, of Pistoia, an Italian comedian of the sixteenth century, deserves
, of Pistoia, an Italian comedian
of the sixteenth century, deserves some notice on account
of his wife, a woman of considerable talents, and his son,
whose history is in one respect connected with that of our
immortal Milton. This Francis appears to have been a
species of buffoon stroller. In 1609, he published a work
entitled “Le Bravure del capitan Spavento, Venice,
” 4to,
which consists of dialogues between the captain and his
man Trappola. Prefixed to it is a serious lamentation over
the death of his wife, the subject of our next article. He
afterwards published other dialogues in prose, “Ragionamenti fantastici posti in forma di dialoghi rappresentativi,
”
Venice, L'Alterazza di Narciso,
” Venice, L'Ingannata Proserpina,
” ibid, same year. He was
remarkable for the powers of memory, and spoke, with
great facility, French, Spanish, Sclavonian, modern Greek,
and even the Turkish language. He was living in 1616, as
appears by the date of his edition of his wife’s works, and
it is thought that he died soon after that publication.
e, his works are, the sculpture oa the façade of the church of St. Mark; the model of the baptistery of Pistoia, executed in 1337; and the tomb of Cino d'Angibolgi;
, or more properly Andrea Pisano, an eminent sculptor and architect, was born at Pisa in 1270, at a time when Arnolfo di Lapo, John de Pisa, and others, following the designs of Cimabue and Giotto, had renounced the Gothic style, and were introducing those purer models, which promised a revolution in architecture, sculpture, and painting. Andrea, entering into their ideas, had some peculiar circumstances in his favour, as at that time his countrymen, who were powerful at sea, traded with Greece, and brought thence ancient statues, bas-reliefs, and valuable marbles, which they employed in the ornament or construction of their public edifices, particularly the cathedral and the Campo Santo. By studying these, Andrea acquired a portion of that taste which was afterwards so conspicuous in Donatelio, Brunelleschi, and Ghiberti. His first attempts were so favourably received, that he was invited to Florence to execute, from the designs of Giotto, the sculptures on the facade of St. Marie del Fiore, the most magnificent edifice of that time. He began with the statue of Boniface VIII. the protector of the Florentines, which he followed by those of St. Peter, St. Paul, and other saints. In 1586, when it was determined to repair this facade upon a more modern plan, these were all removed, and when that design was not approved of, they were put up in the church and in other places, and some were deposited in the Poggio imperiale, a country-house belonging to the grand dukes of Tuscany. There was also a Madona and two angels in the church of the Misericordia, which are said to have been executed by Andrea at the same time. On the death of Arnolfo di Lapo, the republic of Florence employed Andrea in all the great works constructing in their territories. As an engineer, he built the fortifications round Florence, and the strong castle of Scarperia. During more peaceable times, he employed himself in making figures in bronze; and the Florentines, who were ambitious of rivalling the magnificence of the ancients in their temples, employed him to execute the sculpture of the gates of the baptistery, from designs by Giotto. These gates were accordingly covered with basreliefs, representing the whole history of John the Baptist. The composition is excellent, and the attitudes of the figures natural and expressive, although with some degree of stiffness, but the minute parts are executed with great skill. These gates, which were begun in 1331, were finished, polished, and gilt in eight years, and at first were placed at the principal entrance, but they were afterwards removed to one of the side entrances, where they now are, and the admirable gates of Laurent Ghiberti substituted in their room. Andrea also executed in bronze the tabernacle of San Giovanni, the has reliefs, and statues belonging to the campanile of St. Marie del Fiore, and many others. At Venice, his works are, the sculpture oa the façade of the church of St. Mark; the model of the baptistery of Pistoia, executed in 1337; and the tomb of Cino d'Angibolgi; and he was employed in many fortifications by Gaultier de Brienne, duke of Athens, during his usurpation at Florence; but Andrea did not suffer by the duke’s disgrace in 1343; and the Florentines, who looked only to his merit, admitted him a citizen of Florence, where he died in 1345, and was buried in St. Marie del Fiore. His son Nino, also a sculptor of considerable note, erected a monument to his memory.
thers, in the course of which he became particularly attached to those of St. Bernard and the bishop of Pistoia gave him the living of St. Peter at Ajolo, where he
, an Italian scholar of the
last century, was born at Prato in Tuscany, Nov. 18, 1685.
