, one of the Latin poets who flourished in Italy in the fifteenth
, one of the Latin poets who
flourished in Italy in the fifteenth century, was born at
Basilicata, in the kingdom of Naples, or as some think, at
Mantua. He studied, however, at Naples, which he made
his residence, and associated with Pontanus, Sannazarius,
and the other literati of that time and place, and acted as
preceptor to prince Ferdinand, who came to the throne in
1495, by the resignation of his father Alphonsus II. According to Ughelli in his “Italia sacra,
” Altilio was
appointed bishop of Policastro in 1471, and died in 1484;
but according to Mazzuchelli, whose authority in this instance appears preferable, he was not bishop until 1489,
and died about 1501. He has left but few specimens of
his poetry, but they are of acknouledged merit. The
most celebrated is the epithalamium he wrote on the marriage of Isabella of Arragon, daughter of Alphonsus II.
with John Galeas Sforca, duke of Milan. This is published
in the Carm. Illust. Poet. Ital. and with a few of his other
pieces, at the close of the works of Sannazarius, by Comino,
1731, 4to, where numerous testimonies are collected of
the merits of Altilio. Some of these pieces had, however,
been before printed with the works of Sannazarius, Daniel
Cereti, and the brothers of the Amalthei, illustrated by
the notes of Peter Vlamingii, Amst. 1728, 8vo, which may
be united with the variorum classics. Notwithstanding the
praises generally bestowed on Altilio, there are some
critics who have undervalued his talenjts. In particular,
Julius Scaliger thinks there is too great a profusion of
thought and expression in this performance:“Gabriel
Altilius,
” says he, “composed an excellent epithalamium,
which would have been still better, had he restrained his
genius; but, by endeavouring to say every thing upon the
subject, he disgusts the reader as much in some places, as
he gives him pleasure in others: be says too much, which
is a fault peculiar to his nation, for in all that tract of Italy
they have a continual desire of talking.
” k may appear
singular that his Latin poetry 'should hare raised him to
the dignity of a prelate; yet it certainly did, in a great
measure, to the bishopric of Policastro. Some have also
reproached him for neglecting the muses after his preferment, though they had proved so serviceable to him in
acquiring it: “When he was made bishop,
” says Paulus
Jovius, “he soon and impudently left the muses, by whose
means he had been promoted: a most heinous ingratitude,
unless we excuse him from the consideration of his order,
which obliged him to apply to the study of the holy
scriptures.
”