y　that　the　modern　　reader　should　allow　himself　to　be　irritated　or　repelled　by　the　　adulation　with　which　they　are　doubtless　filled。　The　masterly　treatment　　and　the　considerable　historical　value　of　many　of　these　most　graceful　　poems　guarantee　to　them　a　longer　existence　than　many　popular　works　of　　our　own　day　are　likely　to　attain。
  In　general；　these　poems　are　good　in　proportion　to　the　sparing　use　of　　the　sentimental　and　the　general。　Some　of　the　smaller　epic　poems；　even　　of　recognized　masters；　unintentionally　produce；　by　the　ill…timed　　introduction　of　mythological　elements；　an　impression　that　is　　indescribably　ludicrous。　Such；　for　instance；　is　the　lament　of　Ercole　　Strozzi　on　Cesare　Borgia。　We　there　listen　to　the　complaint　of　Roma；　who　　had　set　all　her　hopes　on　the　Spanish　Popes；　Calixtus　III　and　Alexander　　VI；　and　who　saw　her　promised　deliverer　in　Cesare。　His　history　is　　related　down　to　the　catastrophe　of　1503。　The　poet　then　asks　the　Muse　　what　were　the　counsels　of　the　gods　at　that　moment；　and　Erato　tells　how；　　upon　Olympus；　Pallas　took　the　part　of　the　Spaniards；　Venus　of　the　　Italians；　how　both　then　embrace　the　knees　of　Jupiter；　how　thereupon　he　　kisses　them；　soothes　them；　and　explains　to　them　that　he　can　do　nothing　　against　the　fate　woven　by　the　Parc；　but　that　the　divine　promises　will　　be　fulfilled　by　the　child　of　the　House　of　Este…Borgia。60　After　relating　　the　fabulous　origin　of　both　families；　he　declares　that　he　can　confer　　immortality　on　Cesare　as　little　as　he　could　once；　in　spite　of　all　　entreaties；　on　Memnon　or　Achilles；　and　concludes　with　the　consoling　　assurance　that　Cesare；　before　his　own　death；　will　destroy　many　people　　in　war。　Mars　then　hastens　to　Naples　to　stir　up　war　and　confusion；　while　　Pallas　goes　to　Nepi；　and　there　appears　to　the　dying　Cesare　under　the　　form　of　Alexander　VI。　After　giving　him　the　good　advice　to　submit　to　his　　fate　and　be　satisfied　with　the　glory　of　his　name；　the　papal　goddess　　vanishes　'like　a　bird。'
  Yet　we　should　needlessly　deprive　ourselves　of　an　enjoyment　which　is　　sometimes　very　great；　if　we　threw　aside　everything　in　which　classical　　mythology　plays　a　more　or　less　appropriate　part。　Here；　as　in　painting　　and　sculpture；　art　has　often　ennobled　what　is　in　itself　purely　　conventional。　The　beginnings　of　parody　are　also　to　be　found　by　lovers　　of　that　class　of　literature；　e。g。　in　the　Macaroneid　to　which　the　　comic　Feast　of　the　Gods；　by　Giovanni　Bellini；　forms　an　early　parallel。
  Many；　too；　of　the　narrative　poems　in　hexameters　are　merely　exercises；　　or　adaptations　of　histories　in　prose；　which　latter　the　reader　will　　prefer；　where　he　can　find　them。　At　last；　everything　every　quarrel　and　　every　ceremonycame　to　be　put　into　verse；　and　this　even　by　the　German　　humanists　of　the　Reformation。　and　yet　it　would　be　unfair　to　attribute　　this　to　mere　want　of　occupation；　or　to　an　excessive　facility　in　　stringing　verses　together。　In　Italy；　at　all　events；　it　was　rather　due　　to　an　abundant　sense　of　style；　as　is　further　proved　by　the　mass　of　　contemporary　reports；　histories；　and　even　pamphlets；　in　the　'terza　　rima。'　