19

ties, to have become scarcely intelligible. The first symptoms of improvement appeared about the middle of the fifteenth century, when Cosmo de' Medici, after having established his authority in Florence 3, devoted the latter years of a long and honourable life to the encouragement's and even the study of philosophy and polite letters.

the infirms state of health was severely

He died in 1464; and

of his son Piero, who

afflicted by the gout3, did not permit13 him to make that progress3 in the path which his father had pointed out, that his natural disposition would otherwise have effected. After surviving him only about five years, the greater part of which time he was confined to a sick beds he died, leaving two sons: to the elder of whom, Lorenzo, the praise of having restored to literature its ancient honours11 is principally13 due. In succeeding 44 times indeed that praise has been almost exclusively bestowed on Giovanni de' Medici, afterwards 48 Leo the tenth, the second son of Lorenzo, who undoubtedly promoted the views, but never in any degree rivalled the talents of his father. Certain it is that no man was ever more admired and venerated by his contemporaries, or has been more defrauded 55 of his

46

18 Kunstrichter. 19verständlich. 20 Anzeichen, n., of improvement eines bessern Zustandes. 21begründen. 22 Anschen. 23 Florenz. 24widmen. 25 Ermunterung. 26schön. 27Wissenschaft. 28schwach. 29Gesundheitszustand. 3oschwer. 31 kehaftet mit. 32Gicht, f. 33gestatten. 34 Plur. 35 andeuten. 36 Gemüthsart, f. 37 fesseln an. 38 Krankenbett, n. 39 hinter= lassen. 4owieder verleihen. 4'sing. 42gebühren to be due. 43hauptsächlich. 44später. 45 freilich. 46ausschließlich. 47 ertheilen. 48say, to the afterwards nachherig, which is an Adjective. 49 befördern. 50 Abficht. 51Umfang. 52gleichkommen, with Dat. 53verchren. genosse, m. 55 betrügen um.

54Zeit

0

7

6

65

just fame by posterity 56, than Lorenzo de' Medici. Possessed of a genius 8 more original and versatile 58 59 & than perhaps any of his countrymen 1, he has led the way 63 in some of the most estimable species of poetic composition, and some of his productions 6 stand (dastehen) unrivalled amongst those of his countrymen to 68 the present day. Yet such69 has been the admiration paid by the Italians to a few favourite authors, that they have almost closed their eyes to73 the various excellencies with which his works abound.75 From the time of his death no general collection was made of his writings for upwards of 16 sixty years, and after their first publication" by Aldus in 1554, upwards of two centuries elapsed without a new edition. 80 Neglected in Italy, they seem to have been unknown to the rest of Europe. A French historian82, Varillas, in whose narrative Lorenzo makes 83 a conspicuous 8 figure, assures his readers, that the writings of this great man, as well in verse as in prose, are irrevocably lost; and that he would no longer be known as an author, were it not from 87 the commendations 8 8 bestowed upon 89 him by his friends, and the attention" " paid to him by Paulus Jovius, who has assigned

6

9

92

56 Nachwelt, f. 57begabt mit. 58 Geist, m. 59schöpferisch. 6ovielseitig. 61 Landsmann, and say had befigen. 62brechen. 63Bahn, f. 64schägbar. 65 Dichtungsart is species of poetic composition. 66Leistung. 7un= vergleichlich. 68 bis zum heutigen Tage. 69so groß. 70zollen. 71Lieblingsschriftsteller. 72schließen. 73vor. 74an. 75so reich sein. 76 for upwards of wohl, and put lang after years. 77Veröffentlichung. 78un= gefähr. 79 vergehen. 81 übrig. 82 Geschichtschreiber. 86 unwiederbringlich. 87say, Gunsten erheben. Aufmerks

83 spielen.

88

84 bedeutend.

without. Anpreisung.

80 Ausgabe.

85 Rolle, f.

89zu seinen

samkeit. 91schenken. 92anweisen.

95

a place to his memory in his eulogies on the modern writers of Italy.

99

But we are not to consider Lorenzo de' Medici merely in the character of an author, and a patron97 of learning. As a statesman, he was without doubt the most extraordinary person of his own or perhaps of any time. Though a private citizen 100 and a merchant of Florence, he not only obtained the decided101 control of that state, at103 a period 104 when it abounded with105 men of the greatest talents and acuteness 106, 106, but raised himself to the rank 107 of sole arbiter108 of Italy, and operated 109 with considerable effect upon the politics of Europe. Without attempting to subjugate11 his native place113, he laid the foundation114 of the future greatness of his family. His son and his nephew were, at a short interval 15, successively raised to the pontifical117 dignity 118; and in the succeeding 119 centuries, his descendants 1 2 0 became connected 121 by marriage 122 with the first European sovereigns. The protection 123 afforded 124 by him to all the polite 125 arts 126 gave them a permanent 127 foundation 128 in Italy. In the establishment1 29 of public libraries, schools, and seminaries of learning 1 3 0 he was equally 131 munificent1 32, indefatigable133, and

93 Plak, m. schüßer.

94 Andenken. 95 Lobrede zu Ehren. 96 müssen. 98 Mann. 99 irgend ein. 100 Privatmann.

97BC=

1 entschieden.

