New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-01

MEN AND MANNERS IN A TUSCAN RE-
PUBLIC.

FLoRENT1NE LIFE DURING THE BEE RENAI Is
Viii PAS Baltimore The Johns Hopkins Press.
The example Of Florence Is negatively instruc-
tive TO the modern student OF politics. As
communal unit the city failed. and failed not 50
much from defects in It's plan as from the IT.
reconcilable elements Of n personal nature which
abounded among the citizens and were calculated
70 break through even stronger bulwarks than the
inexperienced F7orentines were capable OF erect
ing That there were nevertheless flaws In the
organism Of Florence. whether as a republic or
despotisrn IS recognized by every historian. Mr..
Seattle Is quick TO apprehend and 10 enforce the
fact In referring TO the deficiencies OF the State.
however as his predecessors have done. to the
unwisdom Of the statesmen and the people. he
fails to emphasize sufficiently another observation
equally inevitable and just. The inexperience OF
the Florentines was their greatest curse at the
same time that II was their greatest blessing. II
was not merely inexperience Of statecrafL but I'M
familiarity with the world.
This sounds paradoxical in view OF the vast
enterprises started by the traders OF the time.
No city in Italy. not even Venice had more ex-
tensve dealings with the outside world But II
there Is one thing more than another OF which the
student Of Renaissance civilization Is soon con-
WINGED, Il is that this civilization represented
dawning intelligence. fresh. unsophistlc-ted
view OF life. Mr.. Seattle calls the Florentines
naive" They were more than that. They were.
the whole, absolute children. planting their
famous lily in untried soil In a soil which me-
diaeva culture had left fresh for the impact Of n
wholly new life changeable. tentative poti-
cal scheme such as the F1orentines were content
TO rely upon is altogether too formless too In
choate and too dependent upon the caprice OF IN
dividuals and parties to furnish many hints for
the modern State 20 copy. There is. therefore.
we repeat, very little II anything for us TO gain
by study Of old F1orentlne administration. We
do not see that Mr.. Seattle has any chance OF es-
tablishing the parallels between American and
Florentine conditions. which he approaches again
and again Government means system. The
F1orentine and American systems could have
little In common. Where Mr.. Scaife IS justified
and Is helpful in holding up to the picture Of
a past civilization Is in bringing out all the
traits OF the latter that merely human,
merely personal. There Is inspiration in the IN
innate daily life Of the period Mr.. Scaife de-
scribes in the point OF view OF the F1orentincs.
Life IN the great Tuscan republic was governed
by three distinct forces: civic pride, artistic TASTE
and individual ambition. That is the order in
which Mr. Seattle would apparently place them.
He closes his volume with the saying OF Capponi
private individuals and that they recognized in
every glory Of their city family interest" It
is true that the whole trend OF the authors re-
searches into contemporary and later literature
has been to show that the pageant OF Fiorentine
life was three-fourths public and one-fourth pr-
vate The love OF the town deeply ingrained
in the hearts OF the people. Yet It is difficult to
disprove that self-love came first Certainly on
the authors own showing. the most disinte-
grating factor in F1orentine politics was the ind-
viduality OF the politicians Every wanted
his fling. often with a DISTINGUISHED motive. but
more often from the love OF power and considera-
ton which is implanted in human nature That
is what makes the life Of the time suggestive
in some OF its phases-its immense personal
force It's warm human color.
II any OF their characteristics seem to urge
themselves irresistiby upon modern men as
adapted to modern taste, II Is to a great extent
because the Florentines themselves appeal to us
with such extraordinary vvidness and energy
They lived their life with emphatic ampn-
tude and intensity. whether the question was
one OF public buildings private costumes.
Mr.. Seattle speaks OF the absence OF ertihciality
in the domestic life Of the F1orentines, and
seems inclined to argue that Florence at any rate
had the simplicity which Symonds AYERS was de.
spised throughout the peninsula The English
historian came nearer the truth. Manners were
blunt. everyday life WAS often shorn Of
perfluous decorations. and even OF valuable ur-
banities; but there left In the Florentine ma
ture a deep fund OF enthusiasm for whatever
was ornate and gorgeous. Mr.. Scaif-'s own pages
confirm this The sumptuary legislation pro-
roked by the exercises OF fashion in dress we're
directed not only against the women. but against
the men also: and on page 81 we are reminded
that the authorities were compelled by the ex-
travagance Of the citizens to make IAN ordinance
forbidding at ordinary companies the serving Of
more than three dishes and at weddings OF