renounce　the　language　such　as　the　Italian　out　of　mere　　folly　and　without　knowing　what　they　were　doing。　It　must　have　been　a　　weighty　reason　which　led　them　to　do　so。
  This　cause　was　the　devotion　to　antiquity。　Like　all　ardent　and　genuine　　devotion　it　necessarily　prompted　men　to　imitation。　At　other　times　and　　among　other　nations　we　find　many　isolated　attempts　of　the　same　kind。　　But　only　in　Italy　were　the　two　chief　conditions　present　which　were　　needful　for　the　continuance　and　development　of　neo…Latin　poetry：　a　　general　interest　in　the　subject　among　the　instructed　classes；　and　a　　partial　re…awakening　of　the　old　Italian　genius　among　the　poets　　themselvesthe　wondrous　echo　of　a　far…off　strain。　The　best　of　what　is　　produced　under　these　conditions　is　not　imitation；　but　free　production。　　If　we　decline　to　tolerate　any　borrowed　forms　in　art；　if　we　either　set　　no　value　on　antiquity　at　all；　or　attribute　to　it　some　magical　and　　unapproachable　virtue；　or　if　we　will　pardon　no　slips　in　poets　who　were　　forced；　for　instance；　to　guess　or　to　discover　a　multitude　of　syllabic　　quantities；　then　we　had　better　let　this　class　of　literature　alone。　Its　　best　works　were　not　created　in　order　to　defy　criticism；　but　to　give　　pleasure　to　the　poet　and　to　thousands　of　his　contemporaries。
  The　least　success　of　all　was　attained　by　the　epic　narratives　drawn　from　　the　history　or　legends　of　antiquity。　The　essential　conditions　of　a　　living　epic　poetry　were　denied；　not　only　to　the　Romans　who　now　served　　as　models；　but　even　to　the　Greeks　after　Homer。　They　could　not　be　looked　　for　among　the　Latins　of　the　Renaissance。　And　yet　the　'Africa'　of　　Petrarch　probably　found　as　many　and　as　enthusiastic　readers　and　hearers　　as　any　epos　of　modern　times。　Purpose　and　origin　of　the　poem　are　not　　without　interest。　The　fourteenth　century　recognized　with　sound　　historical　sense　that　the　time　of　the　second　Punic　war　had　been　the　　noonday　of　Roman　greatness；　and　Petrarch　could　not　resist　writing　of　　this　time。　Had　Silius　Italicus　been　then　discovered；　Petrarch　would　　probably　have　chosen　another　subject；　but　as　it　was；　the　glorification　　of　Scipio　Africanus　the　Elder　was　so　much　in　accordance　with　the　spirit　　of　the　fourteenth　century；　that　another　poet；　Zanobi　di　Strada；　also　　proposed　to　himself　the　same　task；　and　only　from　respect　for　Petrarch　　withdrew　the　poem　with　which　he　had　already　made　great　progress。　If　any　　justification　were　sought　for　the　'Africa；'　it　lies　in　the　fact　that　in　　Petrarch's　time　and　afterwards　Scipio　was　as　much　an　object　of　public　　interest　as　if　he　were　then　alive；　and　that　he　was　regarded　as　greater　　than　Alexander；　Pompey；　and　Caesar。　How　many　modern　epics　treat　of　a　　subject　at　once　so　popular；　so　historical　in　its　basis；　and　so　striking　　to　the　imagination？　For　us；　it　is　true；　the　poem　is　unreadable。　For　　other　themes　of　the　same　kind　the　reader　may　be　referred　to　the　　histories　of　literature。
