n　was　soon　outgrown。　By　the　year　1200；　at　the　　height　of　the　Middle　Ages；　a　genuine；　hearty　enjoyment　of　the　external　　world　was　again　in　existence；　and　found　lively　expres…　sion　in　the　　minstrelsy　of　different　nations；　which　gives　evidence　of　the　sympathy　　felt　with　all　the　simple　phenomena　of　nature　spring　with　its　flowers；　　the　green　fields　and　the　woods。　But　these　pictures　are　all　foreground　　without　perspective。　Even　the　crusaders；　who　travelled　so　far　and　saw　　so　much；　are　not　recognizable　as　such　in　their　poems。　The　epic　poetry；　　which　describes　amour　and　costumes　so　fully；　does　not　attempt　more　than　　a　sketch　of　outward　nature；　and　even　the　great　Wolfram　von　Eschenbach　　scarcely　anywhere　gives　us　an　adequate　picture　of　the　scene　on　which　　his　heroes　move。　From　these　poems　it　would　never　be　guessed　that　their　　noble　authors　in　all　countries　inhabited　or　visited　lofty　castles；　　commanding　distant　prospects。　Even　in　the　Latin　poems　of　the　wandering　　clerks；　we　find　no　traces　of　a　distant　viewof　landscape　properly　so　　called　but　what　lies　near　is　sometimes　described　with　a　glory　and　　splendor　which　none　of　the　knightly　minstrels　can　surpass。　What　picture　　of　the　Grove　of　Love　can　equal　that　of　the　Italian　poet　　for　such　we　　take　him　to　beof　the　twelfth　century？
  'Immortalis　fieret　Ibi　manens　homo；　Arbor　ibi　quaelibet　Suo　gaudet　　pomo；　Viae　myrrha；　cinnamo　Fragrant；　et　amomo　Conjectari　poterat　　Dominus　ex　domo'　etc。
  To　the　Italian　mind；　at　all　events；　nature　had　by　this　time　lost　its　　taint　of　sin；　and　had　shaken　off　all　trace　of　demoniacal　powers。　Saint　　Francis　of　Assisi；　in　his　Hymn　to　the　Sun；　frankly　praises　the　Lord　for　　creating　the　heavenly　bodies　and　the　four　elements。
  But　the　unmistakable　proofs　of　a　deepening　effect　of　nature　on　the　　human　spirit　begin　with　Dante。　Not　only　does　he　awaken　in　us　by　a　few　　vigorous　lines　the　sense　of　the　morning　air　and　the　trembling　light　on　　the　distant　ocean；　or　of　the　grandeur　of　the　storm…beaten　forest；　but　　he　makes　the　ascent　of　lofty　peaks；　with　the　only　possible　object　of　　enjoying　the　viewthe　first　man；　perhaps；　since　the　days　of　antiquity　　who　did　so。　In　Boccaccio　we　can　do　little　more　than　infer　how　country　　scenery　affected　him；　yet　his　pastoral　romances　show　his　imagination　to　　have　been　filled　with　it。　But　the　significance　of　nature　for　a　　receptive　spirit　is　fully　and　clearly　displayed　by　Petrarchone　of　the　　first　truly　modern　men。　That　clear　soulwho　first　collected　from　the　　literature　of　all　countries　evidence　of　the　origin　and　progress　of　the　　sense　of　natural　beauty；　and　himself；　in　his　'Aspects　of　Nature；'　　achieved　the　noblest　masterpiece　of　descriptionAlexander　von　Humboldt　　has　not　done　full　justice　to　Petrarch；　and　following　in　the　steps　of　　the　great　reaper；　we　may　still　hope　to　glean　a　few　ears　of　interest　and　　value。
