wards Florence, fo as to be in readinefs at the time appointed for ftriking the blow. Shortly afterwards, the archbifhop requested the prefence of the cardinal at Florence, where he immediately repaired, and took up his refidence at a feat of the Pazzi, about a mile from the city. It feems to have been the intention of the confpirators to have effected their purpofe at Fiefole, where Lorenzo then had his country refidence, to which they fuppofed he would invite the cardinal and his attendants. Nor were they deceived in this conjecture, for Lorenzo prepared a magnificent entertainment on this occafion; but the abfence of Giuliano, (the brother of Lorenzo,) on account of indifpofition, obliged the confpirators to poftpone the attempt. Difappointed in their hopes,, another plan was now to be adopted; and on farther deliberation it was refolved, that the affaffination should take place on the fucceeding Sunday, in the church of the Reparata, fince called Santa Maria del Fiore, and that the fignal for execution thould be the elevation of the hoft. At the fame moment the archbishop, and others of the confpirators, were to feize on the palace, or refidence of the magifirates, whilft the office of Giacopo de Pazzi was to endeavour, by the cry of liberty, to incite the citizens to revolt. The immediate affaffination of Giuliano was committed to Francefco de' Pazzi, and Bernardo Bandini, and that of Lorenzo had been entrufted to the fole hand of Monteficco. This office he had willingly undertaken while he underflood that it was to be executed in a private dwelling, but he thrunk from the idea of polluting the house of God Two with fo heinous a crime. ecclefiaftics were therefore felected for the commiffion of a deed, from which the foldier was deterred by confcientious motives. Thefe were Stefano da Bagnone, the apoftolic fcribe, and Antonio Mafiei. The young cardinal having expreffed a defire to attend divine fervice in the church of the Reparata, on the enfuing Sunday, being the 26th day of April, 1478, Lorenzo invited him and his fúite to his houfe in Florence. He accordingly came with a large retinue, fupporting the united characters of cardinal and apoftolic legate, and was received by Lorenzo with that fplendour and hofpitality with which he was always accuftomed to entertain men of high rank and confequence. Giuliano did not appear, a circumftance which alarmed the confpirators, whofe arrangements would not admit of longer delay. They foon, however, learned that he intended to be prefent at the church. The fervice was already begun, and the cardinal had taken his feat, when Francefco de' Pazzi and Bandini, obferving that Giuliano was not yet arrived, left the church, and went to his houfe, in order to infure and haften his attendance. Giuliano accompanied them, and, as he walked between them, they threw their arms round him with the familiarity of intimate friends, but in fact to discover whether he had any armour under his drefs; poflibly comecturing, from his long delay, that he had fufpected their purpose. At the fame time, by their freedom and jocularity, they endeavoured to obviate any apprehenfions which he might entertain from fuch a proceeding. The confpirators having taken their ftations stations near their intended victims, An fions being entertained that the weapon which had wounded him was poifoned, a young man attached to Lorenzo fucked the wound. A general alarm and confternation took place in the church; and fuch was the tumult which enfued, that it was at firft believed by the audience, that the building was falling in; but no fooner was it understood that Lorenzo was in danger, than feveral of the youth of Florence formed themfelves into a body, and receiving him into the midft of them, conducted him to his house, making a circuitous turn from the church, left he fhould meet with the dead body of his brother. ill-directed blow from Maffei, which Poetical Character of Politiano ; from was aimed at the throat, but took place behind the ueck, rather roufed him to his defence than difabled him. He immediately threw off his cloak, and holding it up as a fhield in his left hand, with his right he drew his fword and repelled his allailants. Perceiving that their purpofe was defeated, the two ecclefiaftics, after having wounded one of Lorenzo's attendants, who had interpofed to defend him, endeavoured to fave themfelves by flight. At the fame moment, Bandini, his dagger ftreaming with the blood of Giuliano, rushed towards Lorenzo; but meeting in his way with Francefco Nori, a perfon in the fervice of the Medici, and in whom they placed great confidence, he ftabbed him with a wound inftantaneously mortal. At the ap proach of Bandini, the friends of Lorenzo encircled him, and hurried him into the Sacrifty, where Folitiano and others clofed the doors, which were of brats. Apprehen the fame. F all thefe authors, though fome poffefs a confiderable thare of merit, not one of them can contend, in point of poetical excellence, with Politiano, who, in his compofition, approaches nearer to the ftandard of the ancients than any man of his time; yet whillt be emulates the dignity