ta est, ac si in magnis foret; quantoque minor facultatis nostræ potestas, tanto maior devotionis et observantiæ magnitudo. Vale, Amplissime Vir, ac diu inclite Amstelodamensis Reip. bono vive incolumis. Dignitatis Tuæ Devotissimus Cultor,

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*

ARE. XXIII. LIFE OF CASTRUCCIO CASTRACANE.

Le attioni di Castruccio Castracane degli Antelminelli, Signore di Lucca. con la Genealogia delle Famiglie. Estratte dalla nuova Descrittione d'Italia, di Aldo Manucci. In Roma, presso gli Heredi di Gio. Gigliotti 1590. in 4.

The President DE-THOυ thus speaks of this work. CETTE VIE merite d' etre curieusement recherchée. Je n'en aj jamais veu q'une, entre les mains du Seigneur Scipio Sardini, qui venoit aussi, d'un Interminelli, et qui avoit incitè Manucci a faire cette Vie. Je crois qu'elle cst imprimée à Lucques in quarto en Italien. C'est un belle piéce ". (Thuana.)

It is described by Apostolo Zeno in his literary Notices of the Alduses as rarissima e stimatissima; and RENOUARD, ( Annales de l'Imprimerie des Aldes,) alludes to it in these words; Ce volume deja

* In the Poems of Valerianus is one On the Calamities of his life.

** Jo. Ant. Campanus in his Poemata ends with one "De Miseria Poetarum Vid. Edit. Menckenii in 1707. 8.

"

rare du temps de De-Thou, l'est encore plus aujourdhui, Je n'ai pas en jusqu'a present la satisfaction d'en rencontrer un exemplaire." Vol. 1. p. 127.

A copy of this Life in excellent preservation fell into the hands of the writer last year at Rome; another, not equally well preserved, was seen by him in the Bibliotheca Angelica in that City.

The life of CASTRUCCIO, had before been written, though not with equal correctness, by Niccolo Tegrimi in Latin; and by the famous Machiavelli in Italian. The patriotism or prejudices of the latter overcame his regard to truth, when he described Castruccio as a foundling; Manucci shews him to have sprung from the noble family of Antelminelli. He was born on the 29th of March 1281, and died September 23d. 1329. From a private station, he rose by his industry and valour, to the Sovereignty of a considerable State, which he maintained during his life and left to his children, who, however wanted the ability or fortune to preserve it.

It is unnecessary to dilate on the character of Castruccio ; as a warrior and a statesman, he figures in all the Histories of those days. But it is less known, that he aspired also though it must be acknowledged, not with equal success, to the name of Poet . The following Sonnet, first brought to light by Leo Allacci, was reprinted by Crescimbeni.

Per quello Dio che crocifisso fu

Che morte e passion per noi sostenne
Ch' io ti farò parer d' un H. un N.
E di un V farò parerti un Q.
Castruccio la moneta non toccu

Anzi toccolla chi per quella venne
La qual la spese come si convenne.
E non la tenne stretta come tu.
Ma guarda ben che non fussi si matto

Che contra il tuo Signor fussi restio
Che pagherotti d'ogni tuo mal fatto.
Se punto ver di me ti veggio rio

D'ogni tuo bene io t'haverò disfatto
E faraggio del tuo cone del mio.

It should be observed that this Sonnet is inserted in Allacci's Collection under the simple name of CASTRUCCIO, without any other indication of the Author. In identifying him with the Lord of Lucca, the writer merely follows Crescimbeni, who must be responsible for the mistake, if there be one.

N. D. C.

The Editor says at the end of his Preface.

"Unum adhuc superest, de quo te certiorem facere maxime cupio; id nempe est Carmina nonnullorum Poetarum, , quae nondum typis commissa nunc primum in publicam lucem prodeunt ex instructissimis ornatissimisque Bibliothecis, quibus asservabantur, summa fide, summoque studio a me educta fuisse quarum præcipuæ fuerunt, Medicea Divi Laurentii, et Strozzia, Codicum primæ optimæque notæ, ut omnes

norunt,

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refertissimæ ; his accesserunt Salvinii, Bargiacchiique quamplurima variorum Auctorum manuscripta Carmina mihi, pro ea, qua pollent humanitate libenter impertita, quorum Bibliothecis me plurimum debere in his libris conquirendis candide fateor; et has omnes hic ego libenter commemoro, tum ut sciant eruditi Lectores, ex quibus locis scripta hæc deprompta fuere tum quia plenum ingenii pudoris est, fateri per quos profeceris.

This very valuable and learned Collection of the Latin Poets of Italy is now become so scarce, that a copy has been hitherto in vain sought among the principal Booksellers of Italy. The Copy here used is in the Corsini Library at ROME; a rich and magniùcent assemblage of Learning; of which the volumes of the XVth. Century, filling one separate apartment, are said to amount to 4000.