man　of　the　people　and　a　　brave　monk　in　the　calamity　of　1527；　Giovio　gives　us　to　understand　that　　he　preserved　his　ascetic　pallor　by　the　smoke　of　wet　straw　and　other　　means　of　the　same　kind。　Giovio　is　a　genuine　Curial　in　these　matters。　He　　generally　begins　by　telling　his　story；　then　adds　that　he　does　not　　believe　it；　and　then　hints　at　the　end　that　perhaps　after　all　there　may　　be　something　in　it。　But　the　true　scapegoat　of　Roman　scorn　was　the　pious　　and　moral　Adrian　VI。　A　general　agreement　seemed　to　be　made　to　take　him　　only　on　the　comic　side。　He　fell　out　from　the　first　with　the　formidable　　Francesco　Berni；　threatening　to　have　thrown　into　the　Tiber　not；　as　　people　said；　the　statue　of　Pasquino；　but　the　writers　of　the　satires　　themselves。　The　vengeance　for　this　was　the　famous　'Capitolo'　against　　Pope　Adriano；　inspired　not　exactly　by　hatred；　but　by　contempt　for　the　　comical　Dutch　barbarian；　the　more　savage　menaces　were　reserved　for　the　　cardinals　who　had　elected　him。　The　plague；　which　then　was　prevalent　in　　Rome；　was　ascribed　to　him；　Berni　and　others　sketch　the　environment　of　　the　Pope　with　the　same　sparkling　untruthfulness　with　which　the　modern　　_feuilletoniste　_turns　black　into　white；　and　everything　into　anything。　　The　biography　which　Paolo　Giovio　was　commissioned　to　write　by　the　　cardinal　of　Tortosa；　and　which　was　to　have　been　a　eulogy；　is　for　anyone　　who　can　read　between　the　lines　an　unexampled　piece　of　satire。　It　sounds　　ridiculous　at　least　for　the　Italians　of　that　timeto　hear　how　Adrian　　applied　to　the　Chapter　of　Saragossa　for　the　jawbone　of　St。　Lambert；　how　　the　devout　Spaniards　decked　him　out　till　he　looked　'like　a　right　well…　dressed　Pope'；　how　he　came　in　a　confused　and　tasteless　procession　from　　Ostia　to　Rome；　took　counsel　about　burning　or　drowning　Pasquino；　would　　suddenly　break　off　the　most　important　business　when　dinner　was　　announced；　and　lastly；　at　the　end　of　an　unhappy　reign；　how　be　died　of　　drinking　too　much　beerwhereupon　the　house　of　his　physician　was　hung　　with　garlands　by　midnight　revellers；　and　adorned　with　the　inscription；　　'Liberatori　Patriae　S。P。Q。R。'　It　is　true　that　Giovio　had　lost　his　money　　in　the　general　confiscation　of　public　funds；　and　had　only　received　a　　benefice　by　way　of　compensation　because　he　was　'no　poet；'　that　is　to　　say；　no　pagan。　But　it　was　decreed　that　Adrian　should　be　the　last　great　　victim。　After　the　disaster　which　befell　Rome　in　1527；　slander　visibly　　declined　along　with　the　unrestrained　wickedness　of　private　life。
  *　*　*
  But　while　it　was　still　flourishing　was　developed；　chiefly　in　Rome　the　　greatest　railer　of　modern　times；　Pietro　Aretino。　A　glance　at　his　life　　and　character　will　save　us　the　trouble　of　noticing　many　less　　distinguished　members　of　his　class。
