"Cofmo caused to be fent into banishment," fays Paulus Jovius, "thofe powerful Citizens of "Florence, fuch as Strozzi, Albici, Peruti, &c. "who were continually exciting tumults and "disturbances in it. From that time Florence "increased in wealth and in consequence at home "and abroad. Such was the felicity of the "temper and difpofition of Cofmo," adds his Panegyrift," that he did not gain his fuperiority over his fellow-citizens by eloquence, by ad"dress, by parade, or expence of any kind, but merely by his modefty, his benevolence, and "by his pursuit of honeft and honourable virtue. "He was defirous to excel others in the magni"ficent and elegant buildings which he erected "for the comfort and convenience of the city, " and in the conftant hospitality of his method of "living. Whilst himself, frugal by nature, in dulged in no delicacy whatever, contented " merely with plainness and fimplicity, after the "old Tuscan manner, to others he was liberal "and magnificent; calling around him those "perfons whom the dignity of learning had "rendered illuftrious; kind to the poor; ever "ready to affift those who stood in need of his "aid, and the most munificent rewarder of merit of all kinds; in which refpects alone he was fuperior to his fellow-citizens, and equalled Princes, as well as prepared himself an affured path to immortal fame and honour.” The The Medici feem to have made themselves of great confequence in Europe by being the principal bankers of it. It appears by Philip de Comines, that they had many agents in England in the time of Edward the Fourth. DONATELLO. THE enthusiasm of ardent and of forcible minds appears madness to those who are dull and phlegmatic. The pleasure it infpires is the greatest and the most independent remuneration that men of genius receive for their efforts and exertions. Donatello, the great Florentine Sculptor, had been long working at his ftatue of Judith; and, on giving the laft ftroke of the chifel to it, he was heard to exclaim, "Parla! speak now! "I am fure you can." LORENZO DE MEDICIS. THIS great man, from his earliest years, exhibited that quickness of mind which fo much diftinguished his maturer age. His father Cosmo having having one day presented him, when he was quite a child, to an Ambaffador, to whom he was talking of him with the foolish fondness of a parent, defired the Ambaffador to put fome questions to his fon, and to fee by his anfwers if he was not a boy of parts. The Ambaffador did as he was defired, and was foon convinced of the truth of what Cofmo had told him; but added, " This “child, as he grows up, will most probably " become stupid; for it has in general been ob"ferved, that thofe who, when young, are very 166 fprightly and clever, hardly ever increase in "talents as they grow older." Young Lorenzo, hearing this, crept gently to the Ambaffador, and looking him archly in the face, faid to him, "I am certain, that when you were young, you "were a boy of very great genius." Lorenzo being afked, Who were the greatest fools in the world? replied, "Thofe, furely, who 66 put themselves in a paffion with fools." great The History of the Life and Times of this Man has been lately written by Mr. Roscoe, in fo elegant a style, and with fuch knowledge of the ftate of Literature and of the Arts at that period, that every perfon of tafte must wish him to proceed with the Life of his Son Leo X. under whofe Pontificate they reached perfection. This illuftrious Florentine, Father to Giovanni de Medici, afterwards Pope Leo X. wrote him a Letter of advice on his exaltation to the Purple, at the age of fifteen years, which has been thus tranflated by Mr. Rofcoe, in his Life of Lorenzo : ઃઃ LORENZO DE MEDICI, TO GIOVANNI DE MEDICI, CARDINAL. "You, and all of us who are interested in your welfare, ought to esteem ourselves highly fa"voured by Providence, not only for the many "honours and benefits beftowed on our House, "but more particularly for having conferred upon us, in your perfon, the greatest dignity "we have ever enjoyed. This favour, in itself "fo important, is rendered ftill more fo by the "circumstances with which it is accompanied, "and efpecially by the confideration of your "youth, and of our fituation in the world. "The first thing that I would therefore fuggeft "to you is, that you ought to be grateful to "God, and continually to recollect that it is not through your merits, your prudence, or your folicitude, that this event has taken place, but "through his favour, which you can only repay by a pious, chafte, and exemplary life; and "that your obligations to the performance of "these duties are so much the greater, as in your "early early years you have given fome reasonable expectation that your riper age may produce "fuch fruits. It would indeed be highly dif graceful, and as contrary to your duty as to my hopes, if, at a time when others display a greater fhare of reason, and adopt a better « mode of life, you should forget the precepts " of your youth, and forfake the path in which " you have hitherto trodden. Endeavour there"fore to alleviate the burden of your early dig"nity, by the regularity of your life, and by your perseverance in those studies which are "fuitable to your profeffion. It gave me great "fatisfaction to learn, that, in the course of the past year, you had frequently, of your own ac"cord, gone to communion and confeffion; nor " do I conceive that there is any better way of "obtaining the favour of Heaven, than by habi"tuating yourself to a performance of these and «fimilar duties. This appears to me to be the "moft fuitable and useful advice which, in the "firft inftance, I can poffibly give you. "I well know, that as you are now to refidė Rome, that fink of all iniquity, the difficulty of conducting yourself by these admonitions "will be increased. The influence of example is itfelf prevalent; but you will probably meet with those who will particularly endeavour to corrupt and incite to vice; because, as |