178 



ITALY (LITERATURE.) 



i this period ; Bamlello (q. v.), FirenzuoLi, Para- 

 bosco, Massuccio, Sabadino degli Arienti, Luigi da 

 Porto, Molza, Giovanni Brevio, Marco Cadauiosto, 

 (Irazzini, Ant. Mariconda, Ortensio Lando, Giov. 

 Francesco Straparola, Giambattista Giraldi, called 

 Cinthio, to whicli are added the romance writer 

 Franc. Loredano and tlie original Ferrante Palla- 

 vicino. Criticism began at last to erect its tribunals; 

 but the principles on which it judged were vague and 

 indefinite. This is proved by the contests respecting 

 Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, Guarini's Pastor Fido, 

 by Tassoni's attack on Petrarca, &c. There was no 

 want, however, of theoretical works. By his excel- 

 lent essay Delia Volgar Lingua, Bembo became the 

 father of Italian criticism. Trissino (Poetics) and 

 Castellano are not without merit. Claudio Tolom- 

 mei wrote rules for modern poetry; Sperane Speroni, 

 Dialogues on Rhetoric (Sansovino, Cavalcanti and 

 others had already preceded him); Benedetto Varchi, 

 a Dialogue on the Tuscan and Florentine Language 

 (on occasion of the contest between Caro and Cas- 

 telvetro), and Foglietta, On the Manner of writing 

 History. 



Seventh Period. From 1650 to 1820. Hitherto, 

 Italy had been the instructress of Europe, but, in 

 the middle of the seventeenth century, it began to 

 sink from its literary eminence. The principal 

 causes of this change were the restrictions on the 

 freedom of thought and of the press, which had been 

 constantly increasing, ever since the reformation, 

 and the decrease of wealth since Italy had lost the 

 commerce of the world. The moral corruption, 

 which became more and more prevalent, had ener- 

 vated the physical strength of the people, and 

 deprived the mind of its vigour and energy. The 

 long subjection to foreign powers had created 

 a servile feeling. The nation was afflicted, from 

 1630 to 1749, by numerous wars, and at length sunk 

 into a lethargy and a stupid indifference to its own 

 greatness. Some popes, princes, and even private 

 persons, were, nevertheless, the active patrons of 

 letters. At Florence, Sienna, Bologna, Turin, Pisa, 

 institutions were established, some at great expense, 

 by Leopold de' Medici, the count Marsigli Pazzi, 

 &c., which promoted the cultivation of mathematics 

 and natural science. Clement XI. Benedict XIII. 

 and XIV. Clement XIV., men of great learning and 

 enlightened views, together with the cardinals 

 Tolommei, Passionei, Album (Annibale and Ales- 

 sandro) and Quirini, and, in later times, the cardinal 

 Borgia, the learned Venetian Nani, and the noble 

 prince of Torremuzza, rendered the greatest services. 

 The reign of Maria Theresa and Leopold was 

 favourable to Lombardy and Florence. But none 

 of the sciences, except the mathematical and physi- 

 cal, made much progress. After Machiavelli, 

 politics had no general writer of importance : only 

 single departments of the subject, far removed from 

 danger of collision with the doctrines of the church, 

 were treated with spirit by Beccaria and Filangieri. 

 Philosophy continued scholastic: Italy neither in- 

 vented any new system, nor gave admission to the 

 systems of foreign countries. Theology gained not 

 a single thinker. Though highly esteemed in his 

 native country, the dogmatic system of Berti was of 

 little value. The works of Ughelli and Lucentius, 

 entitled Italia Sacra, evince the industry of the 

 compilers ; as do Galland's Library of the Fathers of 

 the Church, and Mansi's Collection of Councils. 

