Aretino

Aretino, PIETRO, an Italian poet of the 16th century, was the natural son of a nobleman named Luigi Bacci, and was born at Arezzo, in Tuscany, in 1492. Banished from his native town, he went to Perugia, where he wrought as a bookbinder, and afterwards wandered through Italy in the service of various noblemen. At Rome, he distinguished himself by his wit, impudence, and talents, and secured even the papal patronage, which, however, he subsequently lost by writing his sixteen shameless Sonetti Lussuriosi. He now went to the Medicean court, where John de' Medici grew fond of him, and even procured him an opportunity of ingratiating himself with Francis I. at Milan in 1524. A few years later, he settled at Venice, where he also acquired powerful friends. The Bishop of Vicenza not only soothed the irritation of the pope against Aretino, but also recommended him to the Emperor Charles V. The latter, as well as his chivalrous rival, Francis, and other great persons, pensioned the fortunate wit, besides enriching him with splendid presents. It is said that while laughing heartily at a droll adventure of one of his sisters, he fell from a stool, and was killed on the spot (1557). His poetical works include five witty comedies and a tragedy of some merit. His satire procured for him the name of 'the Scourge of Princes;' but it seems clear that he was equally well fitted to be their sycophant. Although the very impersonation of licentiousness, he had nevertheless the impudence to publish some books of a devotional kind, with the view of obtaining the favour of the pope. Aretino's letters, and those written to him by various eminent men, contain much interesting information regarding his life and times. Nothing in the history of Italian literature is more extraordinary than that this coarse, dissolute, and comparatively ignorant man should have been praised, courted, and almost worshipped as he was. See the Lives of him by Chasles (Par. 1873), Sinigaglia (Naples, 1882), and Samosch (Berl. 1881).