Césare Cantú [pp. 525-534]

CE SARE CANTU. U
b4W~~ CV-SARE CANTT.
ITALY, in the present half of the century, has been compara tively barren of remarkable writers. The chief source of this
void may be traced to its late internal disturbances and present
unsettled feeling; for, although war and foreign invasion may be
said to promote literature by its consequent exaltation of patriotic
sentiments; civil dissensions, on the other hand, and forebodings
for the future can hardly tend to inspire an author or create an
appreciation of him. This is especially true of all imaginative
writing, although political controversies may be waged with
greater heat than before.. Most of those who are now distin guished in letters had already gained a name, or at least formed
their style, in the more quiet first half of the century. Canti, of
whom we propose to treat, is a striking example of this. A fel low-writer with Manzoni, he now stands like a mighty oak, its
companions fallen beside it, battling with the storms of irreligion,
naturalism, and what-not that have invaded Italy. Brilliant and
versatile, he has essayed the parts of poet, essayist, novelist, and
historian, his success in these forming an ascending climax. It
shall be our endeavor to estimate the value of his writings in the
branches of fiction and history; for it would be impossible to treat
in our limited space the complete works of one who has wandered
in every field of literature, and who, as is said of Goldsmith,
"nullum quod tetigit non ornavit." Nor can we outline even the
matter of his historical labors, but, assuming the critic's license
of selection, we will, after a preliminary sketch of his life, ascer tain the general merits of his histories, and conclude with an
examination of his well-known romance.
C6sare Cantii was born December 8, i807, of Lombard paren tage, in Brivio, a castle of the Milanese. His family being in
reduced circumstances, he early assumed the ecclesiastical attire
to enjoy a benefice, from the proceeds of which he was able to
devote himself for several years at Milan to his studies. Before
his eighteenth year, not feeling any vocation for the priesthood,
he relinquished his stipend and became professor of literature
successively in the lyceum of Sondrio and, at the age of twenty five, at Milan. His father dying, left him at the age of twenty-two
with only the modest salary of a teacher to support his mother
and family of six children and to give the latter what is called the
i 886.]
525