Just　as　Niccolo　da　Uzzano　published　his　scheme　for　a　new　　constitution；　Machiavelli　his　view　of　the　history　of　his　own　time；　a　　third；　the　life　of　Savonarola；　and　a　fourth　the　siege　of　Piombino　by　　Alfonso　the　Great；　in　this　difficult　meter；　in　order　to　produce　a　　stronger　effect；　so　did　many　others　feel　the　need　of　hexameters；　in　　order　to　win　their　special　public。　What　was　then　tolerated　and　　demanded；　in　this　shape；　is　best　shown　by　the　didactic　poetry　of　the　　time。　Its　popularity　in　the　fifteenth　century　is　something　astounding。　　The　most　distinguished　humanists　were　ready　to　celebrate　in　Latin　　hexameters　the　most　commonplace；　ridiculous；　or　disgusting　themes；　such　　as　the　making　of　gold；　the　game　of　chess；　the　management　of　silkworms；　　astrology；　and　venereal　diseases　_（morbus　gallicus）；　_to　say　nothing　of　　many　long　Italian　poems　of　the　same　kind。　Nowadays　this　class　of　poem　　is　condemned　unread；　and　how　far；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　they　are　really　　worth　the　reading；　we　are　unable　to　say。　One　thing　is　certain：　epochs　　far　above　our　own　in　the　sense　of　beautythe　Renaissance　and　the　　Greco…Roman　worldcould　not　dispense　with　this　form　of　poetry。　It　may　　be　urged　in　reply；　that　it　is　not　the　lack　of　a　sense　of　beauty；　but　　the　greater　seriousness　and　the　altered　method　of　scientific　treatment　　which　renders　the　poetical　form　inappropriate；　on　which　point　it　is　　unnecessary　to　enter。
  One　of　these　didactic　works　has　been　occasionally　republishedthe　　'Zodiac　of　Life；'　by　Marcellus　Palingenius　（Pier　Angelo　Manzolli）；　a　　secret　adherent　of　Protestantism　at　Ferrara；　written　about　1528。　With　　the　loftiest　。speculations　on　God；　virtue；　and　immortality；　the　writer　　connects　the　discussion　of　many　questions　of　practical　life；　and　is；　on　　this　account；　an　authority　of　some　weight　in　the　history　of　morals。　On　　the　whole；　however；　his　hi　fruit　of　contrast；　nor　the　'burla；'　for　　their　subject；　their　aim　is　merely　to　give　simple　and　elegant　　expression　to　wise　sayings　and　pretty　stories　or　fables。　But　if　　anything　proves　the　great　antiquity　of　the　collection；　it　is　precisely　　this　absence　of　satire。　For　with　the　fourteenth　century　comes　Dante；　　who；　in　the　utterance　of　scorn；　leaves　all　other　poets　in　the　world　far　　behind；　and　who；　if　only　on　account　of　his　great　picture　of　the　　deceivers；　must　be　called　the　chief　master　of　colossal　comedy。　With　　Petrarch　begin　the　collections　of　witty　sayings　after　the　pattern　of　　Plutarch　（Apophthegmata；　etc。）。
  is　no　verbal　imitation；　in　precisely　the　tone　and　style　of　the　verses　　on　Lesbia's　sparrow。　There　are　short　poems　of　this　sort；　the　date　of　　which　even　a　critic　would　be　unable　to　fix；　in　the　absence　of　positive　　evidence　that　they　are　works　of　the　fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries。