  Petrarch　was　not　only　a　distinguished　geographerthe　first　map　of　　Italy　is　said　to　have　been　drawn　by　his　directionand　not　only　a　　reproducer　of　the　sayings　of　the　ancients；　but　felt　himself　the　　influence　of　natural　beauty。　The　enjoyment　of　nature　is；　for　him；　the　　favorite　accompaniment　of　intellectual　pursuits；　it　was　to　combine　the　　two　that　he　lived　in　learned　retirement　at　Vaucluse　and　elsewhere；　that　　he　from　time　to　time　fled　from　the　world　and　from　his　age。　We　should　do　　him　wrong　by　inferring　from　his　weak　and　undeveloped　power　of　　describing　natural　scenery　that　he　did　not　feel　it　deeply。　His　picture；　　for　instance；　of　the　lovely　Gulf　of　Spezia　and　Porto　Venere；　which　he　　inserts　at　the　end　of　the　sixth　book　of　the　'Africa；'　for　the　reason　　that　none　of　the　ancients　or　moderns　had　sung　of　it；　is　no　more　than　a　　simple　enumeration；　but　Petrarch　is　also　conscious　of　the　beauty　of　　rock　scenery；　and　is　perfectly　able　to　distinguish　the　picturesqueness　　from　the　utility　of　nature。　During　his　stay　among　the　woods　of　Reggio；　　the　sudden　sight　of　an　impressive　landscape　so　affected　him　that　he　　resumed　a　poem　which　he　had　long　laid　aside。　But　the　deep…　est　　impression　of　all　was　made　upon　him　by　the　ascent　of　Mont　Ventoux；　near　　Avignon。　An　indefinable　longing　for　a　distant　panorama　grew　stronger　　and　stronger　in　him；　till　at　length　the　accidental　sight　of　a　passage　　in　Livy；　where　King　Philip；　the　enemy　of　Rome；　ascends　the　Haemus；　　decided　him。　He　thought　that　what　was　not　blamed　in　a　greyheaded　　monarch；　might　well　be　_excused　_in　a　young　man　of　private　station。　The　　ascent　of　a　mountain　for　its　own　sake　was　unheard　of；　and　there　could　　be　no　thought　of　the　companionship　of　friends　or　acquaintances。　　Petrarch　took　with　him　only　his　younger　brother　and　two　country　people　　from　the　last　place　where　he　halted。　At　the　foot　of　the　mountain　an　old　　herdsman　besought　him　to　turn　back；　saying　that　he　himself　had　　attempted　to　climb　it　fifty　years　before；　and　had　brought　home　nothing　　but　repentance；　broken　bones；　and　torn　clothes；　and　that　neither　before　　nor　after　had　anyone　ventured　to　do　the　same。　Nevertheless；　they　　struggled　forward　and　upward；　till　the　clouds　lay　beneath　their　feet；　　and　at　last　they　reached　the　top。　A　description　of　the　view　from　the　　summit　would　be　looked　for　in　vain；　not　because　the　poet　was　insensible　　to　it；　but；　on　the　contrary；　because　the　impression　was　too　　overwhelming。　His　whole　past　life；　with　all　its　follies；　rose　before　　his　mind；　he　remembered　that　ten　years　ago　that　day　he　had　quitted　　Bologna　a　young　man；　and　turned　a　longing　gaze　towards　his　native　　country；　he　opened　a　book　which　then　was　his　constant　companion；　the　　'Confessions'　of　St。　Augustine；　and　his　eye　fell　on　the　passage　in　the　　tenth　chapter；　'and　men　go　forth；　and　admire　lofty　mountains　and　broad　　seas；　and　roaring　torrents；　and　the　ocean；　and　the　course　of　the　stars；　　and　forget　their　own　selves　while　doing　so。'　His　brother；　to　whom　he　　read　these　words；　could　not　understand　why　he　closed　the　book　and　said　　no　more。
