RENAISSANCE IN ITALY
ITALIAN LITERATURE
In Two Parts
BY
JOHN ADDINGTON SYMONDS
Author of
"Studies of the Greek Poets," "[Sketches in Italy and Greece]," etc.
"Italia, sepoltura
De' lumi suoi, d'esterni candeliere"
Campanella: Poesie Filosofiche.
PART II
NEW YORK
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY
1888
CONTENTS
OF
THE SECOND PART.
| PAGE | |
| [CHAPTER IX.] THE ORLANDO FURIOSO. | |
| Orlando Furioso and Divina Commedia—Ariosto expresses the Renaissanceas Dante the Middle Ages—Definition of Romantic,Heroic, Burlesque, Heroic-comic, and Satiric Poems—Ariosto'sBias toward Romance—Sense of Beauty in the Cinque Cento—Choiceof Boiardo's unfinished Theme—The Propriety of thisChoice—Ariosto's Irony and Humor—The Subject of the Furioso—Siegeof Paris—Orlando's Madness—Loves of Ruggiero andBradamante—Flattery of the House of Este—The World of Chivalry—Ariosto'sDelight in the Creatures of his Fancy—CloseStructure of the Poem—Exaggeration of Motives—Power ofPicture-painting—Faculty of Vision—Minute Description—RhetoricalAmplification—Rapidity of Movement—Solidity—Nicetyof Ethical Analysis—The Introductions to the Cantos—Episodesand Novelle—Imitations of the Classics—Power of Appropriationand Transmutation—Irony—Astolfo's Journey to the Moon—Ariosto'sPortrait—S. Michael in the Monastery—The Cave ofSleep—Humor—Pathos and Sublimity—Olimpia and Bireno—Conceptionof Female Character—The Heroines—Passion andLove—Ariosto's Morality—His Style—The Epithet of Divine—ExquisiteFinish—Ariosto and Tasso—Little Landscape-Painting—Similes—Realism—Adaptationof Homeric Images—Ariosto'sRelation to his Age | [1] |
| [CHAPTER X.] THE NOVELLIERI. | |
| Boccaccio's Legacy—Social Conditions of Literature in Italy—Importanceof the Novella—Definition of the Novella—Method ofthe Novelists—Their Style—Materials used—Large Numbers ofNovelle in Print—Lombard and Tuscan Species—Introductionsto Il Lasca's Cene, Parabosco's Diporti—Bandello's Dedications—Lifeof Bandello—His Moral Attitude—Bandello as an Artist—Comparisonof Bandello and Fletcher—The Tale of Gerardoand Elena—Romeo and Juliet—The Tale of Nicuola—TheCountess of Salisbury—Bandello's Apology for his Morals andhis Style—Il Lasca—Mixture of Cruelty and Lust—ExtravagantSituations—Treatment of the Parisina Motive—The FlorentineBurla—Apology for Il Lasca's Repulsiveness—Firenzuola—HisLife—His Satires on the Clergy—His Dialogue on Beauty—Novelettesand Poems—Doni's Career—His Bizarre Humor—BohemianLife at Venice—The Pellegrini—His Novelle—MiscellaneousWorks—The Marmi—The Novelists of Siena—Theirspecific Character—Sermini—Fortini—Bargagli's Description ofthe Siege of Siena—Illicini's Novel of Angelica—The Proverbiof Cornazano—The Notti Piacevoli of Straparola—The Novel ofBelphegor—Straparola and Machiavelli—Giraldi Cinthio's Hecatommithi—Descriptionof the Sack of Rome—Plan of the Collection—TheLegend of the Borgias—Comparison of Italian Novelsand English Plays | [51] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] THE DRAMA. | |
| First attempts at Secular Drama—The Orfeo and Timone—GeneralCharacter of Italian Plays—Court Pageants and Comedies borrowedfrom the Latin—Conditions under which a National Dramais formed—Their absence in Italy—Lack of Tragic Genius—EminentlyTragic Material in Italian History—The Use made ofthis by English Playwrights—The Ballad and the Drama—TheHumanistic Bias in Italy—Parallels between Greek and ItalianLife—Il Lasca's Critique of the Latinizing Playwrights—The Sofonisbaof Trissino—Rucellai's Rosmunda—Sperone's Canace—Giraldi'sOrbecche—Dolce's Marianna—Transcripts from theGreek Tragedians and Seneca—General Character of ItalianTragedies—Sources of their Failure—Influence of Plautus andTerence over Comedy—Latin Comedies acted at Florence, Rome,Ferrara—Translations of Latin Comedies—Manner of Representationat Court—Want of Permanent Theaters—Bibbiena'sCalandra—Leo X. and Comedy at Rome—Ariosto's Treatmentof his Latin Models—The Cassaria, Suppositi, Lena, Negromante,Scolastica—Qualities of Ariosto's Comedies—Machiavelli'sPlays—The Commedia in Prosa—Fra Alberigo and Margherita—TheClizia—Its Humor—The Mandragola—Its sinisterPhilosophy—Conditions under which it was Composed—Aretinodisengages Comedy from Latin Rules—His Point of View—TheCortegiana, Marescalco, Talanta—Italy had innumerable Comedies,but no great Comic Art—General Character of the CommediaErudita—Its fixed Personages—Gelli, Firenzuola, Cecchi,Ambra, Il Lasca—The Farsa—Conclusion on the Moral Aspectsof Italian Comedy | [108] |
