88 Ugo Foscolo, and the Italian Poets. [JAN. 



maxims of plain sense and prudence to guide their decisions, blame every 

 departure from such guides with pertinacious severity. Thus the course which 

 Foscolo followed could not fail of generating suspicions as to his integrity. 

 Those who were best able to judge of him, who knew his real feelings and senti- 

 ments, acquit him of many charges ; but the acquittal of a few high-minded and 

 thinking men has seldom sufficient influence with less elevated minds to make 

 them forego their suspicions. Looking at Foscolo without any wish to praise 

 him for virtues which he did not possess, much less to accuse him of faults 

 which did not tarnish his character, he may be fairly described as an ardent 

 lover of public truth, a determined but rational partisan of freedom ; as constant 

 and devoted in his patriotism ; temperate in his habits, and full of boldness and 

 magnanimity whenever called upon to defend the cause of the oppressed. But, 

 on the other hand, pride, with the less dignified vice of vanity, tinctured many 

 of his best actions ; he was prodigal of his means when it was his duty to exer- 

 cise a provident parsimony ; the good effects of his temperance and other virtues 

 were counteracted by a weak and unjust indulgence in improper and useless 

 expenses, and they were not unfrequently, I fear, sacrificed entirely for the gra- 

 tification of some dark and latent passion. 



" The splendour of his character was thus much tarnished ; but, after all, let 

 us hope that it was only the brightness of the surface that suffered ; truth, if it 

 be loved, lives in the very centre of the heart ; patriotism and independence are 

 of the man's self; and the vanity and imprudence of Foscolo never led him either 

 to contradict his principles or to betray his country. 



" As a poet and a scholar, Foscolo will always occupy an eminent station 

 among the writers of this century. The Sepolchri, the Hymn to the Graces, and 

 some of his minor pieces, are eminently beautiful ; but the Letters of Ortis sur- 

 pass all his other works, both in eloquence of language, and grandeur of senti- 

 ment. His tragedies abound in noble thoughts, but as dramas they are deficient 

 in many of the characteristics necessary to the popularity of such compositions. 



" I have but to add, that this great, but equally unfortunate and eccentric man, 

 lies buried in Chiswick churchyard. Mr. Hudson Gurney kindly directed a 

 stone to be placed over his grave ; but it has long been covered with the grass 

 and weeds, which indicate forge tfulness." 



In justice to the accurate and laborious investigations, which it is 

 evident the author of these Lives of the Italian Poets must have made, 

 and to the really entertaining matter with which they abound, it will give 

 us pleasure to hear that Mr. Stebbing has devoted his time to a con- 

 tinuation of the subject. The literature of Italy furnishes many other 

 names almost of equal celebrity with those already enumerated, and 

 want of space alone has doubtless prevented their insertion. We refer 

 our readers to a very sufficient apology in Vol. I., for the omission of 

 the lives of Michael Angelo and Leonardo da Vinci. 



