The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01

III.

everywhere In use In the fourteenth century, and
several remain 70 tho present time
III
The fourteenth century, though II was endowed
with imperishable lustrc by the earliest products
of Tuscan literary genius, offers but little material
to the historian Of Roman culture. The intellect
ua aridity Of the city had seldom been SO great
II shocked Dante we'll rs Pctrnrch. All edu-
cational institutions had fallen TO decay; the uni
versity created by Doniface VIII. had expired
after n brief existence. After John XXI. no
Avignonese Pope had bestowed any care upon IL,
nor had even Cola di Rienzo issued edict In its
favor Pctrarch, the Roman citizen, helped TO
found the University of Prague, but bestowed not
a thought on that Of Rome; he bcqucathcd his
valuable library TO Venice. The great Cardinal
Albornoz established an educational institution
at Bologna and Cardinal Capocci the Santa
Sofia at Perugia but Rome was entirely neglected
II was not until the time Of Innocent VII Sept
l, l406) that the university was restored. The
bull creating II was undoubtedly compiled by
Poggio, that celebrated humanist having been
for some time Pnpal amanuensis. He also per-
suadcd the Pope TO establish chair OF Greek
and proposed for Professor Chrysoloras, who had
been Poggios own teacher Poggio himself and
LEONARDO Aretino. through whose influence he
had become apostolic secretary. may have tenn
porarily taught at the university in Rome. The
moral decadence OF the Eternal City il shown by
tho insig nHcant number not only Of literary men,
but also Of men Of mark in any way. In the four
tecnth century there was not single Roman
among the Popcs; but few Romans among the
Cardinals Even the few Roman Princes OF the
Church dwelt In distant Avignon; such were John
Colonna and Napoleon Orsini. To the writings
of Petrarch, the Colonna Of his time owed almost
exclusively their posthumous renown, and we
can now no longer Judge how far the praise OF
culture which he awarded them was well founded.
The most talented Roman. indeed the highest
intellectual product OF the city in the fourteenth
century was Cola di Rienzo. The historian Of ltal
ian literature has awarded him honorable place.
His letters and apologize literary monuments.
His Latin, written half in the style Of notary.
half in that of priest could not, indeed.
bear tho test applied 10 II by the Ciceronan Pc
trarch, and the stream OF his natural cloquence
did not follow classic rules hut it was the ex-
preston OF an original intellect and a mystic
caste Of mind In the province OF Re
man Typographical knowledge the Trib-
une was truly eminent Gregorovius would
call him tho first archaologist OF Rome
He was the first TO lift the legendary veil thrown
over the monuments OF the city and TO make them
subjects OF historic survey and inference He
collected inscriptions which, before him. no one
had been able to decipher. Dante had evinced
no trace OF feeling for antiquity in his Divine
Comedy he bestows not glance the world
OF ruins in Rome. After him, Petrarch, indeed,
collected coins of the enperors but was unable
TO read Roman inscriptions: he believed the Pyra
mid Of Cestus TO be the tomb Of Rcmus, and the
Column OF Traian the tomb of that Emperor
Cola di Rienzo the actual founder Of an
tiquarian studies De Rossi. the greatest
och in he In NJ Chriet
tiquity. has shown that Cola must have COM
piled the little boo!; entitled Description of tho
City of Rome and its Excellencics" Another
Roman. John Caballni de Cerronbus, a con-
temporary Of the Tribune, also compiled, about
the middle OF the fourteenth century a descrp-
ton OF the city, which proves him 10 have been
a man OF unusual culture. who, like Cola, was
conversant with the writings Of the ancents, as
well as with those OF the Fathers OF the Church
After Cola and de Cerronibus, distinguished
Paduan physician and mechanic surveyed
the monuments o! the city with scientific eye
This was Giovanni Dondi. surnamed dali Oro-
logic. owing TO the invention of marvellous
timepiece. He visited Rome about 1875; took
measurements Of the ancient buildings; OF the
column OF Tra.an, the Pantheon the Vatican ODE
lsks the Colosseum, the basIlicls OF St Peter and
St Paul and. at the Same time, copied some
inscriptions on temples and triumphal arches
We here TO the end of the few historiographic
writings produced in Rome in the fourteenth
century. To these Roman literature at this
period was restricted. When the city was for
saken by the Popcs. and the bursher class he
came all powerful, the beginnings Of Roman
civic history arose in the form Of diaries These
attempts, unhapply, remained isolated Had
the Capitoline Government but given encourage
ment. some patriotic author might have founded q
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