 Bianchini's fragments of old Latin translations, and 

 De' Rossi's various readings of the Hebrew text of 

 thf.Ok 1 Testa m"it, are valuable; but Scriptural 

 criticism and exegesis have produced nothing in 

 Italy important for foreign countries. The authority 

 of the Vulgate is still unimpaired, and the translation 



of the Florentine Antonio Martini, celebrated for its 

 pure styl, was made from it. But for the study of 

 the Asiatic languages and literature, the missionary 

 zeal has had the most beneficial results. The learned 

 J. S. Assemanni published rich extracts from Orien- 

 tal manuscripts. The Propaganda formed excellent 

 Oriental scholars, and published several Asiatic 

 alphabets and grammars. As regards the critical 

 study and illustration of the ancient classics, the 

 Italians have remained behind other countries. The 

 most eminent scholars in the department of Latin 

 literature are Volpi, Targa, Facciolato, and, as a 

 lexicographer, Forcellini ; in that of the Greek, 

 Mazzocchi and Morelli. Much more was done for 

 investigating, copying, describing, and illustrating 

 antiquities, especially after Winckelmann had taught 

 the Italians to examine them, not only in a historical 

 and antiquarian point of view, but also as works of 

 art. This study led likewise to the investigation of 

 the primitive languages of Italy, especially the 

 Etruscan. Gori, Maffei, Lami, Passeri, opened the 

 way for Lanzi. Polite literature, particularly elegant 

 prose, of which alone we here speak, continued to 

 decline till an effort was made, after the time of 

 Voltaire, to imitate the French. Thus Algarotti 

 wrote Dialogues on Optics elegantly and perspi- 

 cuously, but superficially ; Bettinelli, On Inspiration 

 in the Fine Arts, with much spirit ; Beccaria, On 

 Crimes and Punishments ; Filangieri, On Legisla- 

 tion, with dignity and simplicity ; Gasparo Gozzi, 

 Dialogues, in a pure and agreeable style. In history 

 and its auxiliary sciences, little was done in this 

 period. Giannone was eminent in local, Denina in 

 general history. As an investigator and collector of 

 historical materials, Muratori acquired a lasting 

 reputation : Maffei also should be honourably men- 

 tioned. Manni laboured for the illustration of 

 seals, and of genealogy. Still less was done for 

 geography. The most celebrated geographer of 

 Italy is the Minorite Vincentio Coronelli, who 

 established a cosmographical academy at Venice, 

 and whose loss (1718) has never been sup- 

 plied. Even among travellers, there are but few 

 prominent. Something was done by Martini, who 

 travelled through Cyprus, Syria and Palestine; by 

 Sestini, who travelled through Sicily and Turkey ; 

 Griselini, who travelled through Inner A ustria and 

 Hungary ; and Acerbi, who travelled in the North. 

 No jurist, except Beccaria and Filangieri, effected 

 any thing of importance. But the works which 

 appeared in the mathematical, physical, and medical 

 sciences still form the boast of Italian literature. 

 Frisi and Girolamo Mazzucchelli were great masters 

 in mechanics, hydrostatics, and hydraulics; Boscovich 

 and Mascheroni in the higher analysis and geometry. 

 In mensuration, Lorgna, Fontana, Cagnoli, Ruffini, 

 and Casella are respected names even in our day. 

 Manfredo Settala made a celebrated burning-glass ; 

 Cassino enlarged the bounds of astronomy by great 

 discoveries ; Campani was distinguished for preparing 

 optical glasses ; Torelli explained the elements of 

 perspective with geometrical strictness ; Zanotti 

 presented the world with valuable celestial observa- 

 tions ; and Piazzi acquired renown as the discoverer 

 of Ceres. Physics, for the promotion of which 

 several institutions were active in various places, 

 made the greatest progress. Marsiglio Landriani, 

 Felice Fontano, Toaldo, Tiberio Cavallo, Giovanni^ 

 and others enriched it by important discoveries. 

 Botany was advanced by Malpighi, Giovanni Seb. 

 Franchi, Micheli, Giuseppe, Gininna, Vitaliano Do- 

 riati, &c. The Italians were successful in the use 

 of the microscope. With its assistance, Redi (who 

 wrote classical works on natural history), Valisneri, 

 Felice Fontana, Lazzaro Spallanzani, made a great 



