ANNIBAL CARO rendered signal service to his country by giving it a spirited translation of the _Æneid,_ and his works in prose and verse are all characterised by vigour of style. He rose from a humble origin to considerable wealth and prominence, and he became notorious by reason of a bitter feud with a contemporary critic of the name of CASTELVETRO. He had written a poem in praise of the House of Valois, "Venite all'ombra de' gran gigli d'oro," and Castelvetro wrote a sharp and acrimonious criticism upon it, to which he retorted in his _Apologia_ with almost insane rancour. Castelvetro was not tardy in replying, and Caro is suspected of having used all his influence to ruin the career of his adversary. But it is painful to dwell upon these ebullitions of spite, unfortunately too frequent in the annals of literature. CARDINAL BEMBO was a writer fastidiously elegant. He is reported to have possessed forty portfolios, in the first of which he put the first draft of his works; in the second, the second; and so on until the fortieth revision reached the fortieth receptacle, after which alone would he suffer the work to see the light. His productions are such as might be expected from a man so minutely laborious. He is more intent upon words than upon realities. His poetry is modelled on Petrarch, his prose on Boccaccio. He wrote a _History of Venice_ in twelve books, originally in Latin, translating it himself into Italian. A dialogue, entitled _Gli Asolani,_ is interesting to English readers from its similarity of title to Browning's _Asolando._ The name is taken from Asolo, a spot on the mainland not far from Venice, whither he loved to retire, as Browning did three hundred years later. His letters are esteemed his best production, being less over-elaborated in style than his other works. His Latin works are entirely modelled on those of Cicero. FRANCESCO GRAZZINI, surnamed IL LASCA, was a sort of inferior Berni in his poems, but he is remarkable as one of the founders of the Florentine Accademia della Crusca. BERNARDINO ROTA, a Neapolitan, produced some really pathetic poems on the death of his wife. The Sixteenth Century was remarkable for three poetesses of considerable merit: VITTORIA COLONNA, GASPARA STAMPA, and VERONICA GAMBARA. VITTORIA COLONNA was the widow of the Marquis of Pescara, and dedicates many of her verses to his memory. GASPARA STAMPA, a native of Padua, was deeply in love with Collatino Collalto, and gave utterance to her passion in numerous Sonnets, some of which rise to considerable beauty and dignity. VERONICA GAMBARA, of Brescia, produced some noble verses, especially the fine Sonnet in which she implores, in the name of Christ, Charles V and Francis I, to put an end to their hostilities.