DANTE PETRARCH BOCCACCIO LORENZO DE' MEDICI, &c. BOJARDO BERNI ARIOSTO MACHIAVELLI Among the illustrious fathers of song who, in their own land, cannot cease to exercise dominion over the minds, characters, and destinies of all posterity,—and who, beyond its frontiers, must continue to influence the taste, and help to form the genius, of those who shall exercise like authority in other countries,—Dante Alighieri is, undoubtedly, one of the most remarkable. This poet was descended from a

GALILEO GUICCIARDINI VITTORIA COLONNA GUARINI TASSO CHIABRERA TASSONI MARINI FILICAJA METASTASIO GOLDONI ALFIERI MONTI UGO FOSCOLO The history of the life and labours of Galileo is pregnant with a peculiar interest to the general reader, as well as to the philosopher. His brilliant discoveries, the man of science regards as his peculiar property; the means by which they were made, and the developement of his intellectual character, belong to the logician and to the philosopher; but the triumphs