F792. - Ltahan literature. 229 
of Redt, and some of the Canzoni, or songs of Filica- 
ja, their poems did not go farther than the limits of 
their native place, or wete approved by few. 
At this time Christina of Sweden, after having 
abdicated the throne, had come to settle in Rome. 
Her father, Gustavus Adolphus, had taken care to 
give her an education which few royal princefses 
can boast of, especially in her days. In lay- 
ing down the sceptre, fhe had likewise laid aside 
all thoughts of war,—all notions of command; but 
fhe had) not renounced that inclination, which fhe 
had cherifhed from her youth, of protecting letters, 
arts, and sciences. Hence fhe formed a private 
academy in her palace, of men conspicuous for their 
learning, and for their dignities,. who were to meet 
in her presence to talk on scientific subjects. (She 
thought afterwards that the de//es lettres, fhould have 
an her academy a place, in order to unbend their 
wearied mind from too great an application to sci- 
ence. .T'wo persons were chosen for the Latin po- 
‘etry, and’and two for the Italian; Benedetto Menzz- 
ai and Alefsandro Guidi were destined for the latter, 
and a pension afsigned to them. Menzini, who, as I 
have noticed before, followed the true path of taste, 
did not meet with that applause which the livelinefs 
of Guidi had acquired, by letting himself be earried 
off with the current of the age, as may be scen in 
a small volume of poems which he then printed, and 
he afterwards disapproved of himself, Emulation and. 
disputes arose therefore between these poets, which 
lasted even -after the death of the queen; and after 
that Gujdi, observing the stile of the Arcadiaas, whiek; 
