"What a curious fight," fays Voltaire, " and "how contrary to the manners of our times, it "is to fee the fame perfon with one hand fell "the commodities of the Levant, and with the "other fupport the burden of a State, maintaining Factors and receiving Ambaffadors, making

war and peace, oppofing the Pope, and giving "his advice and mediation to the Princes of his

time, cultivating and encouraging learning, " exhibiting fhows to the people, and giving an "afylum to the learned Greeks that fled from

Conftantinople. Such was Lorenzo de Medi❝cis; and when to these particular distinctions "the glorious names of the Father of Letters, "the Father of his Country, and the Mediator "of Italy, are appended, who seems more en"titled to the notice and admiration of pofterity " than this illuftrious Citizen of Florence?”

r

"Lorenzo de Medicis," fays Machiavel, "seems "to have been the peculiar favourite of Heaven. Every thing that he undertook was attended "with fuccefs, while the defigns of his enemies "against him were as conftantly frustrated. He "was keen and eloquent in debate, circumfpect " in taking his refolutions, but bold and expedi«tious in executing them. He was paffionately "fond of poetry*, of mufic, and of architec

*He wrote "Poefie di Lorenzo di Medici," Venice 1554.

"ture.

<< ture. To encourage and affift the youth of "Florence in their ftudies, he founded an Uni"verfity at Pisa, and gave ftipends to the most "learned men that could be found in Italy, to "come and read lectures to them. He fhewed great favour to those who excelled in any art, was a very liberal patron of learned men, of "which his kindness to Agnoli da Montipulchi"ero, Christopher Londini, and Demetrius the

Greek, are striking examples. He likewife fent "the celebrated fcholar John Lafcaris into

Greece, to purchafe manufcripts, and contri"buted to embellish the tafte and the language of "his country by models of every kind taken from "that polite and elegant people. His good fortune," continues Machiavel," added to his prudence, munificence, and other noble qualities, procured him not only the esteem and "admiration of all the Princes of Italy, but of

many Sovereigns in diftant parts of the world,

"who had heard of his virtues and his various "accomplishments. Matthias King of Hungary

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gave him many honourable teftimonies of his "affection. The Sultan of Egypt fent Ambaf"fadors to him with rich prefents, and the "Grand Signior delivered up Bondini to him, "who was one of the principal agents in the "affaffination of his brother Julian, and who had « taken refuge in his dominions. He procured

"the dignity of Cardinal for his youngest for "Giovanni at the age of thirteen (who afterwards "became Pope under the name of Leo X.)."

Lorenzo, according to Machiavel, was not exempt from foibles and infirmities. He was very fond of pleasure, and took too much delight in the converfation of men of wit and of fatirifts; he even at times defcended to fuch puerile recreations as feemed inconfiftent with his wifdom and. dignity; so that if the ufual gravity of his life be compared with the levities of which he was fometimes guilty, he appeared to be compofed of two different perfons, united by an almost impossible conjunction.

Lorenzo had fome difputes with the State of Venice. Ambaffadors were fent to him from that Republic to tell him, amongst other things, that they were prepared against any attack of his, and that they had not been afleep. "No," he replied, "I believe I have prevented their fleeping. 46 Pray," faid he, "of what colour is my "hair?"" White."" It will not be long, "then," faid Lorenzo, " before the hair of 66 your fenators will become white too."

This great Statesman, on finding himself dying, fent for his fon Pietro, who was to fucceed him

in his eftates and his dignity, and thus addreffed him. "I doubt not, Son, that you will "hereafter poffefs the fame weight and authority

in the State which I have hitherto enjoyed; but as the Republic, although it forms but one body, has many heads, you must not expect "that it will be poffible for you, on all occafions, "fo to conduct yourself as to obtain the approbation of every individual. Remember therefore, in every fituation, to pursue that courfe of conduct which ftrict integrity prescribes, " and to confult the interests of the whole Com"munity rather than the gratification of any "particular part of it."

In his last illness he closed his eyes many hours before he died. His wife, who was by his bedfide, asked him why he did fo. "That I may

perceive the more clearly," was his reply.

Lorenzo died at the age of forty-four, in April 1492. "No man," fays Machiavel, "ever died "in Florence, or in the whole extent of Italy, "with a higher reputation, or more lamented by "his country. Not only his fellow-citizens, but "all the Princes in Italy, were so sensibly affected "by his death, that there was not one of them "who did not fend Ambaffadors to Florence, to

"Republic upon fo great a lofs. That they had just reasons for these demonstrations of forrow,

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was soon afterwards fully manifested by the • events that followed it; for immediately after "his decease, fuch fparks of difcord began to re"kindle as fhortly after broke out into a flame, "which has preyed upon the vitals of Italy ever "fince, and is not yet extinguished."

JOHN LASCARIS.

"THIS great scholar, and early restorer of "Greek learning in Italy," fays Paulus Jovius, 66 was the most noble in birth, as well as the most "profound in learning, of all the Greeks that took "refuge in Italy after the taking of Conftanti

66

nople. He was tutor to Giovanni de Medicis, "fon of the celebrated Lorenzo of that name, "and published the firft Greek grammar that

66

was ever printed in Europe. Its date is that "of Milan, 1476, and it is written in Greek." A copy of this early edition was fold a few ago in London for thirty-feven pounds.

years

Lafcaris made his own epitaph in Greek. It was thus tranflated into Latin by Magoranus:

Lafcaris