ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 
work net implying merely the addi- 
tion of elegance and philosophy to 
the narrative of facts already known, 
which e Hume, a Robertson, or a 
Gibbon, might have bestowed in 
their closets, but containing valua- 
ble ahd important accessions to the 
stock of our historical knowledge. 
This curiosity will be best satisfied 
by the author himself.—Speaking of 
the labours of his predecessors, he 
says, 
* Such being the attempts that 
had been made to exhibit to the pubs 
lic the life and labours of Lorenzo 
de’ Medici, I conceived that there 
could be no great degree of arro= 
gance in endeavouring to give a 
more full and particular account cf 
them: nor was I deterred from the 
undertaking by the consideration, 
that Providence had placed my lot 
beyond the limits of that favoured 
country. 
“ Ch’ Appenin parte, e’l mar circonda 
el’ Alpe.” 
‘The truth is that,ina remote part 
of this remote kingdom, and deprived 
of the many-advantages peculiar to 
seats of learning, I saw no difficulty 
in giving a more full, distinct, and 
accurate idea of the subject than 
could be collected from any per- 
formance I had then met with. For 
some years past, the works of the 
Italian writers had amused a portion 
of my leisure hours ; a partiality for 
any particular object generally 
_ awakens the desire of obtaining far- 
ther information respecting it, and 
from the perusal of the Italian poets, 
I was insensibly led to attend to the | 
literary history of that cultivated na- 
tion. In tracing the rise of modern 
iterature, I soon perceived that 
every thing great and estimable in 
science and in art revolved round 
[*163 
Lorenzo de’ Medici, during the 
short but splendid @ra of his life, as 
a common centre, and derived from 
him its invariable preservation and 
support, Under these impressions, 
I began to collect such scattered 
notices respecting him as fell in my 
way ; and the I'lorentine histories of 
Macchiavelli and Amirato, the cri- 
tical labours of Crescimbeni, Mu 
ratori, Bandini, and Tiraboschi, 
with other works of less importance, 
of which I then found myself pos- 
sessed, supplied me with materials 
towards the execution of my’ plan. 
I had not however proceeded far, 
before I perceived that the subject 
deserved a more minute enquiry ; 
for which purpose it would be ne~ 
Cessary to resort to contemporary 
authorities, and if possible to original 
documents. The impracticability 
of obtaining in this country the in- 
formation of which I stood in need 
would perhaps have damped the ar- 
dour of my undertaking, had not 
@ circumstance presented itself in 
the highest degree favourable to 
my purpose. An intimate friend, 
with whom I had been many years 
united in studies and affections, had 
paid a visit to Italy, and had fixed 
his winter residence at Florence. 
well knew that I had only to request 
his assistance, in order to obtain 
whatever information he had an 
opportunity of procuring, from the 
very spot which was to be the scene 
of my intended history. My ine 
quiries were particularly directed 
towards the Laurentian and Ric» 
cardi libraries, which I was cona 
vinced would afford much original 
and interesting information, It 
would be unjust merely to say that 
my friend afforded me the assistance 
I required; he went far beyond 
eyen the hopes ihad formed, and 
(#*L 2} his 