of Virgil, or reminds us of the elegance of Horace, he fuggefts not to our minds the idea of fervile imitation. Oi the character of his writings various opinions have indeed been entertained, which have been detailed at large by Baillet, and ftill more copioufly by Menckenius. It may therefore be futhcient, on this occafion, to caution the reader again? an implicit acquiefcence in the opinions of two eminent living authors, who have either obliquely centured, or too cautiously approved his poe tical works. In the attempt made by Politiano, to restore a juft tafte 7 for for the literature of the ancients, it is not to be denied, that he had powerful coadjutors in Pontano, and Sanazaro, whofe labours have given to the delightful vicinity of Naples new pretenfions to the appellation of claffic ground. Nor will it diminih his reputation, if we admit that the empire which he had founded, was in the next century extended and fecured by the exertions of Fracaftoro, Vida, Naugerio, and Flaminio, in whom the great poets of the Auguftan age feem once more to be revived. Character of the cebrated Girolamo by foretelling their deftruction. This was the famous Girolamo Savonarola, who afterwards acted fo con fpicuous a part in the popular commotions at Florence, and contributed fo eflentially to the accomplishment of his own predictions. Savonarola was a native of Ferrara, but the reputation which he had acquired as a preacher, induced Lorenzo de' Medici to invite him to Florence, where he took up his refidence in the year 1488,† and was appointed prior of the monaftery of St. Marco. By pretentions to fuperior fanctity, and by a fervid and over-powering elocution, he foon acquired an aftonishing afcendancy over the minds of the people, and in proportion as his popularity ALTHOUGH the citizens of increafed, his difregard of his pa Florence admired the talents, and refpected the virtues of Matiano, their attention was much more forcibly excited by a preacher of a very different character, who poffeffed himfelf of their confidence, and intitled himfelf to their homage, tron became more apparent, and was foon converted into the most vindictive animofity. It had been the cuftom of those who had preceded Savonarola in this office, to pay particular refpect to Lorenzo de' Medici, as the fupporter of the I cannot mention thefe names without regretting the limits to which I am neceffarily confined. The rivals of Virgil, of Ovid, and of Catulius, ought not, in a work that touches on the rife of letters, to be commemorated at the foot of a page. The Syphilis of Fracaftoro, lie de Morbo Gallico, though an unpromifing fubject, is beyond comparifon the finest Latin poem that has appeared fince the times of the ancients. The writings of Vida are more generally known, and would be entitled to higher applaufe, if they did not frequently difcover to the claffical reader, an imitation of the ancients that borders on fervility. Naugerio was a noble enetian, who died young on an embassy from the republic. In his last moments he destroyed all his writings then in his poffef fion, as not being fufficiently correct for the public eye; but the few that had been previously diftributed among his friends, were collected and published by them after his death, and breathed the true fpirit of poetry. In Flaminio we have the fimplicity and tenderness of Catullus, without his licentioufnefs. To thofe who are acquainted with his writings, it will not be thought extravagant to affert, that many of them, in the fpecies of compofition to which they are confined, were never excelled. The question addreffed by him to a friend, refpecting the writings of Catullus, "Quando leggete— non vi fer.tite voi liquefare il cuore di dolcezza ?" may, with confidence, be repeated to all those who are converfant with his works. In 1489, according to Tirabofchi, Storia della Lett. Ital. v. vi. par. 2. p. 377, but Savonarola himftif, in his Trattato della Rivelatione della reformatione della Chiefa Ven. 1536, (if indeed the work be his), afligns an earlier period. In this work the fanatic affumes the credit of having foretold the death of Innocent VIII. of Lorenzo de' Medici, the irruption of the French into Italy, &c. inftitution. inftitution." Savonarola, however, not only rejected this ceremony, as founded in adulation, but as often as as Lorenzo frequented the gardens prefence, pretending that his intercourfe was with God, and not with man. At the fame time, in his public difcourfes, he omitted no opportunity of attacking the reputation, and diminishing the credit, of Lorenzo, by prognofticating the fpeedy termination of his authority, and his banishment from his native place. The divine word, from the lips of Savonarola, defcended not amongst his audience like the dews of heaven; it was the piercing hail, the deftroving fword, the herald of destruction. The friends of Lorenzo frequently remonftrated with him, on his fuffering the monk to proceed to fuch an extreme, of arrogance; but Loren zo had either more indulgence, or more difcretion than to adopt hoftile measures against a man, who, though morofe and infolent, he probably confidered