  Some　decades　later；　about　1360；　Fazio　degli　Uberti　describes；　in　his　　rhyming　geography；　the　wide　panorama　from　the　mountains　of　Auvergne；　　with　the　interest；　it　is　true；　of　the　geographer　and　antiquarian　only；　　but　still　showing　clearly　that　he　himself　had　seen　it。　He　must；　　however；　have　ascended　far　higher　peaks；　since　he　is　familiar　with　　facts　which　only　occur　at　a　height　of　10；000　feet　or　more　above　the　　seamountain…sickness　and　its　accompanimentsof　which　his　imaginary　　comrade　Solinus　tries　to　cure　him　with　a　sponge　dipped　in　an　essence。　　The　ascents　of　Parnassus　and　Olympus；　of　which　he　speaks；　are　perhaps　　only　fictions。
  In　the　fifteenth　century；　the　great　masters　of　the　Flemish　school；　　Hubert　and　Jan　van　Eyck；　suddenly　lifted　the　veil　from　nature。　Their　　landscapes　are　not　merely　the　fruit　of　an　endeavor　to　reflect　the　real　　world　in　art；　but　have；　even　if　expressed　conventionally；　a　certain　　poetical　meaningin　short；　a　soul。　Their　influence　on　the　whole　art　of　　the　West　is　undeniable；　and　extended　to　the　landscape…painting　of　the　　Italians；　but　without　preventing　the　characteristic　interest　of　the　　Italian　eye　for　nature　from　finding　its　own　expression。
  On　this　point；　as　in　the　scientific　description　of　nature；　Aeneas　　Sylvius　is　again　one　of　the　most　weighty　voices　of　his　time。　Even　if　we　　grant　the　justice　of　all　that　has　been　said　against　his　character；　we　　must　nevertheless　admit　that　in　few　other　men　was　the　picture　of　the　　age　and　its　culture　so　fully　reflected；　and　that　few　came　nearer　to　the　　normal　type　of　the　men　of　the　early　Renaissance。　It　may　be　added　　parenthetically；　that　even　in　respect　to　his　moral　character　he　will　　not　be　fairly　judged；　if　we　listen　solely　to　the　complaints　of　the　　German　Church；　which　his　fickleness　helped　to　balk　of　the　Council　it　so　　ardently　desired。
  He　here　claims　our　attention　as　the　first　who　not　only　enjoyed　the　　magnificence　of　the　Italian　landscape；　but　described　it　with　enthusiasm　　down　to　its　minutest　details。　The　ecclesiastical　State　and　the　south　of　　Tuscanyhis　native　homehe　knew　thoroughly；　and　after　he　became　Pope　　he　spent　his　leisure　during　the　favourable　season　chiefly　in　excursions　　to　the　country。　Then　at　last　the　gouty　man　was　rich　enough　to　have　　himself　carried　in　a　litter　across　the　mountains　and　valleys；　and　when　　we　compare　his　enjoyments　with　those　of　the　Popes　who　succeeded　him；　　Pius；　whose　chief　delight　was　in　nature；　antiquity；　and　simple；　but　　noble；　architecture；　appears　almost　a　saint。　In　the　elegant　and　flowing　　Latin　of　his　'Commentaries'　he　freely　tells　us　of　his　happiness。
  His　eye　seems　as　keen　and　practiced　as　that　of　any　modern　observer。　He　　enjoys　with　rapture　the　panoramic　splendor　of　the　view　from　the　summit　　of　the　Alban　Hillsfrom　the　Monte　Cavowhence　he　could　see　the　shores　　of　St。　Peter　from　Terracina　and　the　promontory　of　Circe　as　far　as　Monte　　Argentaro；　and　the　wide　expanse　of　country　round　about；　with　the　ruined　　cities　of　the　past；　and　with　the　mountain…chains　of　Central　Italy　　beyond；　and　then　his　eye　would　turn　to　the　green　woods　in　the　hollows　　beneath　and　the　mountain…lakes　among　them。　He　feels　the　beauty　of　the　　position　of　Todi；　crowning　the　vineyards　and　olive…clad　slopes；　looking　　down　upon　distant　woods　and　upon　the　valley　of　the　Tiber；　where　towns　　and　castles　rise　above　the　winding　river。　The　lovely　hills