his return to his native country was, if poffible, rendered ftill more grateful to me, by the materials he had collected for my ufe. Among thefe, I had the pleasure to find feveral beautiful poems of Lorenzo de' Medici, the originals of which are depofited in the Laurentian Library, although the former editors of his works appear not to have had the flighteft information refpecting them. These poems, which have been copied with great accuracy, and, where it was poffible, collated with different manufcripts, will for the first time be given to the public at the clofe of the prefent volume. The munificence of the late Great Duke Leopald, and the liberality of the Marquis Riccardi had laid open the inestimable treafures of their collections to every inquirer; and under the regulations of the venerable Canonico Bandini, to whose labours the literary hiftory of Italy is highly indebted, fuch arrangements have been adopted in the Laurentian Library, that every difficulty which might retard research is effectually removed. Unlike the immense but ill-digefted and almoft prohibited collections of the Vatican, the libraries of Florence are the common property of the learned' of all nations; and an inftitution founded by Cofmo, and promoted by Lorenzo de' Medici, yet fubfifts, the nobleft monument of their glory, the moft authentic depofitory of their fame." The first chapter of this valuable work is introductory. It contains a flight sketch of the hiftory of the Republic of Florence and of the House of Medici, till the time of Cofmo de' Medici, the grandfather of Lorenzo, of whofe life it prefents us with a full and interefting account. The Hiftory of Florence had indeed been delineated in a manner fo mafterly by Machiavel, that it would have been prudent in any modern author to have abftained from it, even if it had a natural connexion with his fubject. It is perhaps the most inftructive work which has appeared in modern times, on the nature and causes of thofe convulfions that are incident to popular governments. If Tacitus be justly celebrated for having painted with fo much force the excefles of regal tyranny, and the atrocious cruelty that lurks beneath the exterior of polished manners, among nations who are advanced from refinement into corruption, the Florentine Hiftory of Machiavel deferves fimilar praise for an equally admirable picture of the vices which belong to a different ftate of fociety, of the rage of faction and ferocity of civil diffenfion, which feem infeparable from extreme democracy, of the banishments, prefcriptions, and confifcations, which have but too uniformly characterized that fpecies of government. The account of the House of Medici is fcarcely interefting till, under Cofmo, the hiftory of that family becomes the hiftory of literature. From that period, indeed, the remark of Lipfius is juftified, that they feem to have been a race particularly deftined by Providence for the restoration and protection of polite letters. There is perhaps nothing more interefting in literary annals, than the discovery of ancient manufcripts by thofe learned men who were patronized by Cofmo de Medici. What cultivator or admirer of literature will not, even now, feel fome agitation, when he reflects that fifty years more of neglect 3 might might have deftroyed the works of Lucretius and Quintilian; and who can help feeling the moft poignant regret, when he confiders that, at that critical and interefting period, a little more early or more fortunate fearch might have preferved the Decades of Livy? Though, however the more early hiftory of the houfe of Medici does not poflefs fo general an intercft, it is not without important political inftruction. We find that this family, which at length acquired abfolute power in the republic of which they were citizens, paved the way to that defpotic authority by being champions for popular privileges and leaders of the democratic party. This is the path which, in almoft every age, has been trodden by thofe who have shackled the liberties of their country. It was from the fhoulders of the rabble that Pififtratus, Cæfar, and Cromwell, mounted the throne: and the patrons of licentioufnefs have almoft uniformly proved to be only candidates for tyranny. Far be it from us to make any inference from thefe facts which might difcourage great and generous minds from exertions in the defence of liberty, the nobleft exercife of the human faculties in the fervice of mankind; and equally diftant is it from our wishes to impede the progrefs of fuch minds, and to defraud them of that glory which is their juft.reward, by diffufing a bafe, ignoble, and haraffing diftruft of their purity: but, if our voice could have any authority or effect, we should never cease to inculcate on the citizens of free states the neceffity of fufpecting the honefty of violent men, of detecting the tyrant in the difguife of the demagogue, and of perpetually diftinguishing those who contend for the laws, the conftitution, and the liberties of their country, from those who would facrifice that conftitution and thofe laws under pretext of vifionary philanthropy, but often merely for the purposes of interested ambition:-Homines non tam mutandarum quam evertendarum rerum cupidi. com The fecond chapter of Mr. Rofcoe's work is employed in defcribing the early periods of the life of Lorenzo, and the adminiftration of Pierro de' Medici, who was inferior in abilities both to his father Cofmo and