thou　knowest　nothing　of　the　Latin　　language；　which　would　be　so　great　an　ornament　to　thee。　If　thou　learnest　　it　not；　thou　wilt　be　good　for　nothing；　and　as　soon　as　the　flower　of　　youth　is　over；　wilt　be　a　man　of　no　consequence'　（virtu）。　When　Piero　　heard　this；　he　straightway　perceived　that　it　was　true；　and　said　that　he　　would　gladly　take　pains　to　learn；　if　only　he　had　a　teacher。　Whereupon　　Niccol？answered　that　he　would　see　to　that。　And　he　found　him　a　learned　　man　for　Latin　and　Greek；　named　Pontano；　whom　Piero　treated　as　one　of　　his　own　house；　and　to　whom　he　paid　100　gold　florins　a　year。　Quitting　　all　the　pleasures　in　which　he　had　hitherto　lived；　he　studied　day　and　　night；　and　became　a　friend　of　all　learned　men　and　a　nobleminded　　statesman。　He　learned　by　heart　the　whole　'neid　and　many　speeches　of　　Livy；　chiefly　on　the　way　between　Florence　and　his　country　house　at　　Trebbio。　Antiquity　was　represented　in　another　and　higher　sense　by　　Giannozzo　Manetti　（13931459）。　Precocious　from　his　first　years；　he　was　　hardly　more　than　a　child　when　he　had　finished　his　apprenticeship　in　　commerce　and　became　bookkeeper　in　a　bank。　But　soon　the　life　he　led　　seemed　to　him　empty　and　perishable；　and　he　began　to　yearn　after　　science；　through　which　alone　man　can　secure　immortality。　He　then　busied　　himself　with　books　as　few　laymen　had　done　before　him；　and　became；　as　　has　been　said；　one　of　the　most　profound　scholars　of　his　time。　When　　appointed　by　the　government　as　its　representative　magistrate　and　tax…　collector　at　Pescia　and　Pistoia；　he　fulfilled　his　duties　in　accordance　　with　the　lofty　ideal　with　which　his　religious　feeling　and　humanistic　　studies　combined　to　inspire　him。　He　succeeded　in　collecting　the　most　　unpopular　taxes　which　the　Florentine　State　imposed；　and　declined　　payment　for　his　services。　As　provincial　governor　he　refused　all　　presents；　abhorred　all　bribes；　checked　gambling；　kept　the　country　well　　supplied　with　corn；　was　indefatigable　in　settling　lawsuits　amicably；　　and　did　wonders　in　calming　inflamed　passions　by　his　goodness。　The　　Pistoiese　were　never　able　to　discover　to　which　of　the　two　political　　parties　he　leaned。　As　if　to　symbolize　the　common　rights　and　interests　　of　all；　he　spent　his　leisure　hours　in　writing　the　history　of　the　city；　　which　was　preserved；　bound　in　a　purple　cover；　as　a　sacred　relic　in　the　　town　hall。　When　he　took　his　leave　the　city　presented　him　with　a　banner　　bearing　the　municipal　arms　and　a　splendid　silver　helmet。
  For　further　information　as　to　the　learned　citizens　of　Florence　at　this　　period　the　reader　must　all　the　more　be　referred　to　Vespasiano；　who　knew　　them　all　personally；　because　the　tone　and　atmosphere　in　which　he　　writes；　and　the　terms　and　conditions　on　which　he　mixed　in　their　　society；　are　of　even　more　importance　than　the　facts　which　he　records。　　Even　in　a　translation；　and　still　more　in　the　brief　indications　to　which　　we　are　here　compelled　to　limit　ourselves；　this　chief　merit　of　his　book　　is　lost。　Without　being　a　great　writer；　he　was　thoroughly　familiar　with　　the　subject　he　wrote　on；　and　had　a　deep　sense　of　its　intellectual　　significance。
  If　we　seek　to　analyze　the　charm　which　the　Medici　of　the　fifteenth　　century；　especially　Cosimo　the　Elder　（d。　1464）　and　Lorenzo　the　　Magnificent　（d。　1492　）　exercised　over　Florence　and　over　all　their　　contemporaries；　we　shall　find　that　it　lay　less　in　their　political　　capacity　than　in　their　leadership　in　the　culture　of　the　age。　A　man　in　　Cosimo's　positiona　great　merchant　and　party　leader；　who　also　had　on　　his　side　all　the　thinkers；　writers　and　investigators；　a　man　who　was　the　　first　of　the　Florentines　by　birth　and　the　first　of　the　Italians　by　　culture　such　a　man　was　to　all　intents　and　purposes　already　a　prince。　To　　Cosimo　belongs　the　special　glory　of　recognizing　in　the　Platonic　　philosophy　the　fairest　flower　of　the　ancient　world　of　thought；　of　　inspiring　his　friends　with　the　same　belief；　and　thus　of　fostering　　within　humanistic　circles　themselves　another　and　a　higher　resuscitation　　of　antiquity。　The　story　is　known　to　us　minutely。　It　all　hangs　on　the　　calling　of　the　learned　Johannes　Argyropulos；　and　on　the　personal　　enthusiasm　of　Cosimo　himself　in　his　last　years；　which　was　such　that　the　　great　Marsilio　Ficino　could　style　himself；　as　far　as　Platonism　was　　concerned；　the　spiritual　son　of　Cosimo。　Under　Pietro　Medici；　Ficino　was　　already　at　the　head　of　a　school；　to　him　Pietro's　son　and　Cosimo's　　grandson；　the　illustrious　Lorenzo；　came　over　from　the　Peripatetics。　　Among　his　most　distinguished　fellow…scholars　were　Bartolommeo　Valori；　　Donato　Acciaiuoli；　and　Pierfilippo　Pandolfini。　