, one of the most celebrated Italian poets of the sixteenth century,
, one of the most
celebrated Italian poets of the sixteenth century, was born
about 1517, at Sutri in Tuscany, of very poor parents.
After receiving such education as he could afford, he came
to Rome and engaged himself as a corrector of the press;
but an intrigue with his master’s wife, in which he was detected, obliged him to leave Rome^with a little money and
a few cloaths, of which he was stripped by robbers. He
then begged his way to Vienna, and there got immediate
employment from Franceschi, the bookseller; and, while
with him, wrote his translation of Ovid, and some of his
original works. He then returned to Rome, which his reputation as a poet had reached, but his misfortunes also
followed him; and after having lived for some time on the
sale of his cloaths and books, he died partly of hunger, and
partly of a disease contracted by his imprudent conduct,
in an inn near Torre de Nona. The exact date of his
death is not known, but it appears by a letter addressed to
him by Annibai Caro, that he was alive in 1564. His
translation of the Metamorphoses still enjoys a high reputation in Italy, and Varchi and some other critics chuse to
prefer it to the original. This is exaggerated praise, but
undoubtedly the poetry and style are easy and elegant;
although from the many liberties he has taken with the
text, it ought rather to be called an imitation than a translation. The editions have been numerous, but the best is
that of the Giunti, Venice, 1584, 4to, with engravings by
Franco, and notes and arguments by Orologi and Turchi.
He also began the Æneid, but one book only was printed,
1564, 4to; soon after which period it is supposed he died.
His other works are: 1. “Œdipo,
” a tragedy, partly original and partly from Sophocles. It had great success in
representation, and was played in a magnificent temporary
theatre built for the purpose by Palladio in 1565. 2.
“Canzoni,
” addressed to the dukes of Florence and Ferrara. 3. “Poetical arguments for all the cantos of Orlando
Furioso.
” 4. Four “Capitoli,
” or satires, printed in various collections of that description. It appears by these
last that he was gay and thoughtless in the midst of all his
misfortunes.
, called by some writers Berna or Bernia, was one of the most celebrated Italian poets of the sixteenth century.
, called by some writers Berna or Bernia, was
one of the most celebrated Italian poets of
the sixteenth century. He was born about the conclusion
of the fifteenth, at Lamporecchio, in that part of Tuscany
called Val-di-Nievole, of a noble but impoverished family
of Florence. In his nineteenth year he went to Koine, to
his relation cardinal Bibiena, who according to his own account, did him neither good nor harm. He was then obliged
to take the office of secretary to Giberti, bishop of Verona,
who was datary to pope Leo X. On this he assumed the
ecclesiastical habit, in hopes of sharing some of that prelate’s patronage, but the mean and dull employment of his
office of secretary, and for which he was ill paid, was very
unsuitable to his disposition. There was at Rome what he
liked better, a society or academy of young ecclesiastics as
gay as himself, and lovers of wit and poetry like himself,
who, no doubt in order to point out their taste for wine,
and their thoughtless habits, were called Vignajuoli, vinedressers. To this belonged Mauro, Casa, Firenzuola, Capilupij and many others. In their meetings they laughed
at every thing, and made verses and witticisms on the most
grave and solemn subjects. The compositions Berni contributed on these occasions, were so superior to the others,
that verses composed in the same style began to be called
“La poesia Bernesca.
”