  We　know　him　chiefly　in　the　last　thirty　years　of　his　life；　（1527…56）；　　which　he　passed　in　Venice；　the　only　asylum　possible　for　him。　From　hence　　he　kept　all　that　was　famous　in　Italy　in　a　kind　of　state　of　siege；　and　　here　were　delivered　the　presents　of　the　foreign　princes　who　needed　or　　dreaded　his　pen。　Charles　V　and　Francis　I　both　pensioned　him　at　the　same　　time；　each　hoping　that　Aretino　would　do　some　mischief　to　the　other。　　Aretino　flattered　both；　but　naturally　attached　himself　more　closely　to　　Charles；　because　he　remained　master　in　Italy。　After　the　Emperor's　　victory　at　Tunis　in　1535；　this　tone　of　adulation　passed　into　the　most　　ludicrous　worship；　in　observing　which　it　must　not　be　forgotten　that　　Aretino　constantly　cherished　the　hope　that　Charles　would　help　him　to　a　　cardinal's　hat。　It　is　probable　that　he　enjoyed　special　protection　as　　Spanish　agent；　as　his　speech　or　silence　could　have　no　small　effect　on　　the　smaller　Italian　courts　and　on　public　opinion　in　Italy。　He　affected　　utterly　to　despise　the　Papal　court　because　he　knew　it　so　well；　the　true　　reason　was　that　Rome　neither　could　nor　would　pay　him　any　longer。　　Venice；　which　sheltered　him；　he　was　wise　enough　to　leave　unassailed。　　The　rest　of　his　relations　with　the　great　is　mere　beggary　and　vulgar　　extortion。
  Aretino　affords　the　first　great　instance　of　the　abuse　of　publicity　to　　such　ends。　The　polemical　writings　which　a　hundred　years　earlier　Poggio　　and　his　opponents　interchanged；　are　just　as　infamous　in　their　tone　and　　purpose；　but　they　were　not　composed　for　the　press；　but　for　a　sort　of　　private　circulation。　Aretino　made　all　his　profit　out　of　a　complete　　publicity；　and　in　a　certain　sense　may　be　considered　the　father　of　　modern　journalism。　His　letters　and　miscellaneous　articles　were　printed　　periodically；　after　they　had　already　been　circulated　among　a　tolerably　　extensive　public。
  Compared　with　the　sharp　pens　of　the　eighteenth　century；　Aretino　had　the　　advantage　that　he　was　not　burdened　with　principles；　neither　with　　liberalism　nor　philanthropy　nor　any　other　virtue；　nor　even　with　　science；　his　whole　baggage　consisted　of　the　well…known　motto；　'Veritas　　odium　parit。'　He　never；　conse…　quently；　found　himself　in　the　false　　position　of　Voltaire；　who　was　forced　to　disown　his　'Pucelle'　and　　conceal　all　his　life　the　authorship　of　other　works。　Aretino　put　his　　name　to　all　he　wrote；　and　openly　gloried　in　his　notorious　　'Ragionamenti。'　His　literary　talent；　his　clear　and　sparkling　style；　his　　varied　observation　of　men　and　things；　would　have　made　him　a　　considerable　writer　under　any　circumstances；　destitute　as　he　was　of　the　　power　of　conceiving　a　genuine　work　of　art；　such　as　a　true　dramatic　　comedy；　and　to　the　coarsest　as　well　as　the　most　refined　malice　he　added　　a　grotesque　wit　so　brilliant　that　in　some　cases　it　does　not　fall　short　　of　that　of　Rabelais。
  In　such　circumstances；　and　with　such　objects　and　means；　he　set　to　work　　to　attack　or　circumvent　his　prey。　The　tone　in　which　he　appealed　to　　Clement　VII　not　to　complain　or　to　think　of　vengeance；　but　to　forgive；　　at　the　moment　when　the　wailings　of　the　devastated　city　were　ascending　　to　the　Castel　Sant'　Angelo；　where　the　Pope　himself　was　a　prisoner；　is　　the　mockery　of　a　devil　or　a　monkey。　Sometimes；　when　he　is　forced　to　　give　up　all　hope　of　presents；　his　fury　breaks　out　into　a　savage　howl；　　as　in　the　'Capitolo'　to　the　Prince　of　Salerno；　who　after　paying　him　for　　some　time　refused　to　do　so　any　longer。　