information of the English Newspapers on both sides, at this time. The opposition Papers naturally shut their ears to that, which they did not wish . But the Government Papers were equally ignorant. When I asked some of my private correspondents why they did not give a hint of what I wrote to them, so contrary to the current news, they answered; " why, it was dis- agreeable to people ; and they did not like to hear it!" Thus, "Qui vult decipi, decipiatur!" The last Letter of those printed is probably one of those written from Naples in August 1820. Seventeen eventful months have since passed. I could not crowd all that I have observed, and all that 1 have learned since that time into halt a dozen thick volumes! I do not assume that the matter of such volumes would have much hope of being to the public taste. I should have been glad however, if 1 had had sufficient encourage- ment to fix them upon paper. Perhaps it would LETTER XXI. 358 have given me a stimulus to embody many things, which are yet undeveloped even to myself! Let it go ! I have occupation enough with- out the task of these Letters! And it cannot be denied, that the Public have a right to choose, and to carve for themselves. I wish they did do this! but, alas, they choose and carve according to the dictates of certain Reviewers; under the dictates of certain Booksellers! While this is the case, all taste will be mercenary; or at best capricious! All opinions will be adapted to some temporary purpose. And literature, of which it was formerly the highest praise to exalt us above the arb'ttrlum papillaris auric, becomes its most entire and most unresisting victim. It is said, that the Mob always takes the lone of a qualified leader! — It takes the tone in gene- ral, of some leader! but is he always, or com- monly, a qualified leader? Sometimes he is a sprig of fashion ! Sometimes he is at the head of a political faction ! Sometimes he is a publish- er s hireling, paid to set off his employer's goods! Sometimes he is in the pay, or under the patro- nage of some overweening, upstart, presumptuous 593 LETTER XXI. Aristocrat; whose assumptions, whose violences, whose intrigues, whose ambitions, and whose im- portance, he must guard by every maneuvre, and at any sacrifice! Sometimes he is the chief of a literary coterie, out of whose pale no merit is to be allowed ! Of all the misfortunes that can happen to Literature, the greatest is its entire subjection to temporary politics. It is in this latter occupa- tion that all the most coarse talents, and most vulgar passions of mankind are busied. As it is all carried on by a system of intrigue and man- agement, and unblushing disregard of all those principles of sincerity, plain dealing, and honor, which a man in his individual conduct would be ashamed to disavow: so, from the instant that Literature falls under the same dominion, the same rules of acting are applied to it without shame or hesitation. It is notorious that Eng- lish Literature is now under the direction of the two great Political Parties who rule over the State. The Law is given at their respective Co- teries, or Cabinets. The Author, who by his independence has omitted to create any interest LETTER XXI. 360 with one of these Parties, is most punctiliously, and with unbroken caution, condemned to neg- lect. It would be treason even to mention his name. But it is quite impossible, that a practical Politician, living in the heated and contagious temperament of daily contention, should have a pure and unvitiated taste in literature ! All his opinions must be mixed with so much which is adventitious and artificial, that it would be above humanity to separate them ! We know also that very minor wits make great men among the prac- tical politicians. All the higher departments of literature lead to a tone of mind quite inconsistent with the routine of practical affairs. They cannot there- fore find a due sympathy in the taste of men so employed! An habit of piquancy, and sarcasm, and raillerv grows up, which is mistaken for solid superiority: and the sensitiveness of genius is sacrificed to the flippant jest of a lively com- panion. All this is exactly what the multitude, great and small, enjoys. Nothing is so hateful to them 36 1 LETTER XXI. as intellectual superiority; and nothing so de- lightful as to pull it down! We are no longer to be dazzled by its splendor; and to be blind to its faults ! We are to teach the mob to detect every weakness with microscopic eye; to analyse away its beauties'; and to exaggerate its defects and errors! to instruct the envious how to sneer; and the stupid how to laugh ! Hence men come boldly forward as Authors, who rely upon their management and influence among certain Coteries; and hence those who disdain such servitude, submit to a sullen silence; and to close within their own bosoms the ener- gies of genius, which might have delighted the world ! — It is ludicrous enough, that Great Britain, which in every thing else is becoming extrava- gantly democratical, is governed in literature by two petit and narrow, but imperious, unbending, and exclusive Aristocracies! One transcen- dant Genius has, indeed, shewn himself above them all; and made a Law and a dominion to himself! In defiance of politics, in defiance of personalities, bis strength has risen with op- LETTER XXI. 362 pression and laughing his assailants to scorn, he has forced the applause he disdained to solicit! Till they, who shall take the lead, will trust less to their own crude notions and imperfect views, and more to what the literature of ages has acknowledged as standards of taste, or of moral and political truth; till there shall he more of individual and independent scholarship, and less of Party conspiracy, Literature will continue to decline among the British as rapidly as it has done in the last twenty years ; and perhaps with accelerated velocity. FINIS. >»-*<»<:>»*<«' KENT: $rmtet> at tbc pribate IfJrcss. of &ce ^riorji ; BY JOHN WARWICK. 1822. 1 f3? ?I?'"~*7ei? mm ^^ ^-.'.w.J-'yW! gWSW«* w' ;i : »3WW rrUUkkn pi 3 ■M*w,y RlsT V.vk jyy ?v &\ V' 'ir KJ.Vw y«rH Efl w.w{ .;- /"m w i- ri*w. dVuy ;'w »= W ,sft / V* wi?^y V*^ ST.- ■V v^ %e&ft, f V., '. aw *W>W PB rf^j^^Mlwy^ ■*VVM «$* •WW'W^ 1 ^wwwv V .W \J ,v v v»- ^"- / ■ ^ V 5VV> ^wil' Vl ■mm®** wwmw^K^i^ ijCw.w/SS^gyf ', » w^te Hu - 11 £tt& ^^"fc*J*- :3mmm Mife* ffianUmJEft