He had but just finished his education at Florence, when
he was admitted a member of the academy of the Apatisti,
and two years after, of that of Florence, nor was he more
than twenty when he became known to and associated with
the principal literati of that city. He went afterwards to
Pisa, and studied philosophy and mathematics under Alexander Marchetti, the translator of Lucretius, and there he
received the degree of doctor of laws, and the order of
priesthood. There also the bishop of Prato appointed
him to give public lectures on the works of the fathers, in
the course of which he became particularly attached to
those of St. Bernard and the bishop of Pistoia gave him
the living of St. Peter at Ajolo, where he made himself
very popular. Such also was his literary fame, that besides
the academies we have mentioned, he was admitted a
member of the Inlecundi of Prato, the Innominati of Bra
in Piedmont, of the Rinvigoriti of Foligno, the Arcadians
of Rome, the Columbarian society, and the della Crusca.
His life was exemplary, his character loyal and ingenuous,
although somewhat reserved. He loved retirement, yet
was of a placid humour, and enjoyed effusions of wit but
in his latter years he fell into a state of melancholy, aggravated by bodily disorder, which terminated in his death
Feb. 17, 1749. His two most considerable works, were,
1. “De‘ gran duchi di Toscana della real casa de’ Medici,
”
Venice, Della satira Italiana, trattato,
” Massa, La Cantica de Cantici di Salomone tradotta
in versi Toscani con annotazioni,
” Venice, Prose Fiorentine,
” Venice,
tures, but Lanzi mentions two, painted for the abbey of St. Michele, in Pelago, in the neighbourhood of Pistoia; the one of St. Tesauro, the other of Gregory VII. In
, an eminent artist, claimed
by the English school, from England being so long the
theatre of his art, was born at Pistoia, about the year 1727.
He received his first instructions from an English artist of
the name of Heckford (who had settled in that city), and
afterwards went under the tuition of Gabbiani, by the study
of whose works he became a vigorous designer. Italy possesses few of his pictures, but Lanzi mentions two, painted
for the abbey of St. Michele, in Pelago, in the neighbourhood of Pistoia; the one of St. Tesauro, the other of Gregory VII. In 1750 he went to Rome, where he had much
employment, but chiefly in drawing; and in August 1755
came to England with Mr. Wilton and sir William Chambers, who were then returning from the continent. His
reputation having preceded him, he was patronized by lord
Tilney, and the late duke of Richmond, and other noblemen. When, in 1758, the duke of Richmond opened the
gallery at his house in Privy- garden as a school of art,
Wilton and Cipriani were appointed to visit the students
the former giving them instructions in sculpture, and the
latter in painting; but this scheme was soon discontinued.
At the foundation of the Royal Academy, Cipriani was
chosen one of the founders, and was also employed to make
the design for the diploma, which is given to the academicians and associates at their admission. For this work,
which he executed with great taste and elegance, the president and council presented him with a silver cup, “as an
acknowledgment for the assistance the academy received
from his great abilities in his profession.
” The original
drawing of this diploma was purchased at the marquis of
Lansdowne’s sale of pictures, drawings, &c. in 1806 for
thirty-one guineas by Mr. G. Baker.
had recourse to arms, in consequence of a dispute between two branches of the family of Cancelieri, of Pistoia. The rival factions had distinguished themselves by
He had already conceived notions of military glory, and had distinguished himself by his bravery in an action where the Florentines obtained a signal victory at Arezzo. This, joined with his acknowledged learning, prepared the way for his advancement to the first honours of the state. Italy, at that time, was distracted between the factions of the Guelfs, or partizans of the pope, and the Ghibellines, who adhered to the emperor. After many revolutions, the Gnelfs had got the superiority in Florence; and in 130O Dante, with several colleagues, was elected prior, the first executive office in the republic of Florence, and from this he is said to have dated all his misfortunes. Although the faction of the Ghibellines seemed totally extinct, an uninterrupted flow of ten years prosperity was attended with consequences more fatal to the Guelfs than all their past misfortunes. The two noble families of the Cherchi and Donati had been engaged in a quarrel of old standing, and now had recourse to arms, in consequence of a dispute between two branches of the family of Cancelieri, of Pistoia. The rival factions had distinguished themselves by the names of the blacks and the whites, i. e. the Neri and the Bianchi. Donati, from an old attachment to the part of the Cancelieri, called the blacks, joined their faction, which immediately determined the Cherchi to join the whites; and in order to put an end to the quarrel, Dante and his colleagues, ordered the heads of the opposite factions t remove from Pistoia to Florence, the consequence of which was, that all the noble families of Florence ranged themselves with the one or the other, and even the lower order of the citizens became partizans. At last, at a secret meeting of the blacks, Carso Donati proposed to apply to pope Boniface VIII. to terminate these intestine broils, by sending Charles of Valois of the blood royal of France. The whites, having learned this, assembled in arms, and clamoured loudly against the project, and Dante was so dissatisfied with it, that from that moment it is probable he took a decided part against the black faction.
