publican institutions. Lorenzo sought in more than one way to conciliate the sturdy reformer, but all ef- forts ])roved futile. Not even the cardinalate could tempt him [see Savonarola], and Lorenzo was forced to admit himself, "Uesides this man, I have never seen a true monk." Gradually Savonarola gave system to his republican ideas, and, gathering about him a host of followers, these opponents of the ruling administra- tion came to be known by the name of Puif/noiii (q. v.) or '-weepers," so called because of their determination to stem the progress of the voluptuous refinement of the day by ascetic severity of morals. Lorenzo himself saw clearly the inherent insufficiency of art and ])hilos- ophy alone for the security of a state; but while he sighed for a purely religious influence, he feared the dangerous tendency of the Piaffnoni towards a popular and democratic form of government, and he had failed to extinguish or abate this opposition when suddenly cut down by disease and death, April 8, 1492.
Lorenzo is credited with even greater love and devo- tion to the develo]iraent of literarj' life and the study of the fine arts than any of his predecessors. His own productions are sonnets, canzoni, and other lyric pieces; some longer works in stanzas, some comic satires, car- nival songs, and various sacred poems. Many of the lighter kind were popular in their day. Although the ancestors of Lorenzo laid the foundation of the immense collection of manuscripts contained in the Laurentian librarj-, Lorenzo has the credit of adding most largely to the stock. For the purpose of enriching his collection of books and antiipiities, he employed learned men in different parts of Italy, and especially his intimate friend Politian, who made several journeys in order to discover and purchase the valuable remains of anticpiity. Two journeys were undertaken at the request of Lorenzo into the East by John Lascaris, and the result was the acqui- sition of a great number of manuscripts. On his return from his second expedition, Lascaris brought two hun- dred manuscripts, many of which he had procurcil from a monastery at Mount Athos; but this treasure did not arrive till after the death of Lorenzo, who in his last moments expressed to I'olitian and Pico of Jlirandola his regret that he could not live to complete the collec- tion which he was forming. On the discovery of the art of printing, Lorenzo quickly saw and appreciated its importance. At his suggestion, several Italian scholars devoted their attention to collating the manuscripts of the ancient authors, for the purpose of having them ac- curately printed. On the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, many learned Greeks took refuge in Italy ; and an academy was established at Florence for the ]iurpose of cultivating the (ircek language, partly under the direction of native (ireeks, and partly under native Italians. The services of these learned men were pro- cured by Lorenzo, and were amply rewarded by his bounty. "Hence," as Koscoe observes (in his Life of Lorenzo de! Medici, 1795, 2 vols. 4to; Bohn's edit. Lend. 1851, 12mo), "succeeding scholars have been profuse of their acknowledgments to their great patron, who first formed that establishment, from which (to use their own scholastic figure), as from the Trojan horse, so many illustrious chaniiuons have sjirung, and by menus of which the knowledge of the (ireek tongue was extend- ed, not only through Italy, but through France. Spain, Germany, and Fngland, from all which countries nu- merous pu|)ils attended at Florence, wlio diffused the learning they had there accpiireil throughout the rest of Europe.' Lorenzo also augmented Ids father's col- lection of tlie remains of ancient art. He ajipropriated his gardens in Florence to the purpose of an academy for the study of the antique, whieli he furnished witli statues, busts, and otlier works of art. the best of their j kind that he ci>uld jirocure. The higher class of his ! fellow-citizens were incited to these pursuits by tlie ex- I ample of Lorenzo, ami the lower class by his liberality. ' To the latter he not only allowed competent stipends I while they attended to their studies, but gave consider-
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able premiums as rewards of their proficiency. To this institution, more than to any other circumstance, Koscoe ascribes the sudden and astonishing advance which, to- wards the close of the 15th centurj-, was evidently made in the arts, and which, commencing at Florence, ex- tended itself to the rest of Europe.
4. Lorenzo's successor in the government of Florence was his eldest son Pietro ; but of far greater interest to the ecclesiastical student is the history of his younger son Giovanni, and that of his nephew Giulio. The former of the two last named, Giovanni, was honored, by the prudent manipulations of Lorenzo, v.-ith the cardinal's hat when only a boy of thirteen years, at the hands of Innocent VIII, and, on the death of JuUus II, brought credit upon the name of Medici by his accession to the papal throne. See Leo X. Of Giulio's history we have the following from Eoscoe. Shortly after the attempt at assassination, he says, " Lorenzo received a visit from Antonio da San (xallo, who informed him that the un- timely death of Giuliano had prevented his disclosing to Lorenzo a circumstance with which it was now become necessary that he should be acquainted : this was the birth of a son, whom a lady of the family of Gorini had borne to Giuliano about twelve months before his death, and whom Antonio had held over the baptismal font, where he received the name of Giulio. Lorenzo immediately repaired to the place of the infant's residence, and, taking him under his protection, delivered him to Antonio, with whom he remained until he had arrived at the seventh year of his age. This concealed offspring of illicit love, to whom the kindness of Lorenzo supplied the untimely loss of a father, was destined to act an important part in the affairs of Europe. The final extinction of the lib- erties of Florence, the alliance of the family of Medici with the royal house of France, the expulsion of Henry VIII of England from the bosom of the Roman Church, and the consequent establishment of the doctrines of the Reformers in Great Britain, are principally to be re- ferred to this illegitimate son of Giuliano de' Medici, who through various vicissitudes of fortune at length ob- tained the supreme direction of the Roman see, and, un- der the name of Clement VII, guided the bark of St. Pe- ter through a succession of the severest storms which it has ever experienced."