Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-13
The Poet in the Belle of Italian
CitieS--FIOrenCe of Old and the
Present--A CIcister of Cats.
Where Valuable Manuscripts Can be
Counted by Thousands-0l Land
marks in the Florentine City.
SsvonSrolB, the Beschsr of ItaIy-EIiE8 3
beth Bsrrstt BrOwbiDs's Grsve-The
City as Viewed from q Rin,
special Correspondence of the Gazette.


stout, chumpy people VINO used to live on
these hills were masters CT Italy before
Italy was master OF the world. They
were part Of the material which the great
robber kingdom on seven hills drew has
lilly around Itself at the very beginning Of
It's career. But ct this time Florence,
now belle OF the italian cities, was
nothing but valley. A little town call
ed Fies0le, three miles north of here, was
one of the great cities Of old Tuscany. It
Is now q miserable though interesting
little hamlet, fell Of poor people
who make fans and baskets out OF plated
straw, and sell them to visitors, or al the
air with their lamentations. These poor
remnants Of once lordly city crowd
around you and whine their ways into
your sympsthies and pockets with an IN
dustry that would be highly recommended
Die IN any respectable pursuit.
Fiesole is the father OF Florence. Il
stands upon q high hill-a natural for
tIess-as do most OF the old Etruscan
towns. The more modern city of Flor
ence relied for its defence upon walls of
stone and flesh, and was built in the
valley upon both sides Of the river
Arno. It was established by the Romans,
and shared their fortunes until the grand
old empire fell apart. Then it shifted for
Itself, and with q great deal of sturdiness,
although often torn right and left by cor
tending factions, and vexed with foreign
wars.
Finally, an old banker, named GioVan-
ri de- Medici, became so rich that his
fortune oVershsdowed every other in
Florence. 0le of his sons, named
Cosimo, used the immense amounts Of
money that we're left him to a better rur-
pose than buying Yac1ts aid support
ing number of fast horses. He en-
CouTsged the brains of his cOntempors-
ries, and founded the great Lsurentisn
Library, at one of the queer desks of
which We are row sitting. The library
looks like the interior of an old Pfotes
tsnt meeting-house, and is full OF peWs-
In which the visitor can sit and read or
examine the literary wealth that is here.
The books do not stand IN cases; they are
laid upon shelves down in front of the
seats, to which they are securely chained.
What wonder thst they are plSced in
fettersi They have no doubt tempted
many times violation Of the eighth COM
mSndment. 10 the presence Of this libra
~ | should think an autograph collector
would feel his hands Jingle till they Affect
ed the funny bones st the elbows. Here
are several Thousand manuscripts of su
thors who are dead aud gone, and can
never be written to for their autographs
sndb1y little sentiment which they may
choose to add, etc. Letters from Dante,
verses from Virgil, pages Of history from
TScitus, are ali shown me as l sit here.
The pen is not only mightier than the
sword, but its marks remain thousands Of
years longer.
As We step cut into an adjacent small
courtyard, the cloiDter OF an adjoining
church, eyeTgroWn with trees and vines,
we are met py q cat-by two csts-by
three-iour-spd We count no less than
sixteen furred qu2drupeds before leaving
the place, ali looking smiab e, cOntented,
and fst-one or TWO immense veterans
llmping about as Il fairly equity with high
living. How they came here cannot
say, but sm infor ned hat many years
ago some one founded sort OF cat orphan
ASYLUM in this cloister, aud 1t became the
habit Of the citizens Of Florence to bring
unavailable ielines here and leave
them, instead OF irflicting them slyly on
their neighbors as some people do in
America. The custom has continued, and
folks whose charity runs te cats, feed
chem from time to time. The jSnitor of
the place denied the whole story, but l
suspected that it might be because he
WAS afraid was intending to bring over
some more that Dight TO add to the al
TeSdy large cslIection. At all events,
there were the cats, sixteen In sight, sno
have no doubt may more concealed
under the bushes and walls. I msy say
Lr-, AkrG 81 =
except some dead people, who are buried
IN the cloisters.
One OF the gr8ndsons OF Cosmos de
Hedici was "LOrerZo the Magnitlcent;"
ne died in 1872, the same Yesr that
town Of Genoa, discovered America. he
left powerful bat very wicked city, over
which he had ruled wisely and benefcent-
~. At this time the great preacher
priest WAS at the head OF the monastery
OF ST. Marx, whittier we will now walk,
as it is only two or three blocks north
east Of the library. 1t has been "sup-
pressed" thst is, the property
bss been SEE d to help pay
the expenses OF the govern.
ment. Il is ROW L muse NJ, hit still
contains the library aud cells Of the old
monks, adorned with spgel-pict res by
shat dresmer-srtist Fra Angelica. The
ti0y bedroom ard study OF Ssvonarols
are among the most intensely interesting
places in Florence. He was sort Of
spiritual Demosthenes; his eloqueuce
could sway Su fieDces IS summer breezes
DO the grass and grain. His hearers
we're NUMBERED by tens Of thou
sands. People came from ali parts Of
Itsly to hear him tell them how wicked
they we're. For while be carried every
thing his own, and, be thought,
Gods way. But the ch o1ic sin
ners were too many for him, and he WAS
st last hung in enc of the public fqu1res
and crem4ted on the spot. His memory
Is now considered as that Of martyr ano
the museum monastery forms really 8
temple TO mis- fame. His clothes, his
chair, his desk and some Of his hSndwrit-
ing Are Sll preserved ia the little room
His picture, which bangs upon the wall,
shows = nomely, rSEg d face, with low
forehead, strong R0mss nose (much ike
that Of the present Pype) and eyes that
could pie. CO Ike oaggers or melt with
love. His mournful story bsunts the
Streets Of Florence TO this day
and the beautiful city viii
never cease grieYing that
she murdered him. He has no grave to
hnpprN hgo schaa Ovara