i66 



No rtiame witholds the brib'd and bribing hand ; 

 But bold corruption guides th'unblulhing band. 

 For gold our faith, for gold our rights are fold. 

 For gold our laws, our virtuous fliame for gold. 



The reader, who is familiar with the writings of Petrarch, will rc- 

 colle(fl: many fimilar fentiments and paffages, and a kindred flrain of 

 virtuous indignation and energetic reproof, in the produftions of that 

 noble poet. Such, for example, is the fonnet. 



La gola e'l fonno e I'otiofe piume 



Hanno del mondo ogni virtu sbaudita, 



Ond' e dal corfo fuo quad fmarrita, 



Noftra natura vinta dal coftume. 



Et e (i fpento ogni benigno lume, 



Del ciel per cui s'informa humana vita, 



Che per cofa mirabile s'adita 



Chi vuol far d' Ellcona liume. 



Qual vaghezza di Lauro qual di mirto ? 



Povera e nuda vai Philofophia, 



Dice la turba al vil guadagno intefa, 



Pochi compagni avrai per I'altra via. 



The glutton banquet, floth and pleafure's fong, 

 Have every virtue chas'd from human kind, 

 And loos'd the finews of the mighty mind. 

 The tyrant falhion bears the foul along ; 

 The rays of God, that dwelt the crowd among, 

 Are hid from man, to S/ygian glooms refign'd. 

 What meed, what honours fhall the laurel find ? 

 Or what the myrtle, from the fordid throng ? 

 And thou, divine Philofophy, whofe lore 

 In trances rapt the fpirit to the Ikies, 

 How loft ! how abjed in thefe iron days ! 



In many other palTages of this exalted writer, the reader will find 

 ftrong expreflions of his generous difdain of the corruptions and degra- 

 ded fpirit of the times. 



As 



