Colloquia Maruliana ..., Vol. 1 , 1992.
Original scientific paper
Seven Unpublished Letters of Marko Marulić
Miloš Milošević
Abstract
SEVEN UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF MARKO MARULIĆ
There is no doubt that it is only a small part of Marulić's correspondence written between 1501 and 1516 that the author of this article has discovered in the Archivio di Stato di Venezia, more precisely in the fascicle 2557 of the notaio Jacopo Grasolari. The found letters obviously represent only a random selection from a far more extensive correspondence. Yet, this small collection contains three important letters written in Italian and addressed to the canonico of Split Jeronim Ćipiko, sojourning in Venice, and four Latin letters which Marulić sent to the aforementioned Grasolari, a prominent Venetian notary-public, canonico of St. Mark, cancelliere of the Venetian Senate and papal adviser. Both men were close friends of Marulić and, what is even more important, mediators in the affairs regarding the printing of his works in Venice.
In the first letter, which he sent to Jeronim Ćipiko on July 19, 1501, Marulić informs his friend on the death of his brother Ivan and the grave conditions of his sick brother Petar. Discussing the latest events on the battlefield and the bitter defeats suffered by the Croatian and Hungarian troopers and stradiotti, the poet on the same occasion sends to the publisher his recently completed short historic-philosophical treatise in Italian. The treatise was obviously enclosed with the letter, but unfortunately it has not been fouop in the Archive. At the end, post scriptum, the poet communicates to his friend that he has completed his epic in Croatian, the »Judith«.
In his second letter to Ćipiko (July 26, 1501) Marulić describes the death of his second brother Petar, citing the medical diagnosis of plague. After a brief meditation on fraternal love and Christian consolations, he concludes the' letter asking for a word of friendly support.
In the third letter to Ćipiko (November 2, 1501) Marulić describes the course of his mother's illness and the difficulties which he met in managing the household after her death, before his brother Valerije arrived. He demands the return of the manuscript of the »Judith« in order to make some emendations and changes »se non è comminzata stampirse.« Also, he complains over ill manners of his wife's cousin Antonio d' Alberti, enclosing with the letter a series of new sonnets.
In his first letter to Jacopo Grasolari (March 3, 1502) Marulić discusses the impor tance and significance of spiritual friendship, concluding that such a relationship is al· ways salutary for literary activity. His reflections on the current tragic events recall popular eschatological writing.
On August 25 (the year is missing), in his second letter to Grasolari Marulić concentrates on his new work, the »De imitatione Christi". He requires the return of the manuscript, after the publishing is completed, and prays for a couple of copies of the »Evangelistarium«, which has already been printed (this remark points to the year 1516 as the probable time of the writing of the letter).
In his third letter to Grasolari (April 4, 1507) Marulić thanks his friend for the »De Institutione" whose printing has been successfully completed, informing him that he has already started working on »De imitatione Christi«. He is planning to have the work completed by the next year. The »Vita Beati Hieronymi« is finished and is now being copied.
In his fourth letter (Apri126, 1515) Marulić asks to be informed, through his brother Valerije, whether the printing of »De imitatione Christi« is under way; the emended manuscript has already been sent back to the publisher and certain »persons at Split«, who had read the manuscript before the changes and corrections were entered, are now putting pressure on Marulić to have it published.
Where the »Judith« is concerned, special interest is roused on the part of the author by Marulić's assessment ofhis own opera »in lingua nostra materna ... composta e more poetico ... la lingua schiava ha el suo Dante«, since this represents the most explicit proof that our poet was aware of the poetic model s of his time, for one thing Dante. This refers not only to his adoption of the conventions of Dante's poetic school but to his choice of the national language, as well.
Speaking of the sonnets, interesting is Marulić's remark that they appeared in one of the darkest moments of his life »non sapendo altramente aleviarmi el fastidio che patisco«, which means that for him literary activity was source of catharsis and peace of mind. Although the sonnets, apparently enclosed with the letter, have disappeared, it is now certain that they must be the same sonnets that M. Deanović published in 1936, doubting whether to ascribe them to Marulić or to somebody else from his circle. The author of the present article proves that the sonnets were written by Marulić himself and goes on to explain their thematic and psychologicallinks with the first and the third letters addressed to Ćipiko (July 19 and November 2, 1501).
Since the letters contain several pieces of information concerning the »De imitatione Christi«, we now know that the manuscript was completed around 1508, emended and sent back to Grasolari in 1515, but it still remains unclear why the work remained unpublished.
Also we learn that the manuscript of the »Vita beati Hieronymi« was finished in 1507 and that Marulić wrote it with particular enthusiasm, convinced that it contained some important literary innovations. Yet, like the »De imitatione Christi«, it was never published.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
9867
URI
Publication date:
22.4.1992.
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