, one of the revivers of letters in the fifteenth century, was born
, one of the revivers
of letters in the fifteenth century, was born in 1440, and
is said by his nephew Pietro Valeriano to have been the
earliest instructor of Leo X. in the knowledge of the Greek
tongue. Although an ecclesiastic of the order of St. Francis, he quitted the walls of his monastery with the laudable
curiosity of visiting foreign parts; and, having had an
opportunity of accompanying Andrea Gritti, afterwards
doge of Venice, on an embassy to Constantinople, he thence
made an excursion through Greece, Palestine, Egypt,
Syria, Arabia, and other countries; always travelling on
foot, and diligently noting whatever appeared deserving of
observation. His nephew adds, that he travelled also into
Sicily, where he twice ascended the mountain of yEtna,
and looked down its crater. The disinterestedness of Urbano is also strongly insisted on by his nephew, who informs us that he rather chose to suffer the inconveniencies
of poverty, than to receive a reward for those instructions
which he was at all times ready to give, and that he always
persevered in refusing those honours and dignities which
Leo X. would gladly have conferred upon him. His activity, temperance, and placid disposition, secured to him
a healthful old age; nor did he omit to make frequently
excursions through Italy, until he was disqualified from
these occupations by a fall in his garden whilst he was
pruning his trees. His principal residence was at Venice,
where he not only assisted Aldus in correcting the editions
which he published of the ancient authors, but gave in-'
structions in the Greek language to a great number of
scholars; and there was scarcely a person in Italy distinguished by his proficiency in that language who had not at
some time been his pupil. His grammar, “Urbani Grammatica Græca,
” Venice,