ed for valour and the love of freedom, were rendered laborious, hardy, and frugal, by the necessities of their situation. The cliinate further contributed to fix their character, which was marked by phlegmatic patience and slow diligence. Fitted to undertake tasks of great toil and extent, and not easily disheartened by casualties or failures, they accomplished the arduous enterprise of first conquering their country from the ocean, and then rendering it a comfortable abode.

"These provinces had acquired a large population and moderate opulence under the limited sovereignty of the house of Austria, when, in the 16th century, the tyranny of Philip II. of Spain impelled them to a revolt, which, after many years of bloody and dubious contest, terminated in their being ac knowledged an independent state. No na tion ever purchased liberty by more heroic and persevering efforts; for the cool phlegmatic character, when once sufficiently excited by great passions, is most to be relied upon for carrying its aims into full effect. The coincidence of zeal for religious with that for political reformation, infused double vigour into their exertions, and they at the same time freed themselves from the fetters of Spanish despotism, and from the chains of papal authority.

"Their losses by land in the earlier part of the struggle induced them to seek an indemnification in the other element, to which they were already habituated by means of their fisheries and their traffic in the neighbouring seas. They assaulted the Spanish trade and settlements (then also including the Portuguese) in both Indies, and laid the foundation of that vast system of foreign commerce and colonization which raised them to the rank of one of the great powers of Europe. They opened an asylum for the oppressed of all Countries: their cities were filled with skilful and industrious artisans; their ports were crowded with shipping; and Holland becaine the grand depository and mart for the

richest products of all quarters of the globe. Their population augmented far beyond the sustenance afforded by their native land; but they drew great resources from the ocean, and the harvests of all the neighbouring con tries were theirs through the medium of com merce.

"The form of government established by the Dutch, when become independent, was that of a federal republic, in which each of the seven provinces retained a domestic sovereignty, while affairs of common concern were managed by the states-general, composed of deputies from every province. In times of particular danger a captain-general had been appointed under the title of Stadt holder, which office at length became hered tary in the house of Orange, and gave to the government a kind of monarchical mixture. The ecclesiastical establishment was of the calvinistical form, and adherence to it was required from all persons in public trusts; but a free toleration was granted to all religious sects, which accordingly existed in greater variety in Holland than in any other Euro pean country, England perhaps excepted. This liberal policy proved of the greatest advantage to the state.

"The French conquest of Holland in the late revolutionary war has subverted its ancient constitution, and destroyed its inde edence; and it can at present be regarded in no other light than as a dependency of that overgrown and usurping power, obliged to adopt its friendship and eninities, and to c cept whatever new form of government may be imposed upon it. The stadtholderate has been abolished, together with the jurisdiction of the provincial states, and the supreme power is nominally vested in a Batavian re public. New changes, however, are de pending, and it is impossible to conjecture to what degree they may be carried, or bow long the separate existence of a Dutch nation may be permitted."

rary friends, to give a history of the revival of letters, not only in Italy, but in all the principal countries of Europe; and that the history of English poetry, by Mr, Thomas Warton, was only a part of this great design. When we advert to the various and excellent critical productions of these liberal and learned brothers, and consider that among the names of their coadjutors, would probably have been found those of West, of Walpole, of Mason, and of Gray, we cannot sufficiently lament the want of public encouragement, which was, in all probability, the chief cause that prevented this noble and extensive undertaking from being carried into complete execution."

The want of public encouragement for worthy undertakings is always to be lamented; in this instance, however, it has rather been beneficial to literature than injurious; for highly as we respect the great names which have been thus mentioned, we cannot but feel that the history

of Leo could not have been in better hands than in those of Mr. Roscoe. By writing the life of Lorenzo de Medici, he had fully prepared himself for the task; that work has received the stamp of approbation, in the country where its merits can most truly be appreciated, and the name of Dottor Guglielmo Roscoe stands as high in Italy as in England.