| [CHAPTER XII.] PASTORAL AND DIDACTIC POETRY. | |
| The Idyllic Ideal—Golden Age—Arcadia—Sannazzaro—His Life—TheArt of the Arcadia—Picture-painting—Pontano's Poetry—TheNeapolitan Genius—Baiæe and Eridanus—Eclogues—ThePlay of Cefalo—Castiglione's Tirsi—Rustic Romances—Molza'sBiography—The Ninfa Tiberina—Progress of Didactic Poetry—Rucellai'sApi—Alamanni's Coltivazione—His Life—His Satires—PastoralDramatic Poetry—The Aminta—The Pastor Fido—Climaxof Renaissance Art | [194] |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] THE PURISTS. | |
| The Italians lose their Language—Prejudice against the MotherTongue—Problem of the Dialects—Want of a Metropolis—TheTuscan Classics—Petrarch and Boccaccio—Dante Rejected—FalseAttitude of the Petrarchisti—Renaissance Sense of Beautyunexpressed in Lyric—False Attitude of Boccaccio's Followers—OrnamentalProse—Speron Sperone—The Dictator Bembo—HisConception of the Problem—The Asolani—GrammaticalEssay—Treatise on the Language—Poems—Letters—Bembo'sPlace in the Cortegiano—Castiglione on Italian Style—His GoodSense—Controversies on the Language—Academical Spirit—InnumerablePoetasters—La Casa—His Life—Il Forno—PeculiarMelancholy—His Sonnets—Guidiccioni's Poems on Italy—CourtLife—Caro and Castelvetro—Their Controversies—Castelvetroaccused of Heresy—Literary Ladies—Veronica Gambara—VittoriaColonna—Her Life—Her Friendship for Michelangelo—Lifeof Bernardo Tasso—His Amadigi and other Works—Lifeof Giangiorgio Trissino—His Quarrel with his Son Giulio—HisCritical Works—The Italia Liberata | [246] |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] BURLESQUE POETRY AND SATIRE. | |
| Relation of Satiric to Serious Literature—Italy has more Parody andCaricature than Satire or Comedy—Life of Folengo—His Orlandino—Critiqueof Previous Romances—Lutheran Doctrines—Orlando'sBoyhood—Griffarosto—Invective against Friars—MaccaronicPoetry—The Travesty of Humanism—PedantesquePoetry—Glottogrysio Ludimagistro—Tifi Odassi of Padua—ThePedant Vigonça—Evangelista Fossa—Giorgio Alione—Folengoemploys the Maccaronic Style for an Epic—His Address to theMuses—His Hero Baldus—Boyhood and Youth—Cingar—TheTravels of the Barons—Gulfora—Witchcraft in Italy—Folengo'sConception of Witchcraft—Entrance into Hell—The Zany andthe Pumpkin—Nature of Folengo's Satire—His Relation to Rabelais—TheMoscheis—The Zanitonella—Maccaronic Poetry wasLombard—Another and Tuscan Type of Burlesque—Capitoli—TheirPopular Growth—Berni—His Life—His Mysterious Death—HisCharacter and Style—Three Classes of Capitoli—The pureBernesque Manner—Berni's Imitators—The Indecency of thisBurlesque—Such Humor was Indigenous—Terza Rima—Berni'sSatires on Adrian VI. and Clement VII.—His Caricatures—HisSonnet on Aretino—The Rifacimento of Boiardo's Orlando—TheMystery of its Publication—Albicante and Aretino—ThePublishers Giunta and Calvi—Berni's Protestant Opinions—EighteenStanzas of the Rifacimento printed by Vergerio—Hypothesisrespecting the Mutilation of the Rifacimento—Satirein Italy | [309] |
| [CHAPTER XV.] PIETRO ARETINO. | |