On　the　other　hand；　it　seems　that　　the　terrible　Pierluigi　Farnese；　Duke　of　Parma；　never　took　any　notice　of　　him　at　all。　As　this　gentleman　had　probably　renounced　altogether　the　　pleasures　of　a　good　reputation；　it　was　not　easy　to　cause　him　any　　annoyance；　Aretino　tried　to　do　so　by　comparing　his　personal　appearance　　to　that　of　a　constable；　a　miller；　and　a　baker。　Aretino　is　most　comical　　of　all　in　the　expression　of　whining　mendicancy；　as　in　the　'Capitolo'　to　　Francis　I；　but　the　letters　and　poems　made　up　of　menaces　and　flattery　　cannot；　notwithstanding　all　that　is　ludicrous　in　them；　be　read　without　　the　deepest　disgust。　A　letter　like　that　one　of　his　written　to　　Michelangelo　in　November；　1545；　is　alone　of　its　kind；　along　with　all　　the　admiration　he　expresses　for　the　'Last　Judgement'　he　charges　him　　with　irreligion；　indecency；　and　theft　from　the　heirs　of　Julius　II；　and　　adds　in　a　conciliating　postscript；　'I　only　want　to　show　you　that　if　you　　are　〃divino；〃　I　am　not　〃d'acqua。〃　'　Aretino　laid　great　stress　upon　it　whether　from　the　insanity　of　conceit　or　by　way　of　caricaturing　famous　　menthat　he　himself　should　be　called　divine；　as　one　of　his　flatterers　　had　already　begun　to　do；　and　he　certainly　attained　so　much　personal　　celebrity　that　his　house　at　Arezzo　passed　for　one　of　the　sights　of　the　　place。　There　were　indeed　whole　months　during　which　he　never　ventured　to　　cross　his　threshold　at　Venice；　lest　he　should　fall　in　with　some　　incensed　Florentine　like　the　younger　Strozzi。　Nor　did　he　escape　the　　cudgels　and　the　daggers　of　his　enemies；　although　they　failed　to　have　　the　effect　which　Berni　prophesied　him　in　a　famous　sonnet。　Aretino　died　　in　his　house；　of　apoplexy。
  The　differences　he　made　in　his　modes　of　flattery　are　remarkable：　in　　dealing　with　non…Italians　he　was　grossly　fulsome；　people　like　Duke　　Cosimo　of　Florence　he　treated　very　differently。　He　praised　the　beauty　　of　the　then　youthful　prince；　who　in　fact　did　share　this　quality　with　　Augustus　in　no　ordinary　degree；　he　praised　his　moral　conduct；　with　an　　oblique　reference　to　the　financial　pursuits　of　Cosimo's　mother；　Maria　　Salviati；　and　concluded　with　a　mendicant　whine　about　the　bad　times　and　　so　forth。　When　Cosimo　pensioned　him；　which　he　did　liberally；　　considering　his　habitual　parsimonyto　the　extent；　at　least；　of　160　　ducats　a　yearhe　had　doubtless　an　eye　to　Aretino's　dangerous　character　　as　Spanish　agent。　Aretino　could　ridicule　and　revile　Cosimo；　and　in　the　　same　breath　threaten　the　Florentine　agent　that　he　would　obtain　from　the　　Duke　his　immediate　recall；　and　if　the　Medicean　prince　felt　himself　at　　last　to　be　seen　through　by　Charles　V　he　would　naturally　not　be　anxious　　that　Aretino's　jokes　and　rhymes　against　him　should　circulate　at　the　　Imperial　court。　A　curiously　qualified　piece　of　flattery　was　that　　addressed　to　the　notorious　Marquis　of　Marignano；　who　as　Castellan　of　　Musso　had　attempted　to　found　an　independent　State。　Thanking　him　for　the　　gift　of　a　hundred　crowns；　Aretino　writes：　'All　the　qualities　which　a　　prince　should　have　are　present　in　you；　and　all　men　would　think　so；　were　　it　not　that　the　acts　of　viole