The　enthusiastic　teacher　　declares　in　several　passages　of　his　writings　that　Lorenzo　had　sounded　　all　the　depths　of　the　Platonic　philosophy；　and　had　uttered　his　　conviction　that　without　Plato　it　would　be　hard　to　be　a　good　Christian　　or　a　good　citizen。　The　famous　band　of　scholars　which　surrounded　Lorenzo　　was　united　together；　and　distinguished　from　all　other　circles　of　the　　kind；　by　this　passion　for　a　higher　and　idealistic　philosophy。　Only　in　　such　a　world　could　a　man　like　Pico　della　Mirandola　feel　happy。　But　　perhaps　the　best　thing　of　all　that　can　be　said　about　it　is；　that；　with　　all　this　worship　of　antiquity；　Italian　poetry　found　here　a　sacred　　refuge；　and　that　of　all　the　rays　of　light　which　streamed　from　the　　circle　of　which　Lorenzo　was　the　centre；　none　was　more　powerful　than　　this。　As　a　statesman；　let　each　man　judge　him　as　he　pleases；　a　foreigner　　will　hesitate　to　pronounce　what　in　the　fate　of　Florence　was　due　to　　human　guilt　and　what　to　circumstances；　but　no　more　unjust　charge　was　　ever　made　than　that　in　the　field　of　culture　Lorenzo　was　the　protector　　of　mediocrity；　that　through　his　fault　Leonardo　da　Vinci　and　the　　mathematician　Fra　Luca　Pacioli　lived　abroad；　and　that　Toscanella；　　Vespucci；　and　others　remained　at　least　unsupported。　He　was　not；　indeed；　　a　man　of　universal　mind；　but　of　all　the　great　men　who　have　striven　to　　favour　and　promote　spiritual　interests；　few　certainly　have　been　so　　many…sided；　and　in　none　probably　was　the　inward　need　to　do　so　equally　　deep。
  The　age　in　which　we　live　is　loud　enough　in　proclaiming　the　worth　of　　culture；　and　especially　of　the　culture　of　antiquity。　But　the　　enthusiastic　devotion　to　it；　the　recognition　that　the　need　of　it　is　the　　first　and　greatest　of　all　needs；　is　nowhere　to　be　found　in　such　a　　degree　as　among　the　Florentines　of　the　fifteenth　and　the　early　part　of　　the　sixteenth　centuries。　On　this　point　we　have　indirect　proof　which　　precludes　all　doubt。　It　would　not　have　been　so　common　to　give　the　　daughters　of　the　house　a　share　in　the　same　studies；　had　they　not　been　　held　to　be　the　noblest　of　earthly　pursuits；　exile　would　not　have　been　　turned　into　a　happy　retreat；　as　was　done　by　Palla　Strozzi；　nor　would　　men　who　indulged　in　every　conceivable　excess　have　retained　the　strength　　and　the　spirit　to　write　critical　treatises　on　the　Natural　History　of　　Pliny　like　Filippo　Strozzi。　Our　business　here　is　not　to　deal　out　either　　praise　or　blame；　but　to　understand　the　spirit　of　the　age　in　all　its　　vigorous　individuality。
  Besides　Florence；　there　were　many　cities　of　Italy　where　individuals　and　　social　circles　devoted　all　their　energies　to　the　support　of　humanism　　and　the　protection　of　the　scholars　who　lived　among　them。　The　　correspondence　of　that　period　is　full　of　references　to　personal　　relations　of　this　kind。　The　feeling　of　the　instructed　classes　set　　strongly　and　almost　exclusively　in　this　direction。
  But　it　is　now　time　to　speak　of　humanism　at　the　Italian　courts。　The　　natural　alliance　between　the　despot　and　the　scholar；　each　relying　　solely　on　his　personal　talent；　has　already　been　touched　upon；　that　the　　latter　should　avowedly　prefer　the　princely　courts　to　the　free　cities；　　was　only　to　be　expected　from　the　higher　pay　which　he　there　received。　At　　a　time　when　the　great　Alfonso　of　Aragon　seemed　likely　to　become　master　　of　all　Italy；　Aeneas　Sylvius　wrote　to　another　citizen　of　Siena：　'I　had　　rather　that　Italy　attained　peace　under　his　rule　than　under　that　of　the　　free　cities；　for　kingly　generosity　rewards　excellence　of　every　kind。'　　Too　much　stress　has　latterly　been　laid　on　the　unworthy　side　of　this　　relation；　and　the　mercenary　flattery　to　which　it　gave　rise；　just　as　　formerly　the　eulogies　of　the　humanists　led　to　a　too　favourable　　judgement　on　their　patrons。　Taking　all　things　together；　it　is　greatly　　to　the　honour　of　the　latter　that　they　felt　bound　to　place　themselves　at　　the　head　of　the　culture　of　their　age　and　country；　one…sided　though　this　　culture　was。　In　some　of　the　popes；　the　fearlessness　of　the　consequences　　to　which　the　new　learning　might　lead　strikes　us　as　something　truly；　but　　unconsciously；　imposing。　Nicholas　V　was　confident　of　the　future　of　the　　Church；　since　thousands　of　learned　men　supported　her。　Pius　II　was　far　　from　making　such　splendid　sacrifices　for　humanism　as　were　made　by　　Nicholas；　and　the　poets　who　frequented　his　court　were　few　in　number；　　but　he　himself　was　much　more　the　personal　head　of　the　republic　of　　letters　than　his　predecessor；　and　enjoyed　his　position　without　the　　least　misgiving。　Paul　II　was　the　first　to　dread　and　mistrust　the　　culture　of　his　secretaries；　and　his　three　successors；　Sixtus；　Innocent；　　and　Alexander；　accepted　dedications　and　allowed　themselves　to　be