| Aretino's Place in Italian Literature and Society—His Birth andBoyhood—Goes to Rome—In the Service of Agostino Chigi—AtMantua—Gradual Emergence into Celebrity—The Incident ofGiulio Romano's Postures—Giovanni delle Bande Nere—Aretinosettles at Venice—The Mystery of his Influence—Discerns thePower of the Press—Satire on the Courts—Magnificent Life—Aretino'sWealth—His Tributary Princes—Bullying and Flattery—TheDivine Aretino—His Letter to Vittoria Colonna—ToMichelangelo—His Admiration of Artists—Relations with Menof Letters—Epistle to Bernardo Tasso—His Lack of Learning—Disengagementfrom Puristic Prejudices—Belief in his ownPowers—Rapidity of Composition—His Style—Originality andIndependence—Prologue to Talanta—Bohemian Comrades—NiccolòFranco—Quarrel with Doni—Aretino's Literary Influence—HisDeath—The Anomaly of the Renaissance—Estimateof Aretino's Character | [383] |
| [CHAPTER XVI.] HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY. | |
| Frivolity of Renaissance Literature—The Contrast presented byMachiavelli—His Sober Style—Positive Spirit—The Connectionof his Works—Two Men in Machiavelli—His Political Philosophy—ThePatria—Place of Religion and Ethics in his System—PracticalObject of his Writings—Machiavellism—His Conceptionof Nationality—His Relation to the Renaissance—Contrastbetween Machiavelli and Guicciardini—Guicciardini's Doctrineof Self-interest—The Code of Italian Corruption—TheConnection between these Historians and the Philosophers—GeneralCharacter of Italian Philosophy—The Middle Ages inDissolution—Transition to Modern Thought and Science—Humanismcounterposed to Scholasticism—Petrarch—Pico—Dialogueson Ethics—Importance of Greek and Latin Studies—Classicalsubstituted for Ecclesiastical Authority—Platonism atFlorence—Ficino—Translations—New Interest in the Problemof Life—Valla's Hedonism—The Dialogue De Voluptate—Aristotleat Padua and Bologna—Arabian and Greek Commentators—Lifeof Pietro Pomponazzi—His Book on Immortality—HisControversies—Pomponazzi's Standpoint—Unlimited Belief inAristotle—Retrospect over the Aristotelian Doctrine of God, theWorld, the Human Soul—Three Problems in the AristotelianSystem—Universals—The First Period of Scholastic Speculation—Individuality—TheSecond Period of Scholasticism—ThomasAquinas—The Nature of the Soul—New Impulse given to Speculationby the Renaissance—Averroism—The Lateran Council—Isthe Soul Immortal?—Pomponazzi reconstructs Aristotle's Doctrineby help of Alexander of Aphrodisias—The Soul is Materialand Mortal—Man's Place in Nature—Virtue is the End of Man—Pomponazzion Miracles and Spirits—His Distinction betweenthe Philosopher and the Christian—The Book on Fate—Pomponazzithe Precursor—Coarse Materialism—The School of Cosenza—Aristotle'sAuthority Rejected—Telesio—Campanella—Bruno—TheChurch stifles Philosophy in Italy—Italian Positivism | [429] |
| [CHAPTER XVII.] CONCLUSION. | |
| Retrospect—Meaning of the Renaissance—Modern Science andDemocracy—The Preparation of an Intellectual Medium forEurope—The Precocity of Italy—Servitude and Corruption—Antiquityand Art—The Italian Provinces—Florence—Lombardyand Venice—The March of Ancona, Urbino, Umbria—Perugia—Rome—Sicilyand Naples—Italian Ethnology—Italian Independenceon the Empire and the Church—Persistence of theOld Italic Stocks—The New Nation—Its Relation to the Old—TheRevival of Learning was a National Movement—Its Effecton Art—On Literature—Resumption of the Latin Language—Affinitiesbetween the Latin and Italian Genius—Renascence ofItalian Literature combined with Humanism—Greek Studiescomparatively Uninfluential—The Modern Italians inheritedRoman Qualities—Roman Defects—Elimination of RomanSatire—Decay of Roman Vigor—Italian Realism—Positivism—Sensuousness—Wantof Mystery, Suggestion, Romance—TheIntellectual Atmosphere—A Literature of Form and Diversion—Absenceof Commanding Genius—Lack of Earnestness—Lack ofPiety—Materialism and Negation—Idyllic Beauty—The Men ofthe Golden Age—The Cult of Form—Italy's Gifts to Europe—TheRenaissance is not to be Imitated—Its Importance inHuman Development—Feudalism, Renaissance, Reformation,Revolution | [488] |
[APPENDICES.]
| [No. I.]—Italian Comic Prologues | [533] |
| [No. II.]—Passages Translated from Folengo and Berni, which Illustrate the Lutheran Opinions of the Burlesque Poets | [536] |
| [No. III.]—On Palmieri's "Città di Vita" | [548] |
| [INDEX] | [555] |