The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-23
From the Knickerbocker for October.
AMERICAN RESEARCHES IN ITALY
LIFE OF TAsso: RECOVERY OF A LOST PORTRAIT
OF DANTE.
To the Editor ofthe Knickerbocker:

To the Editor of the Knickerbocker:
Sir: Permit me, through the pages of your
Magazine to call the attention of the public to
the learned and elegant researches in Europe of
one OF our countrymen, Mr.. r. II. Wilde, of Ga,
formerly a member of the House Of Repre-
sentives. After leaving Congress, Mr. Wilde
a few years since spent about eighteen months
in travelling through different parts of Europe,
until he became stationary for time in Tusca-
ny. Here he occupied himself with researches
concerning the private life of Tasso, whose
mysterious and romantic love for the Princess
Leonora, his madness and Imprisonment, had
recently become the theme of literary contro
versy not yet ended; curious in itself, and rem
dered still more curious by some alleged manu-
scripts of the poet, brought forward by Count
Albert. Mr.. Wilde entered into the investga-
ton with the enthusiasm Of poet, and the pa
thence and accuracy of a chase-hunter; and has
produced work now in the press, in which the
'vexed questions" concerning Tasso are most
ably discussed, and lights thrown upon them by
his letters, and by various of his sonnets, which
last are rendered into English with rare felicity.
While Mr.. Wilde was occupied upon this work,
he became acquainted with Signor Carlo Live
rati, an artist of considerable merit, and especi-
ally well versed in the antiquities of Florence.
This gentleman mentioned incidentally one day,
in the course of conversation, that there once
and probably still existed in the Bargello, an
GENTLY both the prison and palace of the repub-
lie, an authentic portrait of DANTE. 1t was be-
lieved to be in fresco, on wall which atterward,
by some strange neglect or inadvertency, had
been covered with white-wash. Signor-Live-
rati mentioned the circumstance merely to de-
pore the loss of so precious portrait, and to re-
greet the almost utter hopeessness of its recovery.
AS Mr.. Wilde had not as yet imbibed that en-
thusastic admiration for Dante which possessed
all Italians, by whom the poet is almost wor-
shipped, this conversation made but slight i'm
preston on him at the time. Subsequently,
however, his researches concerning Tasso be-
ing ended, he began 10 amuse his leisure hours
with attempts to translate some specimens OF
Italian lyric poetry, and to compose very short
biographical sketches of the authors. In these
specimens, which as yet exist only in manuscript,
he has shown the same critical knowledge of the
Italian language, and admirable command of the
English that characterize his translations of
Tasso. He had not advanced far in these exer-
cises, when the obscure and contradictory &C
counts of many incidents in the life of Dante
caused him much embarrassment, and sorely
pqued his curiosity. About the same time he
received, through the courtesy of Don Neri del
Prncpi Corsni, what he had long most fervent-
ly desired, permission from the Grand Duke to
pursue his Investigations in the secret archives
of Florence with power to obtain copies there
from. This was rich and almost unwrought
mine of literary research; tor to Italians them
selves, well as to foreigners, their archives for
the most part have been long inaccessible. For
two years, Mr.. Wilde devoted himself with in
defatigable ardor to explore the records Of the
republic during the time Of Dante. These being
written in barbarous Latin and semi Gothic cha
racters, on parchment more or less discolored
and mutilated, with ink sometimes faded, were
rendered still more illegibe by the arbitrary alb
breviations of the notaries. They require, In
fact, an especial study; few even Of the officers
employed in the Archipio dele Riformdgi-
one" can read them currently and correctly.
Mr.. Wilde, however, persevered in his labo-
rlous task with patience severely tried, but IN
vincible. Being without an index, each file, each
book, required to be examined page by page, to
ascertain whether any particular of The immortal
poets political life had escaped the untiring in
dustry of his countrymen. This toll was not
wholly frutess, and several interesting facts OBJ
scurey known, and others utterly unknown by
the Italians themselves, are drawn forth by Mr..
Wilde from the oblivion of these archives.
While thus engaged the circumstance of the
lost portrait of Dante was again brought to Mr.
Wilde's mind, but now excited intense interest
In perusng the notes of the late learned Canaan
leo Moreri on Filelfo's life Of Dante, he found il
stated that portrait Of the poet by Giotto was
W uC SSSh Ill bdISSHO' 1T
also that Signor Scott, who has charge of the
original drawings of the old masters in the i'm
perial and royal galleries, had made, several
years previously, an Intellectual attempt to set on
foot project for the recovery of the lost trea-
sure, Here was a new vein Of inquiry, which
Mr.. Wilde followed up with his usual energy
and sagacity. He soon satisfied himself, by re-
ference to Vasar and to the still more ancient
and decisive authority of Filippo Vilar, who
lived shortly after the poet, that Glotto, the
friend and contemporary of Dante, did undoubt,
eddy paint his likeness in the place indicated
Giotto died in 1886; but as Dante was Danish
ed, and was even sentenced to be burned, ii
1903, it was obvious the work must have beer
executed before that time since the portal
of one outlawed and capitally convicted as al