[Footnote 38: Maffei (Verona Illustrata, part i. p. 310 - 321)
and Muratori (Antichita Italiane, tom. ii. Dissertazione xxxii.
xxxiii. p. 71 - 365) have asserted the native claims of the
Italian idiom; the former with enthusiasm, the latter with
discretion; both with learning, ingenuity, and truth. ]