The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 1 (of 6): From the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth CenturyLanzi, Luigi
History
The History of Painting in Italy, Vol. 1 (of 6): From the Period of the Revival of the Fine Arts to the End of the Eighteenth Century
Lanzi, Luigi
Painting -- Italy -- History
Lanzi's next literary undertaking was three Dissertations upon _Ancient
painted Vases, commonly called Etruscan_; and he subsequently published
a very excellent and pleasing work, entitled, _Aloisii Lanzii
Inscriptionum et Carminum Libri Tres_: works which obtained for him the
favourable notice of the Bourbon court. Nor was he less distinguished by
that of the new French dynasty, which shortly obtained the ascendancy
throughout all Italy, as well as at Florence, and by which Lanzi was
appointed President of the Cruscan Academy.
Among Lanzi's latest productions may be classed his edition and
translations of Hesiod; entitled _I Lavori, e le Giornate di Esiodo
Ascreo opera con L. Codici riscontrata, emendata la versione latina,
aggiuntavi l'Italiana in Terze Rime con annotazioni_. In this he had
been engaged as far back as the year 1785, and it had been then
announced in a beautiful edition of Hesiod, translated into Latin by
Count Zamagua.
The list will here close with his _Opere Sacre_, sacred treatises,
produced on a variety of occasions, and on a variety of spiritual
subjects. One of these was upon the Holy Sacrament, entitled, _Il divoto
del SS. Sacramento istruito nella pratica_ _di tal devozione_. In truth,
Lanzi was a good Christian, and may be ranked in the number of that
great and honoured band of Christian philosophers, who like Newton,
Locke, and Paley, have triumphantly opposed the whole strength of their
mighty intellect, and vast reach of their reasoning powers to the
specious and witty, but less powerful and argumentative genius of
Gibbon, of Hume, and of Voltaire. Nor was the conviction of these great
truths in the mind of Lanzi the result of sickness and misfortunes, or
sombre reflections in the decline of life. Great as was the reputation
he had acquired by his valuable labours, he was often known sincerely to
declare, among his private friends, that he would willingly renounce all
kind of literary honours for the pleasure of being assured, that his
sacred works had in any degree promoted the cause of Christianity.
Shortly after the last edition of the History now before us, which he
had personally superintended, though at a very advanced age, in the year
1809, at Bassano, Lanzi's health began rapidly to decline, and he
prepared with perfect composure to meet the termination of his earthly
career. He had already attained his seventy-eighth year; but his mind
preserved its usual tone and vigour, though he could with difficulty
pace his apartment. He wrote letters, and even pursued his beloved
studies on the day of his decease, which took place on Sunday, the 30th
of March, 1810, occasioned by a fresh attack of apoplexy. For this he
had long been prepared, and only the preceding evening had taken an
affectionate leave of his friends and domestics, thanking the Cav. Boni
for his kindness in continuing so long to mount his staircase to visit
an old man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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