  A　richer　and　more　fruitful　vein　was　discovered　in　expanding　and　　completing　the　Greco…Roman　mythology。　In　this　too；　Italian　poetry　began　　early　to　take　a　part；　beginning　with　the　'Teseid'　of　Boccaccio；　which　　passes　for　his　best　poetical　work。　Under　Martin　V；　Maffeo　Vegio　wrote　　in　Latin　a　thirteenth　book　to　the；　Aeneid；　besides　which　we　meet　with　　many　less　considerable　attempts；　especially　in　the　style　of　Claudiana　　'Meleagris；'　a　'Hesperis；'　and　so　forth。　Still　more　curious　were　the　　newly…invented　myths；　which　peopled　the　fairest　regions　of　Italy　with　a　　primeval　race　of　gods；　nymphs；　genii；　and　even　shepherds；　the　epic　and　　bucolic　styles　here　passing　into　one　another。　In　the　narrative　or　　conversational　eclogue　after　the　time　of　Petrarch；　pastoral　life　was　　treated　in　a　purely　conventional　manner；　as　a　vehicle　of　all　possible　　feelings　and　fancies；　and　this　point　will　be　touched　on　again　in　the　　sequel。58　For　the　moment；　we　have　only　to　do　with　the　new　myths。　In　　them；　more　clearly　than　anywhere　else；　we　see　the　double　significance　　of　the　old　gods　to　the　men　of　the　Renaissance。　On　the　one　hand；　they　　replace　abstract　terms　in　poetry；　and　render　allegorical　figures　　superfluous；　and；　on　the　other；　they　serve　as　free　and　independent　　elements　in　art；　as　forms　of　beauty　which　can　be　turned　to　some　account　　in　any　and　every　poem。　The　example　was　boldly　set　by　Boccaccio；　with　　his　fanciful　world　of　gods　and　shepherds　who　people　the　country　round　　Florence　in　his　'Ninfale　d'Ameto'　and　'Ninfale　Fiesolano。'　Both　these　　poems　were　written　in　Italian。　But　the　masterpiece　in　this　style　was　　the　'Sarca'　of　Pietro　Bembo；　which　tells　how　the　river…god　of　that　name　　wooed　the　nymph　Garda；　of　the　brilliant　marriage　feast　in　a　cave　of　　Monte　Baldo；　of　the　prophecies　of　Manto；　daughter　of　Tiresias；　of　the　　birth　of　the　child　Mincius；　of　the　founding　of　Mantua；　and　of　the　　future　glory　of　Virgil；　son　of　Mincius　and　of　Magia；　nymph　of　Andes。　　This　humanistic　rococo　is　set　forth　by　Bembo　in　verses　of　great　beauty；　　concluding　with　。an　address　to　Virgil；　which　any　poet　might　envy　him。　　Such　works　are　often　slighted　as　mere　declamation。　This　is　a　matter　of　　taste　on　which　we　are　all　free　to　form　our　own　opinion。
  Further；　we　find　long　epic　poems　in　hexameters　on　biblical　or　　ecclesiastical　subjects。　The　authors　were　by　no　means　always　in　search　　of　preferment　or　of　papal　favour。　With　the　best　of　them；　and　even　with　　less　gifted　writers；　like　Battista　Mantovano；　the　author　of　the　　'Parthenice；'　there　was　probably　an　honest　desire　to　serve　religion　by　　their　Latin　versesa　desire　with　which　their　half…pagan　conception　of　　Catholicism　harmonized　well　enough。　Gyraldus　goes　through　a　list　of　　these　poets；　among　whom　Vida；　with　his　'Christiad'　and　Sannazaro；　with　　his　three　books；　'De　partu　Virginis'　hold　the　first　place。　Sannazaro　　（b。　1458；　d。　1530）　is　impressive　by　the　steady　and　powerful　flow　of　his　　verse；　in　which　Christian　and　pagan　elements　are　mingled　without　　scruple；　by　the　plastic　vigor　of　his　description；　and　by　the　perfection　　of　his　workmanship。　He　could　venture　to　introduce　Virgil's　fourth　　Eclogue　into　his　song　of　the　shepherds　at　the　manger　without　fearing　a　　comparison。　