ACCOUNT 
* Nor was it seldom that the cha- 
racters of the scholar, and of the 
man of rank, were united in the 
same person. Of this Giovanni Pi- 
co, of Mirandula, to whom we have 
before frequently adverted, is per- 
haps the most illustrious instance. 
This accomplished nobleman, of 
whom many extraordinary circum- 
stances are related, and who cer- 
tainly exhibited a wonderful exam- 
ple of the powers of the human mind, 
was born at Mirandula in the year 
1463, and was one of the younger 
children of Giovan-Francesco, Pico, 
prince of Mirandula and Concordra. 
So quick was his apprehension, so 
retentive his memory, that we are 
told a single recital was sufficient to 
fix in his mind whatever became 
the object of his attention. After 
having spent seven years in the most 
celebrated universities of Italy and 
France, he arrived at Rome in the 
twenty-first year of his age, with the 
reputation of being acquainted with 
twenty-two different languages. 
Eager to signalize himself as a dis- 
putant, Pico proposed for public 
debate nine hundred questions, on 
mathematical, theological, and scho- 
lastic subjects, including also inqui- 
ries into the most abstruse points of 
the Hebraic, Chaldaic, and Arabic 
tongues. This measure, which in 
its worst light could only be consider- 
ed asan ebullition of youthful vanity, 
might, without any great injustice, 
have been suffered to evaporate in 
neglect; but the Romish prelates 
instead of consigning these propo- 
sitions to their fate, or debating them 
with the impartiality of philosophers, 
began to examine them with the 
suspicious eyes of church-men, and 
selected thirteen of them as hereti- 
cal. To vindicate himself from 
this dangerous imputation, Pico 
a 
-OF BOOKS. 
composed a Latin treatise of consi« 
derable extent, which heis said to 
have written in the space of twenty 
days, and which he inscribed to 
Lorenzo de’ Medici, under whose 
protection he had sheltered himself 
from persecution at Florence. The 
character and acquirements of Pico 
afforded to his contemporariesa sube 
ject for the most unbounded pane- 
gyric. ‘“* He was a man,” says Po- 
litiano, ** or rather a hero, on whom 
nature had lavished all the endow. 
ments both of body and mind; erect 
and elegant in his person, there was 
something in his appearance almost 
divine. Of a perspicacious mind, a 
wonderful memory, indefatigable 
in study, distinct and eloquent in 
speech, it seems doubtful whether 
he was more conspicuous for his 
talents or his virtues. Intimately 
conversant with every department 
of philosophy, improved and inyi- 
gorated by the knowledge of vari- 
ous languages, and of every hono~ 
rable science, it may truly be said 
that no commendation is equal to, 
his praise.” 
‘ The instances before given of 
the critical talents of Pico, whatever 
may be thought of their accuracy, 
will at least justify him from the 
reproof of Voltaire, who is of, 
opinion that the works of Danteand. 
Petrarca would have been a more 
suitable study for him than the sum- 
mary of St, Thomas, or the compis 
lations of Albert the great. But 
the literary pursuits of Pico were not 
confined to commentaries upon the 
works of others. From the speci- 
mens which remain of his poetical 
compositions in his native language, 
there is reason to form a favourable 
judgment of those which have pe- 
rished. Crescimbeni confesses, that 
by his early death the Tuscan po- 
, etry 