as fincere. On the contrary, he difplayed his ufual prudence and moderation, by declaring that, whilft the preacher exerted himfelf to reform the citizens of Florence, he fhould readily excufe his incivility to himfelf. This extraordinary degree of lenity, if it had no influence on the mind of the fanatic, prevented, in a great degree, the ill effects of his harangues, and it was not till after the death of Lorenzo, that Savonarola excited thofe difturbances in Florence, which led to his own deftruction, and terminated in the ruin of the republic. Life of the late James Bowell, efq. from the Gentleman's Magazine. MR. Bofwell was born, in 1740, an ancient and honourable family. His father was then at the Scotch bar, and was afterwards raifed to the dignity of judge; which ftation he filled with acknowledged learning, probity, and ho nour. His title was lord Auchinleck, taken from his family inheri tance; and he died in 1782: on which occafion Dr. Johnson wrote an elegant and inftructive letter to the fubject of this memorial; of which article we will extract a paifage that alludes to fome flight do meftic differences, which did not happen in vain, fince they gave rile to fuch falutary advice: "Your father's death had every circumfiance that could enable you to bear it. It was at a mature age, and it was expected; and, as his general life had been pious, his thoughts had doubtlefs, for many years paft, been turned upon eternity. That you did not find him fenfible muft doubtlefs grieve you; his difpofition towards you was undoubtedly that of a kind, though not of a fond father. Kindness, at leaft actual, is in our own power, but fondnefs is not; and if by negli gence or imprudence you had ex• tinguited his fondnefs, he could not at will rekindle it. Nothing then remained between you but mutual forgivenefs of each one's faults, and mutual defire of each other's happinefs." In 1763, Mr. Bolwell came to London. In 1769 he published his account of Corfica, with, the "Journal of a Tour to that Ifland." This work gained him fome dif tinction tinction in the world. Dr. Johnson fays of it: "Your hiftory is like all other hiftories, but your journal is in a very high degree curious and delightful. There is between the hiftory and the journal that difference which there will always be found between notions borrowed from without, and notions generated within. Your hiftory was copied from books; your journal rofe out of your own experience and obfervation. You exprefs images which operated ftrongly upon yourfelf, and you have impreffed them with great force upon your readers. I know not whether I could name any narrative by which curiofity is better excited or better gratified." In 1770, Mr. Bofwell was married. The iffue of his marriage are two fons and three daughters. Mrs. Bofwell died a few years ago. At this time, likewife, he was in good practice at the Scotch bar, and, among others, took a very active part in the celebrated Douglas caufe; concerning which we find a very interefting correfpondence betwixt him and Dr. Johnfon, publifhed in his Life of the latter. In 1784, he published a "Letter to the People of Scotland, on the prefent State of the Nation," againft Mr. Fox's India Bill. Dr. Johnfon writes to him his approbation of it: "I am very much of your opinion; and, like you, feel great indignation at the indecency with which the king is every day treated. Your paper contains very confiderable knowledge of the hiftory and of the conftitution, very properly pro,duced and applied." In 1785 he quitted the Scotch bar, and came to refide entirely in 66 London. The fame year he publifhed his Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides;" a work of which it might have been faid, that it was one of the moft entertaining in our language, if it had not been foilowed by his magnum opus, his "Life of Dr. Johnson,' "* of which, however, it was a pleafing earnest. Soon after his return from a vifit to Auchinleck, he was feized with a diforder, which proved fatal, on Tuesday the 19th of May in this year. Such are the brief chronological items of his life. Of his character it would be dif ficult to fay much more than he has faid himfelf in his "Journal to the Hebrides;" and which may, with fome propriety, be copied here: "I have given a ketch of Dr. Johnfon. My readers may with to know a little of his fellowtraveller. Think, then, of a gentleman of ancient blood; the pride of which was his predominant paflion. He was then in his 33d year, and had been about four years happily married. His inclination was to be a foldier; but his father, a refpectable judge, had preffed him into the profeffion of the law. He had travelled a good deal, and feen many varieties of human life. He had thought more than any body fuppofed, and had a pretty good flock of general learning and knowledge. He had all Dr. Johnton's principles, with fome degree of relaxation. He had rather too little than too much prudence; and, his imagi nation being lively, he often fa'd things of which the effect was very different from the intention. refembled, fometimes, Не The best good man, with the wort natur'd mufe.' |