1804.] . 
Yo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
T is natural to us to be more defirous 
for the removal ofa fmall blemith from 
a form otherwile faultlefs, than if the 
form were a common one, in which many 
grofs deformities would ftill remain, 
though fome few fhould be taken away. 
You will, therefore, I hope, pardon my 
with for the correction of one or two mif- 
takes in fa&t, which the learned and excel- 
lent author of that fine work, the Life of 
Lorenzo de Medici, has, by fome fuch 
overfight as is more or lefs incident to all 
human care, fuffered to appear even in the 
fecond edition of his book. 
In the fecond volume, p. 92, Note (a), 
the author affirms, on the authority. of 
Giovan Francefco, nephew and biogra- 
pher of the famous Giovanni Pico, Prince 
of Miranduia and Concordia, that “* Vol- 
taire is miltaken in relating that he refign- 
ed the fovereignty of Mirandula to refide 
at Florence ;” and that “* Pico neither 
enjoyed, nor had any pretenfions to, the 
fovereignty.”” Yet, in the very life 
which is quoted by Mr. Rofcoe, Giovan- 
Francefco thus exprefles himfelf: ¢* Tri- 
ennio, igitur, priufquam diem obiret ; 
ut, pofthabitis dominandi cyris, in alta 
pace degere poffet ; fecurus quo fceptra 
caderent ; cunéta patrimonia que Miran- 
dule Concordieque poffidebat, hoc eft ter- 
tiam partem earum, mihi, nefcio an dono, 
an venditione, tradidit; quod factum, 
poftca Maximilianus Auguftus, Cefarea 
liberalitate firmavit.‘” — ** Three years, 
therefore, before his death, wifhing to live 
in perfect quiet, without any concern in 
the cares of government, and being in- 
different who fhould fucceed to the prince- 
ly authority, he refigned to me, I know 
not whether I fhould fay by fale or gift, 
all his patrimonial property at Mirandula 
and Concordia, namely, a third part of 
thefe principalities; which deed the Em- 
peror Maximilian, with imperial libera- 
ity, confirmed.”? I need not add ano- 
ther word to fatisfy Mr. Rofcoe that he 
has blamed Voltaire without reafon, and 
that he fhould correét his own error ina 
future edition of his work. 
If Ido not exceedingly miftake, Pico 
did not retire, as Mr. Rofcoe feems to 
fuppole, to Florence, to be protected by 
Lorenzo de Medici, from perfecution ex- 
cited againft him, on account of his nine 
hundred queltions. Thofe queftions were 
publifhed by Pico, with the approbation 
of many eminent doétors in theology, 
teftified by the fubfcription of their 
“MonTHLY Mac. No, 135; 
Corrections in the Life of Lorenzo de’ Medici. 
417 
names. Although’exceptions were made 
to thirteen of his queftions, as heretical, 
yet no ecclefiaftical fentence was pro- 
nounced againft Pico, upon thofe excep- 
tions, till atter he had publifhed his Ape- 
logy. Pope Innocent VIII. then, indeed, 
chiefly at the defire of Pico himfclf, for- 
bade the queftions to be read, but ftill 
without threatening the perfonal fafety or 
liberty of him who propofed them. Such, 
at leaft, feems to be the account of Pico’s 
nephew and biographer. It was only in 
the laft years of his life that he fixed his 
refidence in the neighbourhood of Flo- 
rence. : 
I own, I cannot but regret that Mr. 
Rofcoe fhould have mentioned only the 
Queftions, the Apology, and the Poetry, 
ot Pico. One of his greateft merits was, 
to have exploded the practice of judicial 
aftrology, and every other fpecies of po-~ 
pular and fuperftitious divination, at a 
time when fcarcely any other perfon had 
attained to fimilar boldnefs, and enlarge- 
ment of philofophical thought. He ap. 
plied arithmetical, or, perhaps, algebraic 
numbers, by a new invention, to the de- 
monftration of mathematical truths. fe 
had made extraordinary proficiency in the 
ftudy of the phyfical phenomena of na- 
ture. He was the author of fome exqui- 
fite compofitions in mufic. His plan for 
the refutation of all the enemies of the 
true religion, was the ‘moft orderly and 
luminous in arrangement that can be ima- 
gined. In correétnefs of tafte and judg. 
ment, as in liberal philofophical intelli- 
gence, he was rather like tothe firft of the 
philofophers and divines of the prefent 
day, than like thofe of his ownage. His 
library coft him feven thoufand crowns of 
old. . 
When Mr. Rofcoe fhall have leifure to 
perufe thole fixteen pages which compre- 
hend the Account of Pico’s Life, by his 
nephew, and which Mr. Rofcoe calls valz- 
minous, he will find that Pico was a much 
greater character than Lorenzo de Medict, 
efpecially if he difdain not to ftudy alfo 
Pico’s Works. R. H, 
—aE 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
| The PRESENT STATE Of SOCIETY, MAN= 
NERS, Gc. at TAUNTON. 
(Continued from No. 113, p. 228.) 
HE civil conftitution of this town 
was limited, for feveral centuries, 
to officers chofen annually in the Courts 
of the Bithop of Winchefter, who was, 
from an early period of time, invelted with 
31 @ civil 
a 
