New-York tribune., 1902-02-20
THE MEOICI.
A POPULAR SKETCH OF THE HISTORIC
ITALIAN HOUSE.

THE MEDICI AND. THE. ITALIAN RENAIs-
SANGE WE5 BY ophant smeaton oAsa NJ a. m oIne
2s6 Charles Scribner's Sons.
To follow out the continuity Of aim which ran
through the Rena aissance patronage of the house
OF Medici is of Mr.. Smeaton's chief objects.
His book is lacking naturally in the elaboration
OF treatment that makes for tne fullest appreci-
alton Of all sides Of the Renaissance movement
to be found in the classical works of Symonds
and Roscoe. 1t is. however admirable brief
survey Of the forces that were in play, and
pecially of the influence and personalities of the
great Medici. Mr.. Smeaton finds in the Renais
sance much more than literary revival brought
about by the dispersal of the scholars OF Con-
stantinople. That rebrth of Europe dates back
Of the fall Of the Byzantine Empire and even
the purely literary element of IT, the renewal OF
Greek study, had been manifested upward OF
sixty years before. But had the Medici family
not taken the deep and absorbing interest that
they did the movement would not have accom-
plished, at least in equal degree, that mission
Of the intellectual regeneration of Europe 1t
destined to achieve" The Medici not
originally noble. They were great merchant
princes and bankers. The founder of the fam
hy's greatness, Giovanni, was devoted to busi-
ness. and laid the foundations deep and wide Of
that colossal banking connection which Cosimo
still further to develop.
The story Of Cosmos rise TO power and of his
enthusiasm for the new learning is fascinat-
ing one. The power of the great banking house
was used not only TO give a commanding posi-
ton in F1orentine politics. but TO aid the
of art and letters: all its agents were commits
stoned 10 procure at whatever price manuscripts
and all other relics of Greek culture; and the
Renaissance in turn was used to strengthen the
house of Medic by winning all Humanists
its side Mr.. Smeaton thus striIlingIy puts it:
The enormous sums spent by Cosimo in build
ing were intended to impress the susceptible
Florentines in much the same way a modern
merchant endeavOrs TO catch the tickle public
by wholesale advertising His expenditure of
money on MISUNDERSTANDING from which the
citizens OF his native town would derive the
greatest amount OF benefit and pIeasure-waS
Just his big ad.' TO secure the adhesion of the
Florentines to his family after he was gone
He was far seeing enough 10 perceive that the
power 10 confer Immortality lay with the schol-
ars. the architects. the painters and the sculp
tors Of the Renaissance. Therefore CosmO,
though his interest in the Renaissance was un-
questionably sincere. found it advantageous TO
spend his money freely in supporting the move
ment.
The work Of PierO. the next OF the line, was
little more than preparation for the greater
glory investing the epoch of his son Lorenzo
one Of the most versatile and many sided Of
geniuses. The great secret of his power in Mr..
Smeaton's view, his ability unite the
sources Of administrative legislative and ju-
dical power in himself He had so far developed
the Medican policy that all the public offices
in Florence were held by his dependents all the
machinery Of the State controlled by him,
so that popes. kings and emperors appealed TO
him instead of to the nominal rulers OF the city.
The life of this young MRcenas. who died at the
age % forty-tWo. is splendid chapter in the
history Of the Renaissance. Mr.. Smeaton gives
only outline Of his diplomatic and political
career; he traces in detail his work for art and
literature. His intellectual and artistic cravings
were manifold and as diverse as the complete
circle of the arts and sciences One of his great
est services to learning his advocacy of
'specialis1n" in study:
One Of the first convictions borne home to him
on reaching manhood was that the days of the
.polymath,' or of the scholar who professed 10
have mastered the entire circle Of learning were
ever. Lorenzo was an advocate Of absolute ac-
curacy of scholarship. and that of course could
only be obtained by limiting the area of the
literary field which the scholar sought to make
his own.
Cardinal Giovanni continued the policy Of his
ancestors in Florence after his return from exile
by "beguiling the minds of the people from
troubling themselves with the affairs of govern
ment by seducing them into the pursuit of pleas
ure-' His pontifcate, Leo Y. was an epitorne
Of the entire culture of the Italy of his day:
Never before, and probably never again, in the
Nofld 5 history VIII such vast and varied as
semblage Of talented and cultured men and
women be gathered together within the COMPASS
CT a city. Poets, Latin and Italian: historians
ihoraEsts, philosophers, scientists antiuuarians
seholars. theologlans. met in the gay salons
OF the vatican, one and all bent upon attract
iIls lhe attention Of that corpulent sensual look
ing individual. whose appearance was So re
pehent yet whose manners were so fascinating
MIR. Smeaton leaves undecided the balance
which must be struck between the good and the
III OF the Medican influence. They did much
that was shameful and politically contemptible
but they were the most munifcent patrons in
The history Of letters and art. Had they not
cone their work OF fostering them the world
would be 1mmeasurably poorer to-day They
were a strange mixture of the grand and the
grovelling, of the mean and of the magnani-
nous.