  On　the　other　hand；　we　can　find　scarcely　an　ode　in　the　Sapphic　or　Alcaic　　meter；　which　does　not　clearly　betray　its　modern　origin。　This　is　shown　　mostly　by　a　rhetorical　verbosity；　rare　in　antiquity　before　the　time　of　　Statius；　and　by　a　singular　want　of　the　lyrical　concentration　which　is　　indispensable　to　this　style　of　poetry。　Single　passages　in　an　ode；　　sometimes　two　or　three　strophes　together；　may　look　like　an　ancient　　fragment；　but　a　longer　extract　will　seldom　keep　this　character　　throughout。　And　where　it　does　so；　as；　for　instance；　in　the　fine　Ode　to　　Venus；　by　Andrea　Navagero；　it　is　easy　to　detect　a　simple　paraphrase　of　　ancient　masterpieces。　Some　of　the　ode…writers　take　the　saints　for　their　　subject；　and　invoke　them　in　verses　tastefully　modelled　after　the　　pattern　of　analogous　odes　of　Horace　and　Catullus。　This　is　the　manner　of　　Navagero；　in　the　Ode　to　the　Archangel　Gabriel；　and　particularly　of　　Sannazaro；　who　goes　still　further　in　his　appropriation　of　pagan　　sentiment。　He　celebrates　above　all　his　patron　saint；　whose　chapel　was　　attached　to　his　lovely　villa　on　the　shores　of　Posilippo；　'there　where　　the　waves　of　the　sea　drink　up　the　stream　from　the　rocks；　and　surge　　against　the　walls　of　the　little　sanctuary。'　His　delight　is　in　the　　annual　feast　of　St。　Nazzaro；　and　the　branches　and　garlands　with　which　　t_e　chapel　is　hung　on　this　day　seem　to　him　like　sacrificial　gifts。　Full　　of　sorrow；　and　far　off　in　exile；　at　St。　Nazaire；　on　the　banks　of　the　　Loire；　with　the　banished　Federigo　of　Aragon；　he　brings　wreaths　of　box　　and　oak　leaves　to　his　patron　saint　on　the　same　anniversary；　thinking　of　　former　years；　when　all　the　youth　of　Posilippo　used　to　come　forth　to　　greet　him　on　flower…hung　boats；　and　praying　that　he　may　return　home。
  Perhaps　the　most　deceptive　likeness　to　the　classical　style　is　borne　by　　a　class　of　poems　in　elegiacs　or　hexameters；　whose　subject　ranges　from　　elegy；　strictly　so　called；　to　epigram。　As　the　humanists　dealt　most　　freely　of　all　with　the　text　of　the　Roman　elegiac　poets；　so　they　felt　　themselves　most　at　home　in　imitating　them。　The　elegy　of　Navagero　　addressed　to　the　Night；　like　other　poems　of　the　same　age　and　kind；　is　　full　of　points　which　remind　us　of　his　model；　but　it　has　the　finest　　antique　ring　about　it。　Indeed　Navagero　always　begins　by　choosing　a　　truly　poetical　subject；　which　he　then　treats；　not　with　servile　　imitation；　but　with　masterly　freedom；　in　the　style　of　the　Anthology；　of　　Ovid；　of　Catullus；　or　of　the　Virgilian　eclogues。　He　makes　a　sparing　use　　of　mythology；　only；　for　instance；　to　introduce　a　sketch　of　country　　life；　in　a　prayer　to　Ceres　and　other　rural　divinities。　An　address　to　　his　country；　on　his　return　from　an　embassy　to　Spain；　though　left　　unfinished；　might　have　been　worthy　of　a　place　beside　the　'Bella　Italia；　　amate　sponde'　of　Vincenzo　Monti；　if　the　rest　had　been　equal　to　this　　beginning：
  'Salve　cura　Deum；　mundi　felicior　ora；　Formosae　Veneris　dulces　salvete　　recessus；　Ut　vos　post　tantos　animi　mentisque　labores　Aspicio　lustroque　　libens；　ut　munere　vestro　Sollicitas　toto　depello　e　pectore　curas！　'
  The　elegiac　or　hexametric　form　was　that　in　which　all　higher　sentiment　　found　expression；　both　the　noblest　patriotic　enthusiasm　and　the　most　　elaborate　eulogies　on　the　ruling　houses；　as　well　as　the　tender　　melancholy　of　a　Tibullus。　Francesco　Maria　Molza；　who　rivals　Statius　and　　Martial　in　his　flattery　of　Clement　VII　and　the　Farnesi；　gives　us　in　his　　elegy　to　his　'comra