his fon Lorenzo; and whofe life is diftinguifled by little elfe than that patronage of literature which was heriditary in his family. In the third chapter, we find Lorenzo himself, as the first citizen of Florence, without any name or ap pearance of fupreme magiftracy, called to the administration of the affairs of the republic; with a fingular and undefinable species of authority, fomewhat fimilar to that which Pericles enjoyed at Athens, and which fatisfied the ambition of Pompey, at Rome. The authority and afcendancy of a powerful citizen guided the public affairs, without violating the forms of a free constitution. Salva Libertate Potens. Several curious fubjects are treated in this chapter. The city of Florence is perhaps the only one of which the "Merchants" literally became "Princes." Mr. Rofcoe has prefented us with fome very ftriking proofs of the wealth of the houfe of Medici. In a period of only thirty-feven years, they had expended, in works of charity or public utility, a fum of not less than 663,755 florins; and if we take into the account the value of money 360 years ago, this fum will appear [*L3] almof almost incredible. The inquiries of our author into the particulars of the traffic, which was the fource of fuch enormous wealth, have not proved very fuccefsful; though it would have highly gratified our curiofity to have understood the commercial tranfactions of thefe illuftrious merchants, who" correfponded at once with Cairo and London, and often imported a cargo of Indian fpices and Greek books in the fame veffel."* The prevalence of the Platonic philofophy in Italy forms another fubject of pleafing and interefting defcription. The amiable and fublime vifions of Plato affociated more eafily with that polite literature which began to revive in the weft, than the fevere and harfh logic of his great difciple and rival. Even the adoption of new errors contributed to restore the activity and independence of the human mind, by delivering it from that bigotted adherence to the Peripatetic philofofophy, which had for fo many centuries fhackled its powers and impeded its progrefs. A review of the poems of Lorenzo, with ample remarks in general, forms the fubject of the 5th chapter, in which the author is naturally led to an account of the rife of the Italian poetry in general. The fecond volume of this hiftory opens with fome remarks on the vigilance with which Lorenzo de' Medici laboured to preferve that balance of strength, among the powers of Italy, which was fo neceflary to the fecurity of every individual state; a principle of policy that was then perhaps for the firft time regularly and fyftematically adopted, and which has continued to be the great hinge on which the affairs of Europe have turned from that period, down to the commencement of thofe tremendous revolutions in our times, that threaten to bury all ancient fyftems and establifhments in one common ruin. Our readers will peruse these obfervations with pleasure : The fituation of Italy at this period, "afforded an ample field for the exercise of political talents. The number of independent states of which it was compofed, the inequality of their ftrength, the ambitious views of fome, and the ever active fears of others, kept the whole country in continual agitation and alarm. The vicinity of thefe ftates to each other, and the nar row bounds of their respective dominions, required a promptitude of decifion, in cafes of difagreement, unexampled in any fubfequent period of modern hiftory. Where the event of open war seemed doubtful, private treachery was without fcruple reforted to; and where that failed of fuccefs, an appeal was again made to arms. The pontifical fee had itself fet the example of a mode of conduct that burit afunder all the bonds of fociety, and operated as a convincing proof that nothing was thought unlawful which appeared to be expedient. To counterpoife all the jarring interefts of thefe different governments, to reftrain the powerful, to fuccour the weak, and to unite the whole in one firm body, fo as to enable them on the one hand, fucccessfully to oppofe the formidable power of the Turks, and on the other, to repel the incurfions of the French and the Germans, both of whom were objects of terror to the lefs warlike inhabitants of Italy, were the important ends which Lorenzo pro * Gibbon, Decline and Fall, vol. 12. 8vo, edit, p. 186. pofed pofed to accomplish. The effectual defence of the Florentine dominions against the incroachments of his more powerful neighbours, though perhaps his chief inducement for engaging in fo extensive a project, appeared in the execution of it, rather as a neceffary part of his fyftem, than as the principal object which he had in view. In these tranfactions we may trace the first decifive inftance of that political arrangement, which was more fully developed and more widely extended in the fucceeding century, and which has fince been denominated the balance of power. Cafual alliances, arifing from confanguinity, from perfonal attachment, from vicinity, or from intereft, had indeed frequently fubfifted among the Italian fiates; but these were only partial and temporary engagements, and rather tended to divide the country into two or more powerful parties, than to counterpoife the interefts of individual governments, fo as to produce in the refult the general tranquillity. The fixth chapter to which thefe remarks form the introduction, is employed in details of the public conduct of Lorenzo; and it concludes with an interefting account of the great reputation which he enjoyed throughout Europe, and of the high degree of profperity that Florence, and indeed all Italy, in a great meafure, owed to the wifdom and honefty of his counfels. In the 7th chapter our attention is again directed to the more attractive fubject of the progrefs of literature. From the crowd of interefting paffages which obtrude themfelves on us we fhall felect one which will tend to confole the vanity of the unfortunate inmates of the gar ret, by the recollection of the greatnefs and importance which their predeceffors enjoyed in former times. 