stations near their intended victims, waited with impatience for the appointed fignal. The bell rangthe priest raised the confecrated water-the people bowed before it and at the fame instant Bandini plunged a short dagger into the breast of Giuliano. On receiving the wound, he took a few hasty steps, and fell, when Francesco de' Pazzi rushed on him with incredible fury, and stabbed him in different parts of his body, continuing to repeat his strokes even after he was apparently dead. Such was the violence of his rage, that he wounded himself deeply in the thigh. The priests, who had undertaken the murder of Lorenzo, were not equally fuccefsful.

An

fions being entertained that the weapon which had wounded bim 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 ensued, 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 midst of them, conducted him to his house, making a circuitous turn from the church, left he should meet with the dead body of his brother.

ill-directed blow from Mafici, which Poetical Character of Politiano; from was aimed at the throat, but took

place behind the neck, rather roufed him to his defence than difabled him. He immediately threw off his cloak, and holding it up as a shield in his left hand, with his right he drew his fword and repelled his atlailants. Perceiving that their purpose was defeated, the two ecclefiaftics, after having wounded one of Lorenzo's attendants, who had interposed to defend him, endeavoured to fave themselves 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 person in the fervice of the Medici, and in whom they placed great confidence, he stabbed him with a wound instantaneously mortal. At the approach of Bandini, the friends of Lorenzo encircled him, and hurried him into the Sacrifty, where Folitiano and others closed the doors, which were of brass. Apprehen

the fame.

F all these authors, though fome poffefs a confiderable share of merit, not one of them can contend, in point of poetical excellence, with Politiano, who, in his compofition, approaches nearer to the standard of the ancients than any man of his time; yet whilft he emulates the dignity of Virgil, or reminds us of the elegance of Horace, he suggests not to our minds the idea of fervile imitation. Of the character of his writings various opinions have indeed been entertained, which have been detailed at large by Baillet, and still more copioufly by Menckenius. It may therefore be fuficient, on this occafion, to caution the reader against an implicit acquiefcence in the opinions of two eminent living authors, who have either obliquely censured, or too cautioufly approved his poetical works. In the attempt made by Politiano, to restore a just tafte for the literature of the ancients, it is not to be denied, that he had powerful coadjutors in Pontano, and Sanazaro, whose labours have given to the delightful vicinity of Naples new pretenfions to the appellation of claffic ground. Nor will it diminish 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.

by foretelling their destruction. This was the famous Girolamo Savonarola, who afterwards acted so cons fpicuous a part in the popular commotions at Florence, and contributed fo essentially 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 monafte ry of St. Marco. By pretenfions 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 increafed, his difregard of his patron 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 respect to Lorenzo de' Medici, as the fupporter of the

• I cannot mention these 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 Fracastoro, five de Morbo Gallico, though an unpromising subject, 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 applause, 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 embaffy from the republic. In his last moments he destroyed all his writings then in his poffef. fion, as not being sufficiently 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 spirit of poetry. In Flaminio we have the fimplicity and tenderness of Catullus, without his licentiousness. To those who are acquainted with his writings, it will not be thought extravagant to affert, that many of them, in the fpecies of composition to which they are confined, were never excelled. The question addressed by him to a friend, respecting the writings of Catullus, "Quando leggetenon vi sentite voi liquefare il cuore di dolcezza?" may, with confidence, be repeated to all those who are converfant with his works.

† In 1489, according to Tiraboschi, Storia della Lett. Ital. v. vi. par. 2. p. 377, but Savonarola himself, in his Trattato della Rivelatione della reformatione della Chiesa 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.

as

M

R. Boswell was born, in 1740, of an ancient and honourable family. His father was then at the Scotch bar, and was afterwards raised to the dignity of judge; which station he filled with acknowledged learning, probity, and honour. His title was lord Auchinleck, taken from his family inheri tance; and he died in 1782: on which occafion Dr. Johnfon wrote an elegant and instructive letter to the subject of this memorial; of which article we will extract a palsage that alludes to some flight do mestic differences, which did not happen in vain, since they gave rile to fuch falutary advice:

inftitution. Savonarola, however, Life of the late James Bofwell, efq. not only rejected this ceremony, from the Gentleman's Magazine. founded in adulation, but as often as Lorenzo frequented the gardens of the monastery, retired from his presence, pretending that his intercourse was with God, and not with man. At the fame time, in his public difcourses, 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 deftroying sword, the herald of deftruction. The friends of Lorenzo frequently remonstrated 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 meafures againft a man, who, though morofe and infolent, he probably confidered as fincere. On the contrary, he displayed his ufual prudence and moderation, by declaring that, whilft the preacher exerted himfelf to reform the citizens of Florence, he should readily excufe his incivility to himself. 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 those disturbances in Florence, which led to his own destruction, and terminated in the ruin of the republic.

"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 doubtless, for many years past, been turned upon eternity. That you did not find him fenfible must doubtless grieve you; his difpofition towards you was undoubtedly that of a kind, though not of a fond father. Kindness, at least actual, is in our own power, but fondness is not; and if by negligence or imprudence you had extinguited his fondness, he could not at will rekindle it. Nothing then remained between you but mutual forgiveness of each one's faults, and mutual defire of each other's happiness."

In 1763, Mr. Boswell 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 history and the journal that difference which there will always be found between notions borrowed from without, and notions generated within. Your history was copied from books; your journal rofe out of your own experience and obfervation. You express images which operated strongly upon yourself, and you have impressed 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. Boswell was married. The issue of his marriage are two fons and three daughters. Mrs. Bofwell died a few years ago. At this time, likewise, he was in good practice at the Scotch bar, and, among others, took a very active part in thecelebrated Douglas caufe; concerning which we find a very interefting correfpondence betwixt him and Dr. Johnson, published in his Life of the latter.

In 1784, he published a "Letter to the People of Scotland, on the present State of the Nation," against 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 history and of the conftitution, very properly produced and applied."

In 1785 he quitted the Scotch bar, and came to refide entirely in

London. The fame year he published his "Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides;" a work of which it might have been faid, that it was one of the most entertaining in our language, if it had not been followed by his magnum opus, his "Life of Dr. Johnfon, "* of which, however, it was a pleasing earnest.

Soon after his return from a vifit to Auchinleck, he was feized with a disorder, 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 difficult to say much more than he has faid himself in his "Journal to the Hebrides;" and which may, with fome propriety, be copied here:

"I have given a sketch 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 paffion. 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 pressed him into the profeffion of the law. He had travelled a good deal, and feer 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. Johnfon's principles, with fome degree of relaxation. He had rather too little than too much prudence; and, his invagination being lively, he often fa'd things of which the effect was very different from the intention. He resembled, sometimes,

The best good man, with the worst natur'd mufe.'

* For an account of which, fee our Register for 1791.

VOL. XXXVII.

[*C]

"He