[590] A burlesque picture of the fanatical purism prevalent in Rome is given by Jovian. Pontanus in his Antonius.
[591] Hadriani (Cornetani) Card. S. Chrysogoni de sermone latino liber, especially the introduction. He finds in Cicero and his contemporaries Latinity in its absolute form (an sich). The same Codrus Urceus, who found in Homer the sum of all science (see above, p. 249, note 1) says (Opp. ed. 1506, fol. lxv.): ‘Quidquid temporibus meis aut vidi aut studui libens omne illud Cicero mihi felici dedit omine,’ and goes so far as to say in another poem (ibid.): ‘Non habet huic similem doctrinae Graecia mater.’
[592] Paul. Jov. Elogia doct. vir. p. 187 sqq., speaking of Bapt. Pius.
[593] Paul Jov. Elogia, on Naugerius. Their ideal, he says, was: ‘Aliquid in stylo proprium, quod peculiarem ex certâ notâ mentis effigiem referret, ex naturae genio effinxisse.’ Politian, when in a hurry, objected to write his letters in Latin. Comp. Raph. Volat. Comment. urban. l. xxi. Politian to Cortesius (Epist. lib. viii. ep. 16): ‘Mihi vero longe honestior tauri facies, aut item leonis, quam simiae videtur;’ to which Cortesius replied: ‘Ego malo esse assecla et simia Ciceronis quam alumnus.’ For Pico’s opinion on the Latin language, see the letter quoted above, p. 202.
[594] Paul. Jov. Dialogus de viris literis illustribus, in Tiraboschi, ed. Venez. 1766, tom. vii. p. iv. It is well known that Giovio was long anxious to undertake the great work which Vasari accomplished. In the dialogue mentioned above it is foreseen and deplored that Latin would now altogether lose its supremacy.
[595] In the ‘Breve’ of 1517 to Franc. de’ Rosi, composed by Sadoleto, in Roscoe, Leone X. ed. Bossi, vi. p. 172.
[596] Gasp. Veronens. Vita Pauli II. in Murat. iii. ii. col. 1031. The plays of Seneca and Latin translations of Greek dramas were also performed.
[597] At Ferrara, Plautus was played chiefly in the Italian adaptations of Collenuccio, the younger Guarino, and others, and principally for the sake of the plots. Isabella Gonzaga took the liberty of finding him dull. For Latin comedy in general, see R. Peiper in Fleckeisen and Masius, Neue Jahrb. für Phil. u. Pädag., Lpzg. 1874, xx. 131-138, and Archiv für Literaturgesch. v. 541 sqq. On Pomp. Laetus, see Sabellici Opera, Epist. l. xi. fol. 56 sqq., and below, at the close of Part III.
[598] Comp. Burckhardt. Gesch. der Renaissance in Italien, 38-41.
[599] For what follows see Deliciae poetarum Italorum; Paul. Jov. Elogia; Lil. Greg. Gyraldus, De poetis nostri temporis; and the Appendices to Roscoe, Leone X. ed. Bossi.