It is well known what rare and valuable documents this writer had the good fortune to procure for his former work-he has not been less fortunate in his researches for the present. By the assistance of Lord Holland, and Mr. Penrose, and the liberality of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, the archives of Florence were opened to him, from whence two volumes of important papers were transcribed. Mr. Johnson, in like manner, collected materials from the Vatican; and while Mr. Roscoe was thus indebted to the truly praiseworthy assistance of his countrymen, he was likewise favoured with communications from many of the most learned men in Italy. Mr. Shepherd, the biographer of Poggio, examined for him the unpublished part of the diary of Paris de Grassis, in the na

tional library at Paris. The public libraries in England were diligently explored, and private collections opened to him with that liberality which, we rejoice to say, characterises the present age.-Having acknowledged these various sources of assistance, Mr. Roscoe speaks of the work itself with that manliness and candour which to honourably distinguish his writings.

"With respect to the execution of the following work, I cannot but be well aware,

that many circumstances and characters will be ro-represented in a light somewhat different from that in which they have generally been viewed, and that I may probably be accused of having suffered myself to be induced by the force of prejudice, or the affectation of novelty, to remove what have hitherto been considered as the land-marks of history. To imputations of this kind, I feel the most perfect indifference. Truth alone has been my guide, and whenever she has steadily diffused her light, I have endeavoured to delineate the objects in their real form and colour. History is the record of the experience of mankind in their most important concerns. If it be impossible for human sagacity to estimate the consequences of a falsehood in private life, it is equally impossible to estimate the consequences of a false or partial representation of the events of former times. The conduct of the present is regulated by the experience of the past. The circumstances which have led the way to lead the way to the prosperity or destruction the prosperity or destruction of states, will of states in all future ages. If those in high authority be better informed than others, it is from this source that their information must be drawn; and to pollute it, is therefore to poison the only channel through which we can derive that knowledge which, if it can be obtained pure and unadulterated, cannot fail in time to purify the intellect, expand the powers, and improve the condition of the

human race.

Giovanni, afterwards Leo X., second son of Lorenzo de Medici, was born at Florence, 1475, the year of jubilee. Various motives induced his father to destine him to the church. As politics became more systematized, princes were desirous of procuring a seat in the college of cardinals for their relatives, as a necessary step to the papal chair. No person had stronger reasons to form such a plan than Lorenzo. He had suffered severely from the enmity of the papal see, and he knew no other means which could so effectually secure his family in the possession of their usurped power. Accordingly Giovanni received the tonsure* when only seven years old, and was declared capable of ecclesiastical preferment. The abbey of Fonte-dolce was given him by the king of France, and from thenceforth he was called Messire Giovanni. The next year came a courier rom the same king, to say that he had nferred upon him the archbishopric' of Aix: the Pope made some objection to is on account of his youth; but it soon spcared that there was an objection which Ma not so easily to be removed as his lizess's scruples, for the next news was hat the archbishop was not dead. Some Compensation for this disappointment was on made by the pope, who gave him the ah abbey of Passignano. "It would not e difficult," says the historian, "to deim against the corruptions of the Roman ée, and the absurdity of conferring ecclestical preferments upon a child; but in he estimation of an impartial observer, it

is a matter of little moment whether such preferment be bestowed upon an infant who is unable, or an adult who is unwilling, to perform the duties of his office ; and who, in fact, at the time of his appointment, neither intends nor is expected ever to bestow upon them any share of his attention."

But the purple was the important object.-The history of Giovanni's advancement to this dignity is given from Lorenzo's confidential correspondence, with amusing minuteness. In the articles signed by Innocent, on his election, he had solemnly promised not to raise any person to the rank of cardinal who had not attained thirty years of age; but this difficulty, as well as all others, yielded to the persevering policy of Lorenzo. His first step was to induce the pope to make a promotion of cardinals; a design which the infirm and inactive old man delayed from time to time to execute. "This event," says he, in a letter to his envoy at Rome, "ought not to be delayed longer than can possibly be avoided: for when his holiness has completed it, he will be another pope than he has hitherto been; because he is yet a head without limbs, surrounded by the creatures of others, whereas he will then be surrounded by his own."-While he thus makes it appear to be the pope's interest to take this step, he merely adds, concerning his own object," he may also gratify me, if he thinks proper." But when the promotion was positively determined on, his solicitations became more pressing. He wrote to the pope himself, saying that "he most earnestly intreats, if he is ever to receive any benefit from his holiness, that it may be conceded to him on this occasion;" requesting his favour with no less fervency than he would request from God the salvation of his soul! To one of the cardinals who espoused his cause, he says "he considers the favour in no other light than as if he were raised from death to life.” No candidate ever canvassed more assidu ously, even at an election in England; what other electioneering arguments were applied, we are left to conjecture; whatever they may have been they were suc cessful, and Giovanni, at the age of thirteen, was made a cardinal, under the title of S. Maria in Domenica. The day after he had received the welcome tidings, Lorenzo sent the measure of his son's stature

