Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/337

 ARETIN. 301 auditory, which f> mortified him, that he threw away his hook, and cried out, " Art-tin fh ill IK-VIT explain law t;> a more. He was feveie in his temp-r. and never kept a fcr- vant longer than a month or two; K)r it was a maxim of his f noured with the title of knight, and I p. nt a!! his life in Celi- bacy ; and his way of living was fo p ;rlimonious, that he was thereby enabled to amafs a great deal of wealth. He. was no lefs honoured on account or h;s continence than his learning. He had defigned his wealth for the maintenance of a college, but he altered his resolution, and left it to his relations. ARETIN (PETER), a native of Arczzo, who lived in thefixtecnth centurv. He was famous for his fatirical writ- ings, and was fo bold as to carry his invectives even again ft fovereigns ; whence he got the title of the Scourge of Princes. Francis I. the empercr Charles V. moil of the princes of Italy, feveral cardinals, and many noblemen courted his friendship by prefents, either becaufe they liked his compo- fitions, or perhaps from an apprehenfion of falling un>!er the laih of his fatire. Aretin became thereupon f) infolenr, that he faid to have got a medal (Iruck, on one fide of wnich is re- prefented with thefe words IL DIVINO ARETINO j and on the reverfe, fitting upon a throne, receiving the piefents of princes, with thtfe words, i PRINCIPI TRIBUTATI DA PO- POLI, TRIBUTANO IL sERViDOR LORO. Some imagine he gave himfelr (he title of Divine, fit/nifying thereby that Jac.G.>'d-iu he performed the functions of a God upon earth by t|i e r ' e -"^r p'j- triunderliplts, with which, he {truck the heads of the highcftf, a p,j t j./ perfonages. He ufed to boaft, that his lampoons did moret>m. i. fervice to the world than fermons ; and it was faid of him, P'^ 1 - that he had fubjccled more princes by his pen, than the create ft had ever done by their arms j A]. Aretin wrote many irre- ligious and obfcene pieces ; fuch are his dialogues, which were called "'Ragionamenti" [B]. We have aifj fix vo- lumes [A] See a letter written to him by " It was about the year IC2^," fjy Bapiifta Tornielli, in a colleftion pub- Mr. Cheviliier, "that Julio Riinun -, lifhsd in 1558, at Ve ice, appreiVo Do- " the moft famous painter <-t' italy, in- minico Gigliu in cftavo, p. 128 veifo " flighted by the enemy of the !ala- of the rirft book. " tion of mankind, invented drawings [B] Ther; is likow/ife imputed to " to engrave twenty plates: the fub- him ancther very ol>ici-ne pertorrr.ance, " jtcls are fo immr)dsft-, that I dare only " 0: omnibus Veneris fchematibus," ({ name them. T.icr Aretin compofed
 * few per Ions :" he reined in a pallion, and would teach no
 * ' That new hired fcrvants always ferve be.'f." He was ho-