In　treating　of　the　unseen　world；　he　sometimes　gives　proofs　　of　a　boldness　worthy　of　Dante；　as　when　King　David　in　the　Limbo　of　the　　Patriarchs　rises　up　to　sing　and　prophesy；　or　when　the　Eternal；　sitting　　on　the　throne　clad　in　a　mantle　shining　with　pictures　of　all　the　　elements；　addresses　the　heavenly　host。　At　other　times　he　does　not　　hesitate　to　weave　the　whole　classical　mythology　into　his　subject；　yet　　without　spoiling　the　harmony　of　the　whole；　since　the　pagan　deities　are　　only　accessory　figures；　and　play　no　important　part　in　the　story。　To　　appreciate　the　artistic　genius　of　that　age　in　all　its　bearings；　we　must　　not　refuse　to　notice　such　works　as　these。　The　merit　of　Sannazaro　will　　appear　the　greater；　when　we　consider　that　the　mixture　of　Christian　and　　pagan　elements　is　apt　to　disturb　us　much　more　in　poetry　than　in　the　　visual　arts。　The　latter　can　still　satisfy　the　eye　by　beauty　of　form　and　　color；　and　in　general　are　much　more　independent　of　the　significance　of　　the　subject　than　poetry。　With　them；　the　imagination　is　interested　　chiefly　in　the　form；　with　poetry；　in　the　matter。　Honest　Battista　　Mantovano；　in　his　calendar　of　the　festivals；　tried　another　expedient。　　Instead　of　making　the　gods　and　demigods　serve　the　purposes　of　sacred　　history；　he　put　them；　as　the　Fathers　of　the　Church　did；　in　active　　opposition　to　it。　When　the　angel　Gabriel　salutes　the　Virgin　at　　Nazareth；　Mercury　flies　after　him　from　Carmel；　and　listens　at　the　door。　　He　then　announces　the　result　of　his　eavesdropping　to　the　assembled　　gods；　and　stimulates　them　thereby　to　desperate　resolutions。　Elsewhere；　　it　is　true；　in　his　writings；　Thetis；　Ceres；　Aeolus；　and　other　pagan　　deities　pay　willing　homage　to　the　glory　of　the　Madonna。
  The　fame　of　Sannazaro；　the　number　of　his　imitators；　the　enthusiastic　　homage　which　was　paid　to　him　by　the　greatest　men；　all　show　how　dear　and　　necessary　he　was　to　his　age。　On　the　threshold　of　the　Reformation　he　　solved　for　the　Church　the　problem；　whether　it　were　possible　for　a　poet　　to　be　a　Christian　as　well　as　a　classic；　and　both　Leo　and　Clement　were　　loud　in　their　thanks　for　his　achievements。
  And；　finally；　contemporary　history　was　now　treated　in　hexameters　or　　distichs；　sometimes　in　a　narrative　and　sometimes　in　a　panegyrical　　style；　but　most　commonly　to　the　honour　of　some　prince　or　princely　　family。　We　thus　meet　with　a　Sforziad；　a　Borseid；　a　Laurentiad；　a　　Borgiad；　a　Trivulziad；　and　the　like。　The　object　sought　after　was　　certainly　not　attained；　for　those　who　became　famous　and　are　now　　immortal　owe　it　to　anything　rather　than　to　this　sort　of　poems；　for　　which　the　world　has　always　had　an　ineradicable　dislike；　even　when　they　　happen　to　be　written　by　good　poets。　A　wholly　different　effect　is　　produced　by　smaller；　simpler　and　more　unpretentious　scenes　from　the　　lives　of　distinguished　men；　such　as　the　beautiful　poem　on　Leo　X's　'Hunt　　at　Palo；'　or　the　'Journey　of　Aulius　II'　by　Adrian　of　Corneto。　Brilliant　　descriptions　of　hunting…parties　are　found　in　Ercole　Strozzi；　in　the　　above…mentioned　Adrian；　and　in　others；　and　it　is　a　pity　that　the　modern　　reader　should　allow　himself　to　be　irritated　or　repelled　by　the　　adulation　with　wh