to Rome; but in my eyes," he adds, "he seems to have grown since yesterday." Politiano, partaking is patron's joy, had even the folly or the assurance to compliment the pope upon the wisdom of his choice. "Allow me," he says in this curious epistle, "to congratulate your holiness, that by this exertion of your own discriminating judgment, you have added immortal honour to your other great dis tinctions our young cardinal has had the happiness to be so born and constifuted by nature, so educated and directed as to his manners; so instituted and taught, as to his literary acquirements, that in his genius he is inferior to no one; neither is he surpassed by any of those of his own time of life, in industry; by his preceptors, in learning, or by mature age, in gravity and seriousness of deportment. From his cradle he has ineditated on the sacred of fices of the church; and such was the specimen which he had given, while yet a child, of his virtues and talents, that the reputation of them induced that most wise and most pious king, Louis XI., to judge him not unworthy of the high dignity of an archbishop. Doubt not but he will fill the august purple. He will not faint under the weight of the hat, nor be dazzled by the splendour that surrounds him: you will find in him, a person not unqualified for such a state, nor unequal to such a burthen. Already he appears in full majesty, and seems to exceed his usual stature."

were men who afterwards became conspi cuous in the history of Europe. Rode rigo Borgia, the famous or infamous Alexander VI., was the eldest member of the college; bad as he was, his memory has been blackened. In sketching his cha racter at this time, Mr. Roscoe observes, that his attachment to his mistress Vánozza appears to have been sincere and uniform, and that he regarded her as a legitimate wife. Francesco Piccolomini, nephew of Pius II., and afterwards Pius III., was another member; his character was high and unblemished. A third was Giulia della Rovere, the restless Julius II. These distinguished men are briefly, but ably introduced, chap. ii. The state of litera ture in Italy is then examined. A few members of that academy at Rome, which the brutal and ignorant Paul II. had persecuted, were still living. Pomponius Lætus was the chief of these old scholars. Callimachus Experiens, his associate, had taken shelter in Poland, where he com posed lís excellent history of the affairs of Hungary. Paolo Cortese had formed a new society in the capital of the christian world. Literature however was not in a flourishing state at Rome; it prospered more at Florence, at Naples, at Mantus, at Milan, and above all at Ferrara, where Ariosto was now succeeding to Boiares This second chapter concludes with as account of Aldo Manuzio, the great bene. factor of learning. Pico of Mirandola ws one of his most intimate friends; and it was in his conversations with him, and with Alberto Pio, lord of Carpi, that Aldo | formed the idea of his great undertaking, to which, in all probability, they cout buted their pecuniary assistance.

pense.

Whether it is advisable to unite general history with individual biography, as in the present work, has frequently been disputed; we have no hesitation in saying that it was absolutely necessary here. The life of Leo, in his early years, was so materially affected by the politics of Italy, then the great theatre of contention between France and Spain, that it could not be fairly understood, unless the history of those transactions were related at large.

Many of the young cardinal's colleagues

the more particular object of his wishes wa mencing his work, he was indefatigable; ba the discovery of some method by which might give to his publications a greater degust of correctness than had been attained by preceding artist. To this end he invited a his assistance a great number of distinguis scholars, whom he prevailed upon, by his ou influence, and that of his friends, or the residence at Venice. That he might attac pulation of a liberal reward, to take up the them still more to the place, and to each other, he proposed the establishment of literary association, or academy, the chic