so perfect a knowledge of the Italian language, that he was appointed public moderator of the school of Pistoia in Tuscany, and wrote books in that tongue, which were
, an English physician and philologist, was born at Llanvaethly in the isle of Anglesea,
in 1534. After residing two or three years at Oxford, he
was elected student of Christ church, but inclining to the
study of medicine, went abroad, and took the degree of
doctor in that faculty at Sienna in Tuscany. He acquired
so perfect a knowledge of the Italian language, that he was
appointed public moderator of the school of Pistoia in
Tuscany, and wrote books in that tongue, which were much
esteemed by the Italians themselves. On his return, with
a high reputation for medical and critical learning of all
kinds, he retired to Brecknock, where he passed the
greater part of his life in literary pursuits and the practice
of his profession, and where he died about 1609. Wood
says he died a Roman catholic; and Dodd, upon that authority, has included him among his worthies of that religion, but there seems some reason to doubt this. One of
Rhese’s publications was a Welsh grammar, “CambroBritannicae, Cymeraecaeve, linguse Institutiones et
Rudimenta, &c. ad intelligend. Biblia Sacra iiuper in CambroBritannicum sermonem eleganter versa,
” Lond. 1592, folio.
Prefixed to this is a preface by Humphrey Prichard, in
which he informs us that the author made this book purposely for the better understanding of that excellent translation of the Bible into Welsh, and principally for the sake
of the clergy, and to make the scriptures more intelligible
to them and to the people; a measure which a Roman catholic in those days would scarcely have adopted. Prichard also
says that he was “sincere religionis propaganda avidissimus;
” and as Prichard was a protestant, and a minister of
the church of England, he must surely mean the protestant
religion. Rhese’s other works are, “Rules for obtaining
the Latin Tongue,
” written in the Tuscan language, and
printed at Venice; and “De Italicae linguae pronunciatione,
” in Latin, printed at Padua. There was likewise in
Jesus college library a ms compendium of Aristotle’s Metaphysics in the Welsh language by our author, in which
he asserts, what every ancient Briton will agree to, that this
tongue is as copious and proper for the expression of philosophical terms, as the Greek or any other language. Several other valuable tracts, which are entirely lost, were
written by Dr. Rhese, who was accounted one of the great
luminaries of ancient British literature. By Stradling in
his epigrams, he is styled “novum antiques linguae lumen;
”
and by Camden, “clarissimus et eruditissimus vir Joannes
David,
” for he was sometimes called John David, or Davis.
, the following narrative was published: ” Francis Arcangeli was born of mean parents, near the city of Pistoia, and bred a cook, in which capacity he served in a respectable
In one of his letters, dated 1754, he gives an account
of his change of religion, which too plainly appears to have
been guided by motives of interest, in order to make his
way to Rome, and gain a better livelihood. At Dresden
he published, 1755, “Reflections on the Imitation of the
Works of the Greeks,
” 4to, translated into French the same
year, and republished 1756, 4to. At Rome he made an
acquaintance with Mengs, first painter to the king of Poland, afterwards, in 1761, appointed first painter to the
house of Spain, with an appointment of 80,000 crowns, a
house, and a coach; and he soon got access to the library
of cardinal Passionei, who is represented as a most catholic and respectable character, who only wanted ambition
to be pope. His catalogue was making by an Italian, and
the work was intended for Winkelman. Giacomelli, canon
of St. Peter, &c. had published two tragedies of Æschylus
and Sophocles, with an Italian translation and notes, and
was about a new edition of “Chrysostom de Sacerdotio;
”
and Winkelman had joined with him in an edition of an
unprinted Greek oration of Libanius, from two Mss. in
the Vatican and Barberini libraries. In 1757 he laments
the calamities of his native country, Saxony, which was
then involved in the war between the emperor and the king
of Prussia. In 1758 he meditated a journey over the
kingdom of Naples, which he says could only be done on
foot, and in the habit of a pilgrim, on account of the many
difficulties and dangers, and the total want of horses and
carriages from Viterbo to Pisciota, the ancient Velia. Jn
1768 we find him in raptured with the idea of a voyage to
Sicily, where he wished to make drawings of the many
beautiful earthen vases collected by the Benedictines at
Catana. At the end of the first volume of his letters, 1781,
were first published his remarks on the ancient architecture of the temple of Girgenti. He was going to Naples,
with 100 crowns, part of a pension from the king of Poland, for his travelling charges, and thence to Florence,
at the invitation of baron Sto&ch. Cardinal Archinto, secretary of state, employed him to take care of his library.
