andwherevertheoriginalcouldnotberemoved，afaithfulcopywastranscribedandtransmittedforhisuse。TheVatican，theoldrepositoryforbullsandlegends，forsuperstitionandforgery，wasdailyreplenishedwithmorepreciousfurniture；andsuchwastheindustryofNicholas，thatinareignofeightyearsheformedalibraryoffivethousandvolumes。TohismunificencetheLatinworldwasindebtedfortheversionsofXenophon，Diodorus，Polybius，Thucydides，Herodotus，andAppian；ofStrabo\'sGeography，oftheIliad，ofthemostvaluableworksofPlatoandAristotle，ofPtolemyandTheophrastus，andofthefathersoftheGreekchurch。TheexampleoftheRomanpontiffwasprecededorimitatedbyaFlorentinemerchant，whogovernedtherepublicwithoutarmsandwithoutatitle。CosmoofMedicis^112wasthefatherofalineofprinces，whosenameandagearealmostsynonymouswiththerestorationoflearning:hiscreditwasennobledintofame；hisricheswerededicatedtotheserviceofmankind；hecorrespondedatoncewithCairoandLondon:andacargoofIndianspicesandGreekbookswasoftenimportedinthesamevessel。ThegeniusandeducationofhisgrandsonLorenzorenderedhimnotonlyapatron，butajudgeandcandidate，intheliteraryrace。Inhispallace，distresswasentitledtorelief，andmerittoreward:
hisleisurehoursweredelightfullyspentinthePlatonicacademy；heencouragedtheemulationofDemetriusChalcocondylesandAngeloPolitian；andhisactivemissionaryJanusLascarisreturnedfromtheEastwithatreasureoftwohundredmanuscripts，fourscoreofwhichwereasyetunknowninthelibrariesofEurope。^113TherestofItalywasanimatedbyasimilarspirit，andtheprogressofthenationrepaidtheliberalityoftheirprinces。TheLatinsheldtheexclusivepropertyoftheirownliterature；andthesedisciplesofGreeceweresooncapableoftransmittingandimprovingthelessonswhichtheyhadimbibed。Afterashortsuccessionofforeignteachers，thetideofemigrationsubsided；butthelanguageofConstantinoplewasspreadbeyondtheAlpsandthenativesofFrance，Germany，andEngland，^114impartedtotheircountrythesacredfirewhichtheyhadkindledintheschoolsofFlorenceandRome。^115Intheproductionsofthemind，asinthoseofthesoil，thegiftsofnatureareexcelledbyindustryandskill:theGreekauthors，forgottenonthebanksoftheIlissus，havebeenillustratedonthoseoftheElbeandtheThames:andBessarionorGazamighthaveenviedthesuperiorscienceoftheBarbarians；
theaccuracyofBudaeus，thetasteofErasmus，thecopiousnessofStephens，theeruditionofScaliger，thediscernmentofReiske，orofBentley。OnthesideoftheLatins，thediscoveryofprintingwasacasualadvantage:butthisusefularthasbeenappliedbyAldus，andhisinnumerablesuccessors，toperpetuateandmultiplytheworksofantiquity。^116AsinglemanuscriptimportedfromGreeceisrevivedintenthousandcopies；andeachcopyisfairerthantheoriginal。Inthisform，HomerandPlatowouldperusewithmoresatisfactiontheirownwritings；andtheirscholiastsmustresigntheprizetothelaborsofourWesterneditors。
[Footnote110:SeetheLifeofNicholasV。bytwocontemporaryauthors，JanottusManettus，tom。iii。P。ii。p。905—962，andVespasianofFlorence，tom。xxv。p。267—290，inthecollectionofMuratori；andconsultTiraboschi，tom。vi。P。i。
p。46—52，109，andHodyinthearticlesofTheodoreGaza，GeorgeofTrebizond，&c。]