6. _Ejusdem, Mediolani per Leonardum Pachel, et Uldrericum Scinzinzeller,
1481, in 4to._
7. _Ejusdem, Facetiæ cum Laurentii Vallæ facetiis moralibus et Francisci
Petrarchæ de Salibus viror. illus. ac facetiis libro, Paris, absque anni
et typographi nomine sed circa, annum 1477, aut saltem 1478, excusa, 4to._
8. Poggii _Facetiæ, 1498_, in 4to. sine loci aut typographi nomine. This
edition is not mentioned by De Bure, who closes his list with noticing
the following translations.
_Les Faceties de Pogge translatées de Latin en François. Paris, Bonfons,
1549, 4to._
_Les Comptes facétieux et joyeuses recreations du Poge Florentin, trad.
du Latin en François. Paris, Cousturier, 1605, in 16mo._
A neat and correct Latin edition of the _Facetiæ_ in two small pocket
volumes was published by a French emigrant in the year 1798. Of this
edition the following is the title.
_Poggii Florentini Facetiarum Libellus Unicus notulis Imitatores
indicantibus et nonnullis sive Latinis, sive Gallicis Imitationibus
illustratus, simul ad fidem optimarum editionum emendatus. Mileti, 1798._
[410] _Visio Francisci Philelphi apud Poggii Opera, p. 456._
[411] _Tonelli, vol. ii. p. 122, 123._
[412] An eulogiam of Cosmo de’ Medici, written by Niccolo of Foligni, is
preserved in the Laurentian library. _Mehi Vita Amb. Trav. tom. i. p.
lxxiii._
[413] The reader of Joe Miller will remember that this story has, in its
descent to modern times, received divers improvements.
[414] See a long and elaborate letter of Leonardo’s on this subject in
the collection of epistles published by Mehus, _Lib. vi. ep. x._
[415] It appears from the introduction to the second part of the
_Historia discept. conviv._ (_Poggii Opera, p. 37_) that Poggio wrote two
treatises, the one in commendation of the art of medicine, and the other
in praise of the science of law. A MS. copy of the treatise _in laudem
legum_ is preserved in the Laurentian library. _Bandini Catalogus, tom.
ii. p. 408._
[416] _Poggii Epistolæ lvii. epist. xlvii._
[417] _Tiraboschi Storia della Letter. Ital. tom. vi. part 2d, p. 329._
[418] See _Ton. Tr. tom. ii. p. 138._
[419] _Recanati Vita Poggii, p. xvii.-xix._ The trading companies of
Florence seem to have been constituted in the same manner as those into
which the citizens of London are at this day subdivided.
[420] _Muratori Annali, tom. ix. p. 456._
[421] _Muratori Annali, tom. ix. p. 456._ It may be mentioned as a
striking instance of the liberty which was granted by personages of the
most exalted eminence to scholars of celebrity in the fifteenth century,
that Poggio at various times addressed letters to his patron, cardinal
Beaufort, to prince John Corrinus, Waiwode of Hungary, to the duke of
Viseo, brother to Edward, king of Portugal, and also to Alfonso, king of
Naples, exhorting them to active exertions against the Turks, who at this
time threatened to overrun some of the finest countries of Europe. These
letters still exist in the Riccardi MS. _Ton. Tr. tom. ii. p. 140._
[422] _Tiraboschi Storia della letter. Ital. tom. vi. p. ii. p. 303._
If credit may be given to Valla’s own assertion, his introduction into
the world was announced in a supernatural manner. He boasts in his
_Antidotus_, _p. 191_, that his mother being ignorant that she was
pregnant, was apprized of that circumstance by the interposition of an
oracle, which informed her that she would be brought to bed of a son, and
gave particular directions with respect to her offspring’s name. It might
have been reasonably conjectured that this oracle was some experienced
matron; but by the subsequent part of Valla’s narration, it seems that
the important admonition in question proceeded from one of the saints.
[423] _Valla Antidotus in Poggium, p. 200._
[424] _Ibid, p. 201._
[425] _Vallæ Antidotus in Poggium, p. 201._
[426] This treatise is printed in the first volume of the _Fasciculus
Rer. expet. et fugiend._
[427] _Vallæ Antidotus, p. 210._
[428] _Ibid, p. 211._
[429] See the account given of this transaction by Valla in his
_Antidotus_, _p. 218._ Poggio, towards the conclusion of his third
invective, asserts, that Valla was on this occasion subjected to the
discipline of the scourge, and narrates the manner and form of his
punishment with great minuteness.
[430] Valla’s invective against Beccatelli and Facio is divided into
four books, and occupies fifty-two pages of the edition of his works,
published by Ascensius in folio, an. 1528.
