CHAPTER VIII.

LUIGI PULCI AND ANGELO POLIZIANO.

Matteo Palmieri and ‘The City of Life’—Burchiello and the Burlesque—The Romantic Epos—Bernardo and Luca Pulci—The ‘Ciriffo Calvaneo’ and the ‘Giostri’—Luigi Pulci and the ‘Morgante Maggiore’—The Epopee and the Courts of Medici and Este—Luigi Pulci’s Connection with Lorenzo de’ Medici—Angelo Poliziano’s Family and Youth—His Homeric Studies—Translation of the Iliad—Dedication to Lorenzo—Opinion of Cardinal Ammannati—Interruptions in the Work—The Dramatic Piece ‘Orfeo’—Tournament of Giuliano de’ Medici—The Stanzas—Small Latin Poems—Poliziano as a Latin Poet—The ‘Sylvæ’—Description of Lorenzo as a Poet—Description of Fiesole—Dedication of the ‘Sylvæ’—Son of Lorenzo, Pier Francesco de’ Medici, Lorenzo Tornabuoni, Antonio Pallavicino Gentile—Witches in an Academical Lecture—Poliziano as a Popular Song Writer—Rispetti—Poliziano as Translator and Letter Writer 41