Palingenius, Marcellus
, an Italian poet, who
flourished in the sixteenth century, was born at Stellada,
in Ferrara, upon the bank of the Po. We are told by
some, that his true name was Pietro Angelo Manzolli, of
which “Marcello Palingenio” is the anaigram .*
He is
chiefly known by his “
Zodiacus Vitae,” a poem in twelve
books, dedicated to
Hercules II. of
Este, duke of
Ferrara.
Some say he was physician to that prince, but this will admit of a doubt; at least it is certain he was not so when he
wrote the dedication to his “
Zodiac.” This poem, on
which he had employed several years, brought him into
trouble, as it contained many sarcastic attacks on monks
and church-abuses and his name therefore appears in the
“
Index librorum prohibitorum,” as a Lutheran heretic of
the Brst class, and as an impious author. It is thought, he
carries too far the objections of libertines and scoffers at
religion; otherwise his work is interspersed with judicious
maxims, and some have considered it as a truly philosophical satire against immorality and prejudice. In the
close of the dedication, he declares himself a good catholic,
so far as to submit all his opinions to the censure of the
church; and this declaration might perhaps have secured
him against the inquisition, had the affair related only to
some particular tenet; but it could not acquit him of that
impiety, which Palingenius was, not without reason, suspected to teach. In his third book, for instance, he inculcates the doctrine of
Epicurus without the least reserve.
He published this book in 1536, and again at
Basil, in1537 ;
† and seems not to have lived long after that date.
Gyraldus, who wrote about 1543, relates, that, after his
burial, his body was ordered to be dug up, in order to be
| burnt; which execution was prevented by the duchess of
Ferrara, who, it is thought, had received him at her court
among the
Lutherans.
1
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