Homo Sapiens, Homo Humanus

Legacy of Humanism" deserved more than one entry, however impressive.More confusing is the random insertion of biographical essays.In volume II, for example, we find sandwiched among essays on regional humanism beyond Italy (England, Spain, France, Germany, the Low Countries, Croatia, Hungary, and Czechos- lovakia) a study of Erasmus, who is apparently considered an island onto himself.Similarly incongruous is the placement of another biographical essay in volume I, where studies of regional humanism in Italy (Florence, Venice, Milan, Rome, Naples) conclude somewhat surprisingly with a section on "Italy's leading Humanist", with the title going to Lorenzo Valla.I do believe that a separate section on leading humanists, Italian or otherwise, would have greatly benefited the overall arrangement.One of the great advantages of anthologies is the wealth of bibliographical information they offer.In this case, too, the notes to individual essays contain copious references, which are collected in a master list at the end of the third volume.The yield is uneven, however.Some contributors managed to include publications up to 1987, others provided less current information.Considerations of time and space no doubt played a role here and Rabil's disclaimer that bibliographical studies in his own subject has "become an industry in itself" could be applied to other subjects in the anthology.In the index, an important tool in a book where an overlap between sections is unavoidable, more extensive subject headings would have been helpful.In its present form, the index is largely confined to proper names.Such considerations not withstanding, the anthology is an admirable achieve- ment and will prove a valuable resource for students of the Renaissance.Addressing a wide audience, it provides undergraduates with lucid introductions and scholars in related fields with convenient summaries of the various aspects of humanism

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