1209.) £xvtracts from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. 361 
. buskins give the lie to C+—, who told 
us, that we could not add one cubit to our 
stature / Tertullian, with all the fathers, 
considered marriage as criminal; he 
writes to his wife, that after the resur- 
rection, they will not make use of any 
voluptuous turpitude, for God bas nothing 
Jilthy in his presence. 
Origen advises us to mutilate our man- 
hood, if we would become good Chris- 
tians; he not only preached this preeept, 
but, what was still more extravagant, he 
really set the example. His allegorical 
explanations of the Scriptures are still 
more extravagant, 
St. Cyprian’s continence tormented 
him terribly, besides the ceaseless im- 
portunities of his exasperated lady. He 
hardly disapproves of suicide; so that 
had their continence and their suicide 
prevailed among the Christian sect, (for 
at that moment christianity can only be 
considered as a sect), Europe would have 
been in time quite depopulated. — St, 
Ambrose oddly observes, that where 
there are Nuns, there are fewer persons 
born; and he would increase their num- 
ber as much as possible. They were so 
partial to martyrdom, that they accused 
themselves of crimes, as a stratagem to 
be put to death. 
Such were the fanatic propagators of 
primitive Christianity. Men who are 
held in saintly veneration by the bigoted 
children of Rome, yet who perhaps 
committed more absurdities than any 
body of fanatics that have yet appeared. 
Sometimes they take a passage in the 
literal sense, and sometimes they accept 
it in a mystical one; their holy indigna- 
tion against the heathen, hindered them 
from dwelling on moral topics; and the 
fine ethics of the ancient philosophers, 
with which they might have enriched 
their miserable writings, were contemned, 
because they were frequently considered 
as so many faggots, proper only to be 
burnt. 
Had there not been something more 
attractive in the nature of Christianity, 
than the savage piety of these fathers; 
Christianity would have gradually ex- 
pired, as a flame dies in its own ashes. 
But the flame of this religion was nou- 
rished by a sweet oil and an agreeable 
perfume, The females were allured by 
the flattering honours paid to the Virgin, 
which convinced them that the sex was 
not despicable; and the susceptible mind 
of youth was delighted by the meek 
character, and the patient sufferings of 
Montnty Mace, 184, 
its excellent founder. Conducted by the 
hand of the invisible Jesus, they walked 
in a path of roses, and slept in visions of 
immortality. 
ON BOCCACIO, AND HIS DECAMERON. 
Boccacio was born at a little village 
near Florence. His birtl was obscure ; 
and his father, in consequence of his po- 
verty, sent him against his inclination to a 
merchant, to learn commerce: he re- 
mained with him some time, but having 
been to Paris with his master, and having 
seen there a little of the world, he soon 
became disgusted with his profession, 
The love of the Belles-lettres made him so 
neglect all mercantile affairs, that the, 
merchant sent him back to Florence. His 
father then, by the advice of his friends, 
made him study the law; but young 
Boccacio did not find his inclination lead 
him to that either: he quitted the bar for 
the study of polite literature and poetry. 
His genius unfolded itself, and he compo- 
sed some tolerably good verses; but those 
of Petrarch, who flourished at that time, 
appeared to him so infinitely superior, 
that he resolved to burn his; preferring 
rather to make none, than to yield to an- 
other in that respect ; it is true, thatif we 
judge of his talent by the verses at the 
end of his Decameron, we shall not form 
avery advantageous idea of his poetry. 
However, he and Petrarch were great 
friends; for Petrarch constantly wore a 
ring on his finger, on which was the por- 
trait of Boccacio; and the latter wore one, 
on which was the portrait of Petrarch. 
Boceacio was handsome and well 
made; and his manners were charming. 
He was passionately fond of the women, 
as we may see by his works, and he was 
also much beloved by them; amongst 
others by the natural daughter of the king 
of Naples, from whom it is said, he re- 
ceived the yreatest favours, and who isso 
celebrated in his works under thename of 
Fiammetta. 
The Decameron is’ his master-piece; 
this work is full of fine and delicate 
thoughts, his expressions are happy, and 
he gives an air of gallantry to all he says; 
but we cannot too much admire the purity 
of his style; the Italians, fastidious as they 
are on this point, still read it with plea- 
sure; and they have hired readers, or pro-= 
fessors, who explainit. Jt isto be wished 
we could judge as favorably of his morals; 
but in some parts he pushes libertinism 
too far, Unfortunately, if we were totake 
away these parts, we should take from 
3B ' _* Boecacio 
