e sent a whole legion of deuils
into some heard of swine or other. If _Martiall_ had ten muses (as he
sayth of himselfe) when hee but tasted a cup of wine, he had ten score
when he determined to tyranize. Nere a line of his but was able to make
a man dronken with admiration. His sight pearst like lightning into
the intrailes of al abuses. This I must needs saie, that most of his
learning hee gotte by hearing the lectures at Florence. It is sufficient
that learning he had, and a conceite exceeding all learning, to
quintescence euerie thing which he hard. He was no timerous seruile
flatterer of the commonwealth wherein he liued. His tongue and his
inuention were foreborne, what they thought they would confidently
vtter. Princes hee sparde not, that in the least point transgrest. His
life he contemned in comparison of the libertie of speech. Whereas some
dull braine maligners of his, accuse him of that treatise _de tribus
impostoribus Mundi_, which was neuer contriued without a generall
counsell of deuils, I am verily perswaded it was none of his, and of my
minde are a number of the most iudiciall Italians. One reason is this,
because it was published fortie yeeres after his death, and he neuer in
all his life wrote anie thing in Latine. Certainly I haue heard that one
of _Machiuuels_ followers and disciples was the author of that booke,
who to auoid discredite, filcht it forth vnder _Aretines_ name, a great
while after hee had sealed vp his eloquent spirit in the graue. Too much
gall dyd that wormwood of Gibeline wits put in his inke, who ingraued
that rubarbe Epitaph on this excellent Poets tombstone, Quite forsaken
of all good Angels was he, and vtterly giuen ouer to an artlesse
enuie. Foure vniuersities honored _Aretine_ with these rich titles, _Il
flagello de principe Il veritiero, Il deuino, & Lvnico Aretino_. The
French king Frances the first, he kept in such awe, that to chaine his
tongue, he sent him a huge chaine of golde, in the forme of tongues
fashioned. Singularly hath hee commented of the humanity of Christ
Besides, as Moses set forth his Genesis, so hath hee set forth his
Genesis also, including the contents of the whole Bible. A notable
treatise hath hee compiled, called _Il sette Psalmi ponetentiarii_.
All the _Thomasos_ haue cause to loue him, because he hath dilated so
magnificently of the life of Saint Thomas. There is a good thing that he
hath set forth _La vita della virgine Maria_, though it somewhat