Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-04-16

for all subsequent ages. The Augustan
age of Florentne intellectual life, the
most splendid epoch OF t'lorence'S eX-
istence in every respect was the age
of Lorenzo the Magniiicent-the TWEEN
~ years that just preceded the date
America by Columbus Ui92). But 200
years before this Dante had been born.
and not long after him Petrarch and
BoccacciO, any of whom would have
been sufficient to give undying lustre
to any age or any state. From those
early days there was n long and almost
unbroken line Of poets, scholars and
artists that lasted till those sad days
when the civic life OF the great COM
mune became eXtinguished in despot-
ism. But in the very years when Flor
entine liberty was expiring ii seemed
as If the Florentine intellect was
achieving its greatest triumphs. Espe-
cially was this so in the realm OF art.
Leonardo da Vinci U452-i519), possessOr
of the most wonderfully many sided
genius the world has ever known.
painter of the most celebrated picture
the world has ever known. was n Flor
entine. So. too. was Mchelangelo.
Q4l5-156i), possessor of n genius scarce
ly less wonderfully many sided than
that Of Da Ninci, and the superior of
Da Vinci in actual accomplishment.
And IL Raphael 04S3-1520), were not a
Florentine or even n Tuscan, he was
born on the borders of Tuscany. and it
was at Florence that he spent the most
mpressionable years of his life, and,
having become fired by the chievcments
of Da Ninci and Michelangelo, devel-
oped those powers that showed that he,
too was of the worlds great ones.
Scholarship and genius. poetry and
art were after all only the eillorescence
of F'lorentine life. Yet the real life of
oh Of hmm Nl,1 f1t,
scarcely a less remarkable manifesto
ton. Florence early became, and during
all the years of her vigor remained. the
chief center of the commercial activity
of Italy. Florence was n trading city
and much beside. BY reason of the
comparative freedom from oppression
which the territory enjoyed over which
she ruled. she early became the center
of one of the best cultivated and rich
est agricultural district of Italy, a cir
Cumstance that contributed not a little
to her own prosperity. She also early
became. and during all her years Of
vigor remained. the chief manufacture
ing city of Italy. and was indeed for
five or six centuries the chief manufac-
turing center of the world. At first the
F;orcntines could not obtain wool fine
enough for making WOODEN cloths equal
in quality to those made in Flanders
ana Holland. When this was so. they
brought from those countries their I'M
dyed cloths. dyed and dressed them into
fabrics richer than were produced else
where i'm the world. and then sold them
in all quarters of the earth. even in
the very countries whence they were
first obtained The red cloths Of Flor
encc were the richest fabrics that the
world then knew. Then they imported
fine woods for themselves-from north
ern Africa. Spain. Portugal and Eng
land--and soon the WOODEN cloths of
their own manufacture were superior
to those they had been importing. Lat
er on they learned how TO spin gold
and silver, and their silver and gold
brocades soon were known 10 be rich
and beautiful beyond all rivalry. Fin
ally. they learned silk weaving, and
their silk manufactures outshone their
wool manufactures. And all this, it
must be remembered. was in an age
when northern Europe was still bu.
slowly emerging out of barbarsm.
when the Teutonic races of the world
now so predominant In trade in technic
arts and in culture were still little other
than fffIera of fha a. Il