CHAPTER II.

EARLY ITALIAN CRITICS.

The beginnings 19 Savonarola 20 Pico, &c. 22 Politian 23 The _Manto_ 24 The _Ambra_ and _Rusticus_ 25 The _Nutricia_ 25 Their merits 26 And danger 26 Petrus Crinitus: his _De Poetis Latinis_ 27 Augustinus Olmucensis: his _Defence of Poetry_ 27 Paradoxical attacks on it by Cornelius Agrippa, Landi, Berni 28 Vida 29 Importance of the _Poetics_ 30 Analysis of the piece 30 Essential poverty of its theory 34 Historical and symptomatic significance 34 The alleged appeal to reason and Nature 35 The main stream started 37 Trissino 38 Division of his _Poetic_ 39 His critical value 40 Editors, &c., of the _Poetics_ 41 Pazzi 41 Robortello, Segni, Maggi, Vettori 42

Theorists: Daniello 42 Fracastoro 44 Formalists: Mutio. Tolomei and classical metres 46 Others: Tomitano, Lionardi, B. Tasso, Capriano 47 Il Lasca 48 Bembo 49 Caro 49 Varchi 49 Minturno 51 The _De Poeta_ 52 The _Arte Poetica_ 55 Their value 57 Giraldi Cinthio’s _Discorsi_ 58 On Romance 58 On Drama 59 Some points in both 59 On Satire 61 Pigna 62 Lilius Giraldus: his _De Poetis Nostrorum Temporum_ 63 Its width of range 64 But narrowness of view 64 Horror at preference of vernacular to Latin 64 Yet a real critic in both kinds 65 Short _précis_ of the dialogues 66 Their great historic value 68