The elegance of his style, his witticisms and fine Satire, have
earned for Boccalini the title of the Italian Lucian.
To scoff at the powerful Jesuits was not always a safe pastime, as Pierre
Billard discovered, who, on account of his work entitled _La Bete a sept
tetes_, was sent to the Bastille, and subsequently to the prisons of
Saint-Lazare and Saint-Victor. The Society objected to be compared to the
Seven-headed Beast, and were powerful enough to ruin their bold assailant,
who died at Charenton in 1726.
Another Italian satirist, Pietro Aretino, acquired great fame, but not of
a creditable kind. Born at Arezzo in 1492, he followed the trade of a
bookbinder; but not confining his labour to the external adornment of
books, he acquired some knowledge of letters. He began his career by
writing a satirical sonnet against indulgences, and was compelled to fly
from his native place and wander through Italy. At Rome he found a
temporary resting-place, where he was employed by Popes Leo X. and Clement
VII. Then he wrote sixteen gross sonnets on the sixteen obscene pictures
of Giulio Romano [Footnote: These were published under the title of _La
corona de i cazzi, cioe, sonetti lussuriosi del Pietro Aretino. Stamp.
senza Luogo ne anno, in-16_. The engravings in this edition, the work of
Marc Antonio of Bolgna, were no less scandalous than the sonnets, and the
engraver was ordered to be arrested by Pope Clement VII.
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