9 
1821.] £/ Ape Italiana 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
L’APE ITALIANA. 
No. xxiii. 
Dov’ ape susurrando 
Nei inattutiui albori 
Vola suggendo i rngiodesi umori. 
Quarini. 
Where the bee at early morn, 
Murmuring sips the dews of mom. 
GIOVANNI DELLA CASA, 
With Specimens of his Treatise , entitled 
44 Galatea.” 
MONG the most distinguished 
Italian writers who flourished at 
the commencement of the Sixteenth 
Century, and who gave the last glow 
and polish to Italy’s best poetry—the 
last of the race of Petrarchs and of 
Dantes—we may rank the great name 
that forms the title of our paper. In 
speaking of this powerful and eloquent 
author, it will not be too much to assert 
that he was considered to have success¬ 
fully rivalled, and even to have sur¬ 
passed the genius of a Molza and a 
Bembo, to whom Tuscany is indebted 
for the richness and completion of her 
language. We propose to give a short 
sketch of his life and writings from 
the very vpluininous notices of Tira- 
bosclii and Casotti, which afford equal 
raise to his style aud composition, 
oth in the Latin and Italian languages. 
—We shall also present our readers 
with a specimen of his curious and en¬ 
tertaining treatise, entitled “Galatheo 
orvero de’ Costumi,” a little work, in 
which he attempts to delineate and re¬ 
commend the manners and customs 
proper to be observed in polite society, 
under the tuition of an accomplished 
old gentleman—the original of Lord 
Chesterfield, we believe—who very 
kindly, and often very wittily informs 
us respecting out social duties, and the 
style of countenance and conversation 
we ought to assume in company. Like 
Lord Chesterfield too. he fixed upon 
some young blockhead, most probably 
44 all unskilful,’’ to avail himself of the 
polished rules; which, however, need 
not hinder our readers and the rest of 
the world from profit ting by them as 
they please. 
Giovanni della Casa was a descen¬ 
dant of two of the noblest families in 
Florence. His father was Pandolfo 
della Casa; and his mother’s maiden 
name Elizabeth Tornabuoni. He was 
born the 28th of June, 1503, but his 
birth place has never been exactly as¬ 
certained. It was not however at Flo¬ 
rence, as his parents were constrained 
Monthly Mag. No. 357. 
—No. XXIII . 
to leave their native city in consequence 
of the civil commotions by which it was 
at that time agitated. His studies were 
commenced in the University of Bo¬ 
logna, which he afterwards left for Flo¬ 
rence, where he finished his academical 
education under the celebrated Ubal- 
dino Bandinelli. 
With the intention of devoting him¬ 
self to public affairs, he went to Rome, 
and was in the first instance made 
clerk to the 44 Apostolic Chamber.” 
Having already acquired a rapid and 
complete knowledge of the Latin and 
Greek languages, lie abandoned him¬ 
self, for a short time, to the charms of 
Italian poetry and lore. 
The fruit of hi3 lighter labours were 
a few beautiful sonnets and canzonets, 
as well as a natural son, to whom he 
gave the name of Quirino. In 1540, 
he was sent in the quality of Apostolic 
Commissioner from Rome to Florence, . 
on which occasion he was made a mem¬ 
ber of the Florentine Academy just 
instituted; of which he was afterwards 
justly considered one of the greatest 
ornaments. He next received the 
archbishoprick of Benevcnto, and was 
employed as ambassador from the Pope 
to Venice. 
Here he had occasion to give ample 
proofs of skill and eloquence in the 
office he had chosen. Pope Paul III. 
had given him a strict charge to bring 
over the Venetians, if possible, to join 
him in a league with Henry II. of 
France, against the formidable power 
of Charles V. on account of the execu¬ 
tion of Pier Luigi Farnese. 
By the two orations which he pro¬ 
nounced upon this occasion he acquired 
the character of a powerful and adroit 
pleader, though he failed in attaining 
the object of the pontiff. 
After long exercising, under succes¬ 
sive princes and popes, the various 
functions of a prelate and a poet, am¬ 
bassador and secretary of state, with 
considerable honour and emolument,* 
he retired to Venice, where he diviued 
his time between the society of that 
place and the retreat of a beautiful 
villa which lie possessed in the Marca 
Travigiana. Here he continued for^, 
many years, in quiet enjoyment of his 
favourite studies, only occasionally in¬ 
terrupted by twinges of the gout, to 
which he at last became almost a de¬ 
cided martyr. The estimation in which 
he was held in Italy was more parti¬ 
cularly shewn on the accession of Paul 
V. to the pontifical chair, who imme- 
B diately 
