The "Annotazioni sul testo latino del Nuovo Testamento" deals chiefly with the Latinity, and less frequently with the translation itself.
In the "Declamazione contro la donazione di Costantino", probably inspired by Alfonso, who was at war with Augene IV for possession of the Kingdom of Naples, Valla exhorted the Romans to rebel and their leaders to deprive the pope of his temporal power, which he deems the cause of all the evils then afflicting Italy. The way in which his "Apologia" extenuates what had been said in "De voluptate", arguing on the meaning of the Latin word voluptas, shows that he was undecided. He confines himself to expounding the three opinions, but gives Epicureanism the most ardent and eloquent defender. It would seem that he had not then (1431) come to a definitive opinion. It is uncertain whether Beccadelli or Niccoli (who is declared victor by the onlookers) expresses Valla's personal opinion. In this Leonardo Bruni (Arentino) defends the Stoic doctrine that a life conformed to nature is the summum bonum Antonio Beccadelli (Panormita) strongly favours Epicureanism, declaring that the desire of pleasure is to be restrained only lest it might be an obstacle to a greater pleasure and that continence is contrary to nature finally, Niccolo Niccoli speaks against both in favour of Christian hedonism, holding that perpetual happiness is the summum bonum, and that virtue is practised only as a means of obtaining it. His most discussed work is the dialogue "De voluptate". He made no positive contribution to philosophy, but only helped to discredit Scholasticism. In his "Disputazioni dialettiche" he bitterly opposes Aristotle and the Scholastics, but he treats his subject superficially, and rather as a grammarian than as a philosopher. His philosophical and theological works are interesting. By order of Nicholas V he translated various Greek authors. John Lateran, which he was able to hold but for a few years. Callistus III bestowed on him a canonry in St. But it was only after the election of Nicholas V that he found favour (1448), obtaining first the position of scriptor, and later of Apostolic secretary. Poggio's invectives could not but create a bad impression at Rome as Valla still hoped to obtain a position in the Curia, he wrote an "Apologia ad Eugenio IV", excusing himself for his faults and promising amendment. Valla's no less virulent answers are collect in his "Invectivarum libri sex". The fiercest aggressor was Poggio Bracciolini, who did not confine himself to pointing out errors of style in Valla's works, but accused him of the most degrading vices. This controversy is one of the most unpleasant pages in the history of the Italian Renaissance. Though Valla had refrained from personalities, all the literary writers considered his work a provocation, and hurled invectives against the author.
The Humanists who preceded him had formed their Latin style rather empirically, and consequently had admitted many constructions peculiar to popular Latin. He had laboured on it from 1435, and in 1444 it was published through the indiscretion of Aurispa. His standard work is "De elegantia linguae latinae", which first placed the study of Latin on a scientific basis.
LORENZO VALLA DE ELEGANTIAE LINGUAE LATINAE TRIAL
His philosophical and theological elucubrations caused him to be tried for heresy by the Curia at Naples, but the trial was discontinued through the intervention of King Alfonso. In 1444 he had a controversy with Fra Antonio da Bitonto on the question of the composition of the Apostles' Creed by each of the Apostles. At Naples he wrote "De libero arbitrio", "Dialecticae disputationes", "Declamazione contro la donazione di Constantino" (1440), "De professione religiosorum" (1442, not printed until by Vahlen in 1869).
LORENZO VALLA DE ELEGANTIAE LINGUAE LATINAE FREE
Lorenzo confesses that his life there, like his previous life, was not free from moral stain. He went to Milan and later to Genoa, made another effort to succeed at Rome, and finally settled at Naples (1433), where he became secretary to Alfonso of Aragon, whose Court, frequented by the most distinguished writers, was a hotbed of licentiousness and debauchery. On account of his open letter attacking the jurist Bartolo (1433) and ridiculing the contemporary jurisprudence he was forced to leave Pavia. After his father's death he accepted a chair of eloquence in the University of Pavia, where he wrote his treatise "De voluptate" (1431), an emended edition of which appeared later under the title, "De vero bono". At the age of 24 he wished to obtain a position in the papal secretariate, but was considered too young. He studied Latin under Leonardo Bruni (Aretino) and Greek under Giovanni Aurispa. 107583 Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 15 - Lorenzo Valla Umberto Benigni
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