THE LIBRARY OF ST. MARK.

My library, a dukedom large enough!

SHAKSPEARE.

THE beautiful building in which was formerly deposited the Library of St. Mark is situated on one side of the Piazza di S. Marco. The architect was Sansovino, to whose genius Venice was indebted for many of her most magnificent structures. Jacopo Tatti, who afterwards assumed the name of Sansovino, was born at Florence about the year 1479, and became the pupil of a sculptor, Andrea Contucci da Monte a Sansovino. His labours at Florence having rendered him much celebrated, he transferred his studio to Rome, where he became known, not only as a sculptor, but also as an architect of the highest talent. On the sack of Rome in 1527 Sansovino was compelled to fly, and retreated to Venice, intending from thence to proceed to the court of France, whither he had been invited. Having been called upon to superintend the repairs of the Church of St. Mark, he executed this duty so much to the satisfaction of the senate, that he was appointed to the office of "Protomaestro de' signori procuratori di S. Marco," or chief architect of the republic. A house and a salary of 180 scudi were attached to this office. The first building erected in Venice from the designs of Sansovino was the Zecca, or Mint, which was followed by that of the Library, deservedly described by Vasari as "la bellissima e ri

chissima fabrica della Libreria di S. Marco, con tanto ordine d'entagli, di cornici, di colonne, capitelli e mezze figure per tutta l'opera, che e una maraviglia." In the execution of this work, however, the reputation of Sansovino was greatly endangered. Owing to some unforeseen cause, the roof of the Library fell in, an accident which was attributed by the senate to the negligence of the architect, who was thrown into prison, heavily fined, and deprived of his office of protomaestro. From this confinement, however, he was soon liberated, and being restored to his official situation, he continued to ornament the city with his splendid and classical designs. The nobility of Venice, who had hitherto preserved that sameness in the architecture of their palaces which is still observable, availed themselves of the genius of Sansovino, who, in addition to his public buildings, ornamented the city with many magnificent private edifices. The first palace erected from his designs was that of Georgio Cornaro. The remainder of his life was spent by Sansovino at Venice, where he died in 1570, at the advanced age of ninety-one, having embellished that city not only with its most magnificent buildings, but also with many beautiful specimens of sculpture. Temanza, who has written his life, has summed up his character in a few striking words:-"Jacopo era nato per primeggiare ma non ove fosse Michelagnolo."

The Library of St. Mark is said to be indebted for its origin to the generosity of Petrarch. The poet had visited Venice in the character of ambassador from the Visconti, to negotiate peace between the republic and Genoa; and the consideration and respect with which he

was received appear to have produced an impression upon his mind highly favourable to the Venetians. Visiting the city on another occasion, he announced his intention of bequeathing to the republic his library, in the following letter addressed to the council:-"Francesco Petrarca desires to bequeath to St. Mark the Evangelist, the books which he now possesses, or which he shall in future possess. He would impose this condition only, that they shall be neither sold, alienated, nor dispersed, and that some place, secure from water and fire, may be assigned for the preservation of the library, in memory of the donor, to the glory of the patron saint, and for the consolation of studious men, who may frequent it with pleasure and advantage. In forming this wish he does not forget that the books are neither very precious nor very numerous, but he indulges a hope that the collection may increase under the auspices of this glorious republic. The illustrious nobles, the patriotic citizens, and even strangers may in future enrich it by bestowing upon it portions of their own collections, so that at length it may rival the most famous libraries of antiquity. The least enlightened persons will perceive that this monument will not be useless in forwarding the glory of their country; that he has laid the first foundations of the edifice will ever be a source of happiness to the donor." The Venetians gratefully accepted this inestimable present, which became the foundation of the Library of St. Mark. Amongst the manuscripts collected by Petrarch were one of Homer, presented to him by Nicholas Segoros, ambassador from the Emperor of the East; a Sophocles, which he had received from Leontius

Pilate, his instructor in the Greek language; a Latin translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey by the same person, copied by the hand of his pupil Boccaccio, together with the greater part of the works of Cicero, which the poet had himself transcribed. It seems doubtful whether the whole of these manuscripts came into the possession of the Venetian state, since, according to some writers, the library of Petrarch was dispersed at his death. Guinguené supposes that after his donation to the senate he had formed another collection. Various MSS. exist in public libraries, which were formerly in the possession of Petrarch; a fact which proves either that the whole of his books were not presented to the Venetians, or that by their most culpable negligence they were subsequently dispersed.

Indeed the history of the volumes thus munificently presented to the Venetians by Petrarch is involved in much obscurity. It is certain that a mansion was assigned to the poet, the Palazzo delle due Torri, of which he has himself left a description; and it is supposed by De Sade, that in this house the books were deposited. Other writers, again, have stated, that the collection was placed in a small room above the church of St. Mark; a supposition which was strengthened by the discovery of some ancient MSS. in that place in the year 1635. The small number of the volumes thus found would show that the library of Petrarch was by no means extensive. Unless these books formed part of the poet's library, no trace remains of the donation. Certainly, the volumes presented by the poet were not deposited by the senate in a public library, according to the intentions of the

donor, since, in the time of Cardinal Bessarion, no institution of that kind existed in Venice. It is just, however, to add, in the words of Tiraboschi: "Al Petrarca si dee solo la lode di averne concepito il pensiero, e fatto ciò che in lui era per eseguirlo."

The passionate attachment of Petrarch to literature is nowhere more forcibly evinced than in those passages of his works in which he speaks of his library. In a letter to his friend Francesco Nelli, he calls it "the only solace of his soul, the only stay of his life." Similar expressions are profusely scattered throughout his letters. During the poet's residence at Vaucluse his librarian was an old and faithful domestic, whom he has admirably described in one of his familiar epistles. "He knew not how to read, yet he was the guardian of my library. With anxious eye he watched over my most rare and ancient copies, which, by long use, he could distinguish from those which were more modern, or of which I myself was the author. Whenever I consigned a volume to his custody, he was transported with joy; he pressed it to his bosom with sighs; with great reverence he repeated the author's name, and seemed as if he had received an accession of learning and happiness from the sight and touch of a book."

Stimulated, probably, by the example of Petrarch, Cardinal Bessarion, in the year 1468, presented to the republic of Venice his rare collection of Greek and Latin manuscripts. In the letter which he addressed on this occasion to the Doge and senate, he stated that, even from his boyhood, he had exerted all his labour, care, and study, in the collection of books in every branch of