[431] Valla triumphantly boasts, (_Antidotus, p. 167_) that Nicolas
V. presented to him with his own hand five hundred gold crowns as a
remuneration for his Latin version of Thucydides. This version was
printed by Henry Stephens, in his edition of that author, in the preface
to which he complains of Valla’s inaccuracy and inelegance of style.
That this complaint is just, abundant proof may be found in Stephens’s
marginal corrections of Valla’s translation.
[432] _Poggii Opera, p. 188-205._
[433] The passage which thus irritated the feeling of the Catalonian
nobleman occurs in Poggio’s epistle to Andreolo Giustiniano, in which
he remarks, upon the assertion of Francesco di Pistoia, that some
Catalans had stolen a marble statue which he had in charge to deliver to
Poggio: “in quo ut conjicio manifeste mentitus fuit. Non enim marmoria
sculpti Cathalani cupidi sunt, sed auri et servorum quibus ad remigium
utantur.”—_Poggii Opera, p. 329._
[434] This attack on Poggio’s moral character occurs in the proemium
to the _Antidotus_, and is couched in the following atrocious terms.
“Ostendam itaque eum quasi alterum Regulum, malum quidem virum, non
quod libidinosus ac prope libidinis professor, non quod adulter atquo
adeo alienarum uxorum præreptor, non quod vinolentus semper ac potius
temulentus, non quod falsarius et quidem convictus, non quod avarus,
sacrilegus, perjurus, corruptor, spurcus, aliaque quæ extra nostram
causam sunt, sed quatenus ad causam nostram facit, quod manifestarius
calumniator.”—_Antidotus, p. 8._
[435] He asserted, that during Valla’s residence at Pavia, he forged a
receipt in order to evade the payment of a sum of money which he had
borrowed, and that by way of punishment for this offence, he was exposed
to public view with a mitre of paper upon his head. Poggio, in his
relation of this anecdote, made use of the following ironical expression.
“Falsum chirographum cum scripsisses, accusatus, convictus, damnatus,
ante tempus legitimum absque ullâ dispensatione episcopus factus es.”
This witticism of Poggio’s betrayed Monsieur L’Enfant into a very
ridiculous error. “On trouve ici,” says he, in gravely commenting on this
passage, “une particularité assez curieuse de la vie de Laurent Valla.
C’est qu’ayant été ordonné Eveque à Pavie avant l’age et sans dispense,
il quitta de lui même la mitre, et la deposa, en attendant dans le palais
episcopal, où elle étoit encore. Je rapporterai ses paroles en Latin qui
sont fort embrouillées.” _Poggiana, tom. i. p. 212._ On this statement of
L’Enfant, Recanati, in his _Osservazioni_, _p. 111_, makes the following
dry remark. “Non credo però, che l’autore della Poggiana, quando pure
fosse Cattolico, vorrebbe essere fatto _Vescovo_ in questa foggia, come
Poggio dice che il Valla lo sia stato.”
[436] To enter into the particulars of Poggio’s charges and Valla’s
defence would be a most disgusting task. The following circumstance is,
however, too curious to be passed over without notice. Poggio reprobating
the incontinence of his adversary, accused him of debauching his
sister’s maid-servant. In reply to this accusation, Valla did not deny
the fact; but with wonderful ingenuity thus converted it into a proof
of his principled chastity. “Itaque cum nonnulli meorum propinquorum
me virginem, sive frigidioris naturæ, et ob id non idoneum conjugio
arbitrarentur, quorum unus erat vir sororis, quodammodo experiri
cupiebant. Volui itaque eis ostendere, id quod facerem, non vitium esse
corporis, sed animi virtutem.” _Antidotus, p. 222._
[437] _Poggii Opera, p. 234-242._
[438] _Bandini Catalogus._
[439] _Filelfi Opera, p. 75._ On the death of the duke of Milan, Filelfo
had experienced considerable inconvenience, in consequence of the war
between Francesco Sforza and the Milanese. In the course of this contest
he wavered between the two parties; but the success of Sforza at length
attached him to the interests of that enterprising chieftain. Soon after
the elevation of Nicolas V. to the pontificate, Filelfo was invited
by Alfonso, king of Naples, to present to him in person a copy of his
satires. On his way to Naples he passed through Rome, where he paid his
respects to the pontiff, who endeavoured, but in vain, to retain him
in his service by the promise of a liberal stipend. On his arrival at
the Neapolitan capital, he was received with great kindness by Alfonso,
at whose command he was crowned with laurel in the midst of the camp.