'Such were the causes that in the fifteenth century concured to promote the ftudy of the ancient languages in Italy; but one circumftance yet remains to be noticed, which was perhaps more efficaci ous than any other in giving life and energy to thefe pursuits. An acquaintance with the learned languages was, at this period, the most direct path, not only to riches and literary fame, but to political eminence; and the moft accomplished fcholars were in almost every government of Italy, the firft minifters of the time. This arofe in a great degree from the very general use of the Latin tongue, in the negociations of different ftates, which rendered it almoft impoffible for any perfon to undertake the management of public affairs, without an habitual acquaintance with that language; but this was more particularly exemplified in Florence, where the most permanent officers were uniformly felected on account of their learning. During a long courfe of years the place of fecretary, or chancellor of the republic, (for thefe terms feem to have been indifcriminately ufed) was filled by fcholars of the firft diftinction. In the beginning of the fifteenth century, it was held by Colluccio Salutati, who had been the intimate friend of Petrarca and of Boccaccio, and is denominated by Poggio, "The common father and inftructor of all the learned.” He was fucceeded by Leonardo Aretino, whofe fervices to the republic were repaid by many privileges and favours conferred on himfelf and his difcendants. After the death of Leonardo, this office was [*L4] given given to Carlo Marfuppini, and was afterwards fucceffively held by Poggio Bracciolini, and Benedetto Ac. colti; during a great part of the time that the affairs of Florence were directed by Lorenzo de' Medici, the chancellor of the republic was Bartolomeo Scala, whole life affords the best example of the honours and emoluments which were derived from the cultivation of literature. Scala deduced his origin from parents of the lowest rank, nor did he poffefs from his birth even the privileges of a Florentine citizen. An early proficiency in letters recommended him to the notice of Cofmo de' Medici, and it was the pride of Scala to avow the meannefs of his birth, and the obligations which he owed to his earliest patron. The lofs of Cofmo was amply compenfated to Scala by the favour of his defcendants, through whofe affiftance he gradually rofe to honours and to affluence, and in the year 1472, was intrufted with the feal of the republic. In imitation of his predeceffors in this office, Scela began a hiftory of Florence, of which he lived to complete only four books. His apologues are highly commended by Landino and Ficino. Of his poetry, fpecimens remain both in the Latin and Italian languages, and the former have obtained a place in the celebrated collection of the Latin poems of his illuftrious countrymen. Confidering the proverbial uncertainty of public favour, the life of Scala may be efteemed a life of unufual profperity. He tranfacted the concerns of the republic, with acknowledged fidelity, induftry, and ability, arrived at the higheft dignities of the ftate, amaffed wealth, ranked with men of learning, and left at his death a numerous progeny to inherit his riches and his refpectability. In his controverfy with Politiano, he appears however as a scholar to manifeft difadvantage; but the impetuofity of his adverfary hurried him into a conteft which it is evident he would willingly have avoided, and in which every ef fort to extricate himself only brought down a feverer chaftifement.'- If the circumstances before related were not fufficiently characteriftic of the spirit of the times, we might advert to the other governments of Italy; where we fhould find, that offices of the highest trust and confidence, were often filled by men who quitted the fuperintendance of an academy, or the chair of a profeffor, to tranfact the affairs of a nation. Alfonfo, king of Naples, and Francesco Sforza, contended in liberality with each other, to fecure the fervices of Beccatelli. Pontano was the confidential advifer, and frequently the reprefentative to other powers, of Ferdinand, the fon of Alfonfo. The brothers of the family of Simoneta directed for a confiderable time the affairs of Milan. Bernardo Bembo, and Francefco Barbaro, maintained the lite rary no lefs than the political digniry of the Venetian Republic, and left each of them a fon who eclipsed the reputation of his father. When eminent talents were not engaged in public fervices, they were rewarded by the moft flattering attention, and often by the pecuniary bounty of illuftrious individuals, who relaxed from the faftidioufnels of rank, in the company of men of learning, or have left memorials of their regard by their epiftolary correfpondence, Nor |