Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 edition. Excerpt: ... ALBERTINO MUSSATO. Libertatis amor justique ignita eupido. In the following pages we hope to inspire our readers with a certain interest in Giovanni del Virgilio for his own sake. But even the most partial of editors must be aware that the main significance of a work that deals with this forgotten poet must be derived from his connection with Dante. Moreover, Dante's Latin Eclogues--those interesting and neglected poems which throw such a vivid light on his character and on the surroundings of his closing years-- are, strictly speaking, the main subject of our volume, though they occupy a relatively small space in it; and the editing or publishing of Del Virgilio's poetic remains may be regarded as little more than incidental to the full elucidation of Dante's poems. It will, therefore, seem natural that we should introduce the poetic texts by an adequate study of Dante's closing years, and the political conditions by which they were surrounded and to which such abundant references are made in the poems themselves. But this is not all. For a full appreciation of Dante's Eclogues, and for any appreciation at all of Del Virgilio's most important poem {Carmen VI. of the present edition), it is necessary that we should turn our thoughts not only to Ravenna, but to Padua; for Padua was the city of Albertino Mussato, who shared with Dante Del Virgilio's poetic homage. To the modern Englishman (though not to the Italian man of letters) the very collocation of these two names will seem strange and startling; for nothing is more difficult than to recover the perspective of a past age, and we can hardly realize that to the men of their own day Mussato was beyond comparison a more commanding figure than Dante. There is matter enough here for...