His “Remarks on Ancient Architecture' 7 were ready for a
second edition. He was preparing a work in Italian, to
clear up some obscure points in mythology and antiquities,
with above fifty plates; another in Latin, explanatory of
the Greek medals that are least known; and he intended
to send to be printed in England
” An Essay on the Style
of Sculpture before Phidias.“A work in 4to appeared at
Zurich, addressed to Mr. Wrnkelman, by Mr. Mengs, but
without his name, x entitled,
” Thoughts on Beauty and
Taste in Painting,“and was published by J. C. Fuesli.
When Cardinal Albam succeeded to the place of librarian
of the Vatican, he endeavoured to get a place for the Hebrew language for Winkelman, who refused a canonry
because be would not take the tonsure. The elector of
Saxony gave him, 1761, unsolicited, the place of counsellor Richter, the direction of the royal cabinet of medals,
and antiquities at Dresden. Upon the death of the abbe
Venuti, 1762, he was appointed president of the antiquities of the apostolic chamber, with power over all discoveries and exportations of antiquities and pictures. This
is a post of honour, with an income of 160 scudi per annum. He had a prospect of the place of president of antiquities in the Vatican, going to be created at 16 scudi
per month, and was named corresponding member of the
academy of inscriptions. He had thoughts of publishing
an
” Essay on the Depravation of Taste in the Arts and
Sciences.“The king of Prussia offered him by Col. Quintus Icilius the place of librarian and director of his cabinet
of medals and antiquities, void by the death of M. Gautier
de la Croze, with a handsome appointment. He made no
scruple of accepting the offer; but, when it came to the
pope’s ears, he added an appointment out of his own purse,
and kept him at Rome. In April 1768 he left Rome to go
with M. Cavaceppi over Germany and Switzerland. When
he came to Vienna he was so pleased with the reception he
met with that he made a longer stay there than he had
intended. But, being suddenly seized with a secret uneasiness, and extraordinary desire to return to Rome, he set
out for Italy, putting off his visits to his friends in Germany to a future opportunity. It was the will of Providence, however, that this opportunity should never come,
he being assassinated in June of that year, by one Arcangeli, of whom, and of his crime, the following narrative
was published:
” Francis Arcangeli was born of mean parents, near the
city of Pistoia, and bred a cook, in which capacity he served
in a respectable family at Vienna, where, having been
guilty of a considerable robbery, he was condemned to
work in fetters for four years, and then to be banished
from all the Austrian dominions, after being sworn never to
return. When three years of his slavery were expired, he
found friends to intercede in his favour, and he was released
from serving the fourth, but strictly enjoined to observe
the order of banishment; in consequence of which he left
Vienna, and retired to Venice with his pretended wife,
Eva Rachel. In August 1767, notwithstanding his oath,
he came to Trieste with a view to settle; but afterwards
changed his mind, and returned to Venice, where, being
disappointed of the encouragement he probably expected,
he came again to Trieste in May 1768. Being almost destitute of money, and but shabbily dressed, he took up his
lodging at a noted inn (probably with a view of robbing some traveller). In a few days the abbe Winkelman arrived at the same inn in his way from Vienna to Home, and
was lodged in the next apartment to that of Arcangeli.
This circumstance, and their dining together at the ordinary, first brought them acquainted. The abbe expressed a desire of prosecuting his journey with all possible
expedition, and Arcangeli was seemingly very assiduous
in procuring him a passage, which the abbé took very
kindly, and very liberally rewarded him for his services.
His departure, however, being delayed by the master of
the vessel which was to carry turn, Arcangeli was more
than ordinarily diligent in improving every opportunity of
making himself acceptable to the abbe, and their frequent
walks, long and fainiliar conversations, and the excessive
civility and attention of Arcangeli upon all occasions that
offered, so improved the regard which the abbe had begun
to conceive for him, that he not only acquainted him in
the general run of their discourse with the motives and the
event of his journey to Vienna, the graces he had there
received, and the offers of that ministry; but informed
him also of the letters of credit he had with him, the medals of gold and silver which he had received from their
imperial majesties, and, in short, with all the things of
value of which he was possessed.