From Naples he returned to Milan, where he received the afflicting
intelligence, that at the sack of Constantinople by the Turks, Manfredina
Doria, his mother-in-law, and two of her daughters had been carried
away captives. It is an astonishing instance of the power of song, that
he procured their redemption by an ode addressed to Mahomet II. In the
year 1454, he was reconciled to Cosmo de’ Medici, by whose son Pietro
he was treated with distinguished regard. During the life of Francesco
Sforza, Filelfo was enabled, by the munificence of that prince, to live
in a state of splendor which was very congenial to his dispositions; but
on the death of that generous patron he received from his successor,
Galeazzo Maria, little more than empty promises. In consequence of the
pressure of distress, he undertook at the age of seventy-two to read
lectures on Aristotle. After sustaining a variety of afflictions in
consequence of the distracted state into which Milan was thrown by the
death of Galeazzo, he received from Lorenzo de’ Medici an invitation
to read lectures on the Greek language at Florence. This invitation he
gladly accepted, and at the advanced age of eighty-three he repaired
to the Tuscan capital, for the purpose of resuming the task of public
instruction. The fatigues of his journey however overpowered the strength
of his constitution, and soon after his arrival in Florence he closed a
life of assiduous study, and of almost ceaseless turbulence.
For an elaborate history of Filelfo, see _Memoires de l’Academie des
Inscriptions, tom. x._
[440] _Ton. Tr. tom. ii. p. 161._
[441] Matteo Palmerio was a Florentine citizen, descended from an
illustrious family. Passing through the different gradations of civic
honours, he was at length called to fill the highest offices of the
state. He was an elegant scholar, and composed many works, amongst which
the most distinguished was an Italian poem in terza rima, entitled _Città
di vita_. This poem, in which are recounted the adventures of a human
soul, which the author supposes to have been liberated from the prison
of the body, was condemned by the inquisition as heretical.—_Zeno Diss.
Voss. tom. i. p. 100 et seq._
[442] _Poggii Opera, p. 86-131._
[443] _Poggiana, tom. ii. p. 162._
[444] Poggio’s History of Florence, as edited by Recanati, has been
republished in the magnificent historical collections of Grævius and
Muratori.
[445] By his wife, Poggio had five sons; Pietro Paulo, Giovanni Battista,
Jacopo, Giovanni Francesco, and Filippo. Pietro Paulo was born in the
year 1438. He entered into the fraternity of the Dominicans, and was
promoted to the honourable office of Prior of Santa Maria ad Minervam,
in Rome, which office he held till the time of his death, which happened
September 6th, 1464.
Giovanni Battista, who was born in the year 1439, took the degree of
doctor of civil and canon law, and attained the several dignities of
Canonico of Florence, and of Arezzo, Rector of the Lateran church,
Acolyte of the pontiff, and assistant clerk of the chamber. He composed
in the Latin language the lives of Niccolo Piccinino, and Dominico
Capranica, cardinal of Firmiano. He died anno 1570.
Jacopo, born anno 1441, was the only one of Poggio’s sons who did
not enter into the ecclesiastical profession. He was a scholar of
distinguished accomplishments. His Italian translation of his father’s
History of Florence, and of his Latin version of the Cyropædia, have
already been noticed. He also translated into Italian the lives of four
of the Roman emperors. Nor did he confine his literary exertions to
translations. He composed a commentary on Petrarca’s Triumph of Fame,
which he dedicated to Lorenzo de’ Medici; a treatise on the origin of the
War between the English and the French; and the life of Filippo Scolario,
vulgarly called Pipo Spano. Entering into the service of cardinal Riario,
he was involved in the guilt of the Pazzi conspiracy, and was of the
number of the criminals who were suspended from the windows of the town
hall of Florence, in the year 1478.
Giovanni Francesco, who was born anno 1447, after holding the offices of
Canonico of Florence, and Rector of the Lateran church, went to Rome,
where he became chamberlain of the pontiff, and abbreviator of the
apostolic epistles. He was highly esteemed by Leo X., who appointed him
his secretary, in the enjoyment of which office he died at Rome, July
25th, 1522, and was buried in the church of St. Gregory, where there
still exists a monument erected to his memory.
Filippo was born anno 1450. When he had attained the twentieth year
of his age he was created Canonico of Florence. But quitting the
ecclesiastical life, he married a lady of an illustrious family, by whom
he had three daughters.
Besides these five sons, Poggio had a daughter, named Lucretia, who
married into the family of the Buondelmonti. _Ton. Tr. tom. ii. p. 169._
[446] The fate of this statue was somewhat remarkable. In consequence of
certain alterations made in the façade of the church of Santa Maria, in
the year 1560, by Francesco, Grand duke of Tuscany, it was removed to
another part of that edifice, where it now composes one of the group of
the twelve apostles.—_Recanati Vita Poggii, p. xxxiv._