*168], 
given to Carlo Marsuppini, and was 
afterwards successively held by Pog- 
gio Bracciolini, and Benedetto Ac- 
colti; during a great part of the 
time that the affairs of Florence 
were directed by Lorenzo de’ Medi- 
ci, the chancellor of the republic 
‘was Bartolomeo Scala,. whose life 
affords the best example of the ho- 
nours and emoluments which were 
derived from the cultivation of lite- 
rature. Scala deduced his origin 
from parents of the lowest rank, nor 
did ‘he possess from his birth even 
the privileges of a Florentine citi- 
zen. An early proficiency in let- 
ters recommended him to the notice 
of Cosmo de’? Medici, and it was 
the pride of Scala to avow the 
meanness of his birth, and the obli- 
gations which he owed to his earliest 
patron. The loss of Cosmo was 
ainply compensated to Scala by the 
favour of his descendants, through 
whose assistance he gradually rose to 
honours and to affluence, and in the 
year 1472, was entrusted with the 
seal of the republic. In imitation 
ofhis predecessors in this office, Sca- 
Ja began a history of Florence, of 
which he lived to complete only four 
books. His apologues are highly 
commended by Landino and Ficino, 
Of his poetry, specimens remain 
both in the Latin and Italian lan- 
guages, and the former have ob- 
tained a place in the celebrated 
collection of the Latin poems of his 
illustrious countrymen. Consider- 
ing the proverbial uncertainty of 
public favour, the life of Scala may 
be esteemed a life of unusual pros- 
perity. He transacted the cuncerns 
_of the republic, with acknowledged 
fidelity, industry, and ability, ar- 
rived at the highest dignities of the 
state, amassed wealth, ranked with 
men of learning, and left at his 
correspondence. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1798. 
death a numerous progeny to ins 
herit his riches and his respectability. 
In his controversy with Politiano, 
he appears however as a scholar to 
manifest disadvantage ; but the ims 
petuosity of his adversary hurried. 
him into a contést which it is 
evident he would willingly have 
avoided, and in which every’ ef- 
fort to extricate himself only 
brought down a severer chastise- 
ment.’— 
“If the circumstances before re= 
lated were not sufficiently charac- 
teristic of the spirit of the times, we 
might advert to the other govern- 
ments of Italy; where we should 
find, that offices of the highest trust 
and confidence were often filled by 
men who quitted the superinten- 
dance of an academy, or the chair 
of a professor, to transact the affairs 
of a nation. Alfonso, king of Nas 
ples, and Francesco Sforza, contend~ 
ed in liberality with each other, to 
secure the services’ of Beccatelli, 
Pontano was the confidential ad- 
viser, and frequently the representa- 
tive to other powers, of Ferdinand, 
the son of Alfonso. The brothers’ 
of the family of Simoneta directed 
for a considerable time the affairs of 
Milan. Bernardo Bembo, and Fran- 
cesco Barbaro, maintained the lite. 
rary no less than the political digni- 
ty of the Venetian Republic, and 
left each of them ason who eclipsed 
the reputation of bis father. When 
eminent talents were not engaged in 
public services, they were reward-— 
ed by the most flattering attention, 
and often by the pecuniary boun- 
ty of illustrious individuals, who 
relaxed from the fastidiousness 
of rank, in the company of men 
of learning, or have left memorials 
of' their regard by their epistolary 
© Nor 
