missing　them　with　a　too　ready　contempt；　　forgetting　that　the　highest　spiritual　things　are　not　precisely　matters　　of　measurement。
  Life　and　manners　at　the　court　of　Rimini　must　have　been　a　singular　　spectacle　under　the　bold　pagan　Condottiere　Sigismondo　Malatesta。　He　had　　a　number　of　scholars　around　him；　some　of　whom　he　provided　for　　liberally；　even　giving　them　landed　estates；　while　others　earned　at　　least　a　livelihood　as　officers　in　his　army。　In　his　citadel'arx　　Sismundea'they　used　to　hold　discussions；　often　of　a　very　venomous　　kind；　in　the　presence　of　the　'rex；'　as　they　termed　him。　In　their　Latin　　poems　they　sing　his　praises　and　celebrate　his　amour　with　the　fair　　Isotta；　in　whose　honour　and　as　whose　monument　the　famous　rebuilding　of　　San　Francesco　at　Rimini　took　place　'Divae　Isottae　Sacrum。'　When　the　　humanists　themselves　came　to　die；　they　were　laid　in　or　under　the　　sarcophagi　with　which　the　niches　of　the　outside　walls　of　the　church　　were　adorned；　with　an　inscription　testifying　that　they　were　laid　here　　at　the　time　when　Sigismundus；　the　son　of　Pandulfus；　ruled。　It　is　hard　　for　us　nowadays　to　believe　that　a　monster　like　this　prince　felt　　learning　and　the　friendship　of　cultivated　people　to　be　a　necessity　of　　life；　and　yet　the　man　who　excommunicated　him；　made　war　upon　him；　and　　burnt　him　in　effigy；　Pope　Pius　II；　says：　'Sigismondo　knew　history　and　　had　a　great　store　of　philosophy；　he　seemed　born　to　all　that　he　　undertook。'
  Propagators　of　Antiquity
  We　have　here　first　to　speak　of　those　citizens；　mostly　Florentines；　who　　made　antiquarian　interests　one　of　the　chief　objects　of　their　lives；　and　　who　were　themselves　either　distinguished　scholars；　or　else　　distinguished　_dilettanti_　who　maintained　the　scholars。　They　were　of　　peculiar　significance　during　the　period　of　transition　at　the　beginning　　of　the　fifteenth　century；　since　it　was　in　them　that　humanism　first　　showed　itself　practically　as　an　indispensable　element　in　daily　life。　It　　was　not　till　after　this　time　that　the　popes　and　princes　began　seriously　　to　occupy　themselves　with　it。
  Niccol？Niccoli　and　Giannozzo　Manetti　have　been　already　spoken　of　more　　than　once。　Niccoli　is　described　to　us　by　Vespasiano　as　a　man　who　would　　tolerate　nothing　around　him　out　of　harmony　with　his　own　classical　　spirit。　His　handsome　long…robed　figure；　his　kindly　speech；　his　house　　adorned　with　the　noblest　remains　of　antiquity；　made　a　singular　　impression。　He　was　scrupulously　cleanly　in　everything；　most　of　all　at　　table；　where　ancient　vases　and　crystal　goblets　stood　before　him　on　the　　whitest　linen。　The　way　in　which　he　won　over　a　pleasure…loving　young　　Florentine　to　intellectual　interests　is　too　charming　not　to　be　here　　described。　Piero　de'　Pazzi；　son　of　a　distinguished　merchant；　and　　himself　destined　to　the　same　calling；　fair　to　behold；　and　much　given　to　　the　pleasures　of　the　world；　thought　about　anything　rather　than　　literature。　One　day；　as　he　was　passing　the　Palazzo　del　Podest？　Niccol？　called　the　young　man　to　him；　and　although　they　had　never　before　　exchanged　a　word；　the　youth　obeyed　the　call　of　one　so　respected。　　Niccol？asked　him　who　his　father　was。　He　answered；　'Messer　Andrea　de'　　Pazzi'。　When　he　was　further　asked　what　his　pursuit　was；　Piero　replied；　　as　young　people　are　wont　to　do；　'I　enjoy　myself'　（'attendo　a　darmi　buon　　tempo'）。　Niccol？said　to　him；　'As　son　of　such　a　father；　and　so　fair　to　　look　upon；　it　is　a　shame　that　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'　（_virt鵢）。　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　noble…minded　　statesman。　He　learned　by　heart　the　whole　AEneid　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　Maneeti　（1393…1459）。　Precocious　from　his　first　years；　he　was　　hardly　more　than　a　child　when　he　had　finished　his　apprenticeship　in　　commerce；　and　became　book…keeper　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　furfilled　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　law…suits　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　analyse　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　position　　a　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；　amd　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　was　due　to　human　guilt　and　what　to　　circumstances　in　the　fate　of　Florence；　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　at　least　remained　unsupported。　He　was　not；　indeed；　　a　man