of the State. Each man was, first of all, a citizen, and then a private individual. The glory of "Firenze la Bella" was the true seal of family distinction.

The Commune flourished amazingly amid the invigorating influences of constant political disturbances, and became the centre of such a high and generous mental culture as has not a compeer in the world's history. This culture was a democratic trait, not the exclusive possession of the few; and, as a true characteristic of the Florentines of the twelfth to the sixteenth century, it is exhibited in the architecture of Arnolfo, the painting of Cimabue, the sculpture of Giotto and the poetry of Dante.

Speaking of the Acts, Statutes, and Laws of Florence, Dante represents the people as superior to all others in Italy for civil virtues, incorrodible faith, sincerity in religion, and noble charity. He considered that all these excellent qualities were the foundation upon which rested the commercial pre-eminence of the city.

Florence was a Republic of merchants and artisans, and her citizens, distinguished as Nobili and Popolani, were united in the general designation "Le Genti di Firenze,"—" The People of Florence."

A very important feature in the extraordinary enterprise and success of the merchants and craftsmen of Florence was the influence of education and literature upon all classes of the population. The commonest people were casuists, metaphysicians, diplomatists, keen observers of human nature, and instinctive judges of character.

In the Middle Ages learning was regarded almost exclusively as the handmaid of religion, but in the era of the Renaissance it was looked upon as the companion of everyday life.

One of the civil phenomena of the times of the Republic of Florence, and one very difficult to understand from our present point of view of educational economy,-was the union in the persons of merchants and artisans, of fine literary taste and scholarly culture, with rare qualifications for political office and keen instincts for commercial enterprise.

Industry, the object of which is ordinarily the supply of necessaries and luxuries, was, from the first, a means of power or at least amelioration in all the regions of human civilisation. It furnished Florentines with a Royal Road to the highest summits of Art, Science, Literature and Discovery. Whether nobles, merchants, craftsmen, or operatives, they have come down to us as philosophers, rhetoricians, astronomers, writers, poets, painters, sculptors, architects, and the rest.

So keen was the interest displayed by all classes in all and everything which made for greater knowledge and ability in the prosecution of their various crafts, that teachers of every degree did not lack attentive audiences. In a letter of Petrarch to Boccaccio he calls the Florentine intellect quick and subtle rather than grave and mature:-"O ingenia magis aria quam matura!"

Historians, such as Ricordano Malespini, Dino Compagni, and Giovanni Villani, tell us many interesting stories about the universality of education in Florence in their days. Tailors left their benches to attend the Greek lecture, Blacksmiths laid aside their hammers for the pen of history, Woolcarders found time to study law, Barbers sought the chair of poetry, and Butchers went in for literary research, and so forth. There was "no one," says Dino Compagni, "in Florence who could not read," and "even the donkey-boys sang verses out of Dante!”

The initiation of the University of Florence was accomplished in the same manner as that which called the Guilds into existence. It was the consequence of the great movement towards association which began to sweep over Europe early in the eleventh century.

By the middle of the thirteenth century the association of learning and industry was fully recognised as a necessity for successful commercial pursuits. Classes were, from time to time, established for higher technical culture, and at length, in 1349, the "Studio Fiorentino" was founded with an annual endowment of two

thousand five hundred gold florins,-about £1200 sterling,-Clement VI. granting the Papal Bull for the recognition of the faculties.1

The development of the University was rapid:-in 1348 there were only six scholæ,-faculties,-under as many teachers, whilst in 1421, there were forty-two Professors, and by 1472, a great number of branch academies and technical schools were thriving amazingly. To the University of Florence belongs the distinction of the foundation of the first chairs of Greek and Poetry in Italythe former in 1360 and the latter in 1373.

Among the earliest professors was Messere Filelfo, who had, in the latter part of the fourteenth century, as many as four hundred pupils belonging to leading families. In 1360 Giovanni Boccaccio -the first Professor of Poetry-introduced Leontius Pilatus to the Signoria, by whom he was appointed first Professor of Greek. His appointment proved to be a great incentive for the Florentines to enter enthusiastically into the study of antique monuments, whence resulted their superiority in the subtilties of the plastic art.

The Statutes of the " Universitas Scholarum,"-as the legal title had it, were submitted to the "Approbatores Statutarum Artium Communis Florentia"-"The Revisers of Guild Statutes for the Commonwealth of Florence." They were drafted in the same spirit and order as the Statutes of the Guilds, with corresponding offices, byelaws, etc.

Quite young boys were admitted to matriculate, as in the Guilds, and it was possible for a pushing youth to attain his doctorate or degree at the age of seventeen.

Every student was required to be of legitimate birth, and a registered native of Florence. There was no age limit and no class qualification. Each was allowed an honorarium of one gold florin per month,-a beggarly amount in truth, but medical students, who lived under very strict rules with respect to dissections, etc.,—were privileged to receive an allowance of red wine and spices-"just to keep up their spirits!" 2

B

Four licensed merchants were appointed money lenders, or pawnbrokers, for students, who were forbidden to borrow of any other persons; these officials were styled "Feneratori”—usurers. No student might carry arms of any kind.

The Rector was elected annually by the votes of the whole of the students, who had attained the age of eighteen, and to him were accorded discretionary powers over the whole University.

Theological students looked to Rome for preferment and benefactions. In a Roll of the University of the year 1404 some students are mentioned as having asked the Pope for, and having obtained, two or three or more benefices-mounting up in their gross revenues to the annual value of three hundred gold florins more or less apiece! 1

1

Strict sumptuary laws were enacted. Students were forbidden to wear garments of fine or "noble cloth "—as the highly finished Florentine cloth was called; whereas Professors were allowed this rich material. Black was prescribed for ordinary use, but on State occasions scarlet robes were worn ornamented with fur and gold embroideries.

A few only of the distinguished men connected with the University of Florence can be named here :-Leonardo Bruni Aretino, (1369-1441)-the reviver of the study of Greek, Leon Battista Alberti, (1405-1472)—architect and scientist, Angelo Poliziano, (1414-1494)-philosopher and writer, Antonio Minucci, (1431-1487)—reader-in-law and history, Pico della Mirandola, (1461-1494)—theologian and moralist, and Leonardo da Vinci, (1452-1519) engineer and humanist.

English travellers in Tuscany,-and there were many especially in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries,-saw of course very much to astonish them. Two of these, Sir Richard Guylforde and Sir Richard Torkington, were the first to give expression to their impressions in writing. Their "Diaries,"-made in 1506 and 1516 respectively, were dictated by the spirit of mediævalism. The 1 Statuta Populo Florentiæ, p. 383.