BIOGRAPHICAL ANECDOTES AND CHARACTERS. CHARACTER OF COSMO DE' MEDICI. [From the first Volume of Mr. RoscOE's Life of LORENZO DE' MEDICI.] "TH HE character of Cofmo de' Medici exhibits a combination of virtues and endowments rarely to be found united in the fame perfon. If in his public works he was remarkable for his magnificence, he was no lefs confpicuous for his prudence in private life. Whilst in the character of chief of the Florentine republic, he fupported a conftant intercourfe with the fovereigns of Europe, his conduct in lorence was divefted of all oftentation, and neither in his retinue, his friendships, or his converfation, could he be diftinguished from any other refpectable citizen. He well knew the jealous temper of the Florentines, and preferred the real enjoyment of authority, to that open affumption of it, which could only have been regarded as a perpetual infult, by thofe whom he permitted to gratify their own pride, in the reflection that they were the equals of Cofmo de' Medici. "In affording protection to the arts of architecture, painting, and fculpture, which then began to revive in Italy, Cofmo fet the great example to thofe, who by their tron. In the erection of the nu- the the plan of Michellozzi, which united extent with fimplicity, and elegance with convenience. With the consciousness, Brunellefchi poffeffed alfo the irritability of genius, and in a fit of vexation, he destroyed a defign which he unjustly confidered as difgraced by its not being carried into execution. Having compleated his dwelling, Cofmo indulged his tafte in ornamenting it with the most precious remains of ancient art; and in the purchase of vafes, ftatues, bufts, gems, and médals, expended no inconfiderable fum. Nor was he lefs attentive to the merits of those artists which his native place had recently produced. With Mafaccio a better ftyle of painting had arifen, and the cold and formal manner of Giotto, and his difciples, had given way to more natural and expreffive compofition. In Cofmo de' Medici this rifing artift found his most liberal patron and protector. Some of the works of Mafaccio were executed in the chapel of the Brancacci, where they were held in fuch eftimation, that the place was regarded as a school of ftudy by the moft eminent artifts who immediately fucceeded him. Even the celebrated Michelagnolo, when obferving these paintings many years afterwards, in company with his honeft and loquacious friend Vafari, did not hesitate to exprefs his decided approbation of their merits. The reputation of Mafaccio was emulated by his difciple Filippo Lippi, who executed for Cofmo and his friends many celebrated pictures, of which Vafari has given à minute account. Cofmo how ever found no fmall difficulty in controlling the temper and regulating the eccentricities of this extraordinary character. If the efforts of these early mafters did not reach the true end of the art, they afforded confiderable affiftance towards it; and while Mafaccio and Filippo decorated with their admired productions the altars of churches and the apartments of princes, Donatello gave to marble a proportion of form, a vivacity of expreffion, to which his contemporaries imagined that nothing more was wanting; Brunellefchi raised the great dome of the cathedral of Florence; and Ghiberti caft in brafs the ftupendous doors of the church of St. John, which Michelagnolo deemed worthy to be the gates of paradife. "In his perfon Cofmo was tally in his youth he poffeffed the advantage of a prepoffeffing countenance; what age had taken from his come liness, it had added to his dignity, and in his latter years, his appearance was fo truly venerable as to have been the frequent fubject of panegyric. His manner was grave and complacent, but upon many occafions he gave fufficient proofs that this did not arife from a want of talents for farcasm; and the fidelity of the Florentine hiftorians has preferved many of his fhrewd obfervations and remarks. When Rinaldo de' Albizi, who was then in exile, and meditated an attack upon his native place, fent a mesfage to Cofmo, importing that the hen would fhortly hatch, he replied, She will hatch with an ill grace out of her own neft.' On another occafion, when his adverfaries gave him to understand that they were not fleeping, I believe it,' faid Cofmo, I have fpoiled their fleep. Of what colour is my hair? faid Cofmo, uncovering his head to the ambaffadors of Venice, who came with a complaint against the Florentines, White,' they replied; It will not be long,' faid Cofme, Cofmo, before that of your fenators will be fo too.' Shortly before his death, his wife inquiring why he closed his eyes, That I may perceive more clearly,' was his reply. "If, from confidering the private character of Cofmo, we attend to his conduct as the moderator and director of the Florentine republic, our admiration of his abilities will increase with the extent of the theatre upon which he had to act. So important were his mercantile concerns, that they often influenced in a very remarkable degree the politics of Italy. When Alfonfo king of Naples leagued with the Venetians againft Florence, Cofmo called in fuch immenfe debts from thofe places, as deprived them of resources for carrying on the war. During the conteft between the houfes of York and Lancaster, one of his agents in England was reforted to by Edward IV. for a fum of money, which was accordingly furnished, to fuch an extraordinary amount, that it might almost be confidered as the means of fupporting that monarch on the throne, and was repaid when his fucceffes enabled him to fulfil his engagement. The alliance of Cofmo was feduloully courted by the princes of Italy, and it was remarked that by a happy kind of fatality, whoever united their interefts with his, were always enabled either to reprefs, or to overcome their adverfaries. By his affistance the republic of Venice refifted the united attacks of Filippo duke of Milan, and of the French nation, but when deprived of his fupport, the Venetians were no longer able to withstand their enemies. With whatever difficulties Cofmo had to encounter, at home or abroad, they generally terminated in the acquifition of additional honour to his country and to himself. The efteem and gratitude of his fellowcitizens were fully fhewn a fhort time before his death, when by a public decree he was honoured with the title of Pater Patria, an appellation which was infcribed on his tomb, and which, as it was founded on real merit, has ever fince been attached to the name of Cofmo de' Medici." SHORT REVIEW of the CHARACTER OF LORENZO DE' MEDICI, and of the Circumstances attending his Death. "IN [From the fecond Volume of the fame Work.] N the height of his reputation, and at a premature period of life, died Lorenzo de' Medici; a man who may be felected from all the characters of ancient and modern history, as exhibiting the moft remarkable inftance of depth of penetration, verfatility of talent, and comprehenfion of mind. Whether genius be a predominating impulfe, directing the mind to fome particular object, or whether it be an energy of intellect that arrives at excellence in any department in which it may be employed, it is certain that there are few inftances in which a fuccefsful exertion in any human purfúit has not occafioned a dereliction of many other objects, the attainment of which might have conferred immortality. If the powers of the mind are to bear down all obftacles that oppose their progrefs, it feems necessary A 3 that |