2 Leitung.

3 zu.

4Zeit, f. 5an Fülle besigen.

6 Scharfsinn.

7Rang, m.

8

Schiedsrichter.

13

9 wirken. 10 Erfolg. 11Staatsleben.

12 unterjochen. 3 Geburtsort, m. 14 Grundlage. 15 Zwischenraum, m. 16nach einander. 17 päpstlich. 18 Würde. 19 folgend. 20 Nachkomme, m. 21 verbinden. 22Heirath. 23 Schuß, m. 24 say, which he afforded an= gedeihen lassen. 25schön. 26 Kunst. 27dauernd. 28 Stellung. 29Er31gleich. 32freigebig. 33unermüdlich.

richtung.

30gelehrte Anstalt.

successful 134; and these objects 1 3 5

3

were all accomp

lished 36 by a man who died at137 the early age of fortyRoscoe's Life of Lorenzo de' Medici.

four years.

XXVIII. INFLUENCE OF LIBERTY 2 ON THE

FLORENTINES. 3

THE great degree of freedom, enjoyed by the citizens of Florence, had the most favourable effects on their character, and gave them a decided' superiority 8 over the inhabitants of the rest of Italy. The popular nature of the government1o, not subjected to the will of an individual as in many of the surrounding11 states, not restricted' 2 like that of Venice13 to11 a particular class, was a constant incitement 15 to exertion. Nor was it on the great body of the people only that the good effects of this system18 were apparent19; even those who claimed 20 the privileges of ancestry 2 2 felt the advantages of a rivalship 23, which prevented their sinking into indolences, and called upon them to support by their own talents the rank and influence which they had derived

16

tors. 29

2

from

Where the business 30

8

2

26

those of their ancesof government is con

34 glücklich. 35Ding, n. 36zu Stande bringen.

37in.

1Einfluß. 2auf. Florentiner. 4 hoch. 5say, which the citizens enjoyed; to enjoy genießen, with Gen. günstig wirken auf. 7ent= schieden. Ueberlegenheit. 9vor; the rest of express by übrig. 1ovolksmäßige Regierungsweise. 11umgränzend. 12beschränken. 13 Venedig. 14 auf. 15 5 Sporn, m. 16 auch nicht, and leave out was it and that, and put were between auch and nicht. 17 Maffe, f. 8Staatssystem, n. 19 sichtbar. 20 Anspruch machen auf. 21 Vorrecht. 22Ahnenreihe, f., with Indef. Art. 23 Wetteifer, m. 24 versinken. fordern. 27 gewinnen. 28 durch. 29 Vorältern.

18

25 Trägheit. 26 auf= 1oGeschäft, n., take pl.

30

4

40

fined to a few, the faculties 32 of the many 33 become torpid 34 for 5 want of 36 exercise; but in Florence, every citizen was conversant with 37, and might hope, at least, to partake in 38 the government: and hence was derived that spirit of industry which, in the pursuit 4° of wealth, and the extension of commerce13, was, amidst all their intestine broils, so conspicuous 5 and so successful. The fatigues of public life, and the cares of mercantile avocations 5o, were alleviated 3 1 at times by the study of literature or the speculations 5 3 of's philosophy. A rational55 and dignified employment engaged those moments of leisure not necessarily devoted to more important concerns, and the mind was relaxed without being debilitated ", and amused €1 without being depraved. The superiority which the Florentines thus acquired, was universally acknowledged; and they became the historians, the poets, the orators, and the preceptors of Europe. Roscoe's Life of Lorenzo de' Medici.

9

$2

56

XXIX. ON DR. JOHNSON'S LIVES OF THE POETS.

-

6

THE life of Pope by Dr. Johnson has been considered as one of the best of3 that series which, unfor31 einschränken auf. 32 Fähigkeit. 33 say, the great multitude Menge. 34 verdumpfen to become torpid. 35aus. 36an. 37say, had knowledge of the government (Regierungswesen), and might to partake (Theil nehmen) in it. 38an. 39 kommen. 4o Streben. 41nach. 4 2 Ausbreitung. 43Handel, m. 44innere Zwistigkeiten. 45in die Augen springend. 46 erfolg= reich. 47Beschwerde. 48 Mühseligkeit. 49kaufmännisch. 50 Geschäft. 51 mildern. 52zu Zeiten. 53 Versenkung, sing. 54in. 55 vernünftig. 56 würdevoll. 57ausfüllen. 58 Muße, f. 59 sich erholen. 6ofich abschwächen. 61 unterhalten. 62 verderben.

1 Leben, which has no plural, and when it is as much as desription of life, the plural is taken from Lebensbeschreibung. 2 say, Pope's life. 3 in. 4Reihe.