Formation of Conscious Personality in Italy -- Aristocracy of Intellect -- Self-culture as an Aim -- Want of National Architecture -- Want of National Drama -- Eminence of Sculpture and Painting -- Peculiar Capacity for Literature -- Scholarship -- Men of Many-sided Genius -- Their Relation to the Age -- Conflict between Mediæval Tradition and Humanism -- Petrarch -- The Meaning of the Revival begun by him -- Cosmopolitan Philosophy -- Toleration -- An Intellectual Empire -- Worldliness -- Confusion of Impulses and Inspirations -- Copernicus and Columbus -- Christianity and the Classics -- Italian Incapacity for Religious Reformation -- Free Thought takes the form of License -- Harmonies attempted between Christianity and Antique Philosophy -- Florentine Academy -- Physical Qualities of the Italians -- Portraits of Two Periods -- Physical Exercises -- Determination of the Race to Scholarship -- Ancient Memories of Rome -- The Cult of Antiquity -- Desire of Fame -- Fame to be found in Literature -- The Cult of Intellect -- The Cult of Character -- Preoccupation with Personal Details -- Biography -- Ideal Sketches -- Posthumous Glory -- Enthusiasm for Erudition -- Piero de' Pazzi -- Florence and Athens -- Paganism -- Real Value of Italian Humanism -- Pico on the Dignity of Man 1 CHAPTER II FIRST PERIOD OF HUMANISM Importance of the Revival of Learning -- Mediæval Romance -- The Legend of Faustus -- Its Value for the Renaissance -- The Devotion of Italy to Study -- Italian Predisposition for this Labour -- Scholarship in the Dark Ages -- Double Attitude assumed by the Church -- Piety for Virgil -- Meagre Acquaintance with the Latin Classics -- No Greek Learning -- The Spiritual Conditions of the Middle Ages adverse to Pure Literature -- Italy no Exception to the rest of Europe -- Dante and Petrarch -- Definition of Humanism -- Petrarch's Conception of it -- His Æsthetical Temperament -- His Cult for Cicero, Zeal in Collecting Manuscripts, Sense of the Importance of Greek Studies -- Warfare against Pedantry and Superstition -- Ideal of Poetry and Rhetoric -- Critique of Jurists and Schoolmen -- S. Augustine -- Petrarch's Vanity -- Thirst for Fame -- Discord between his Life and his Profession -- His Literary Temperament -- Visionary Patriotism -- His Influence -- His Successors -- Boccaccio and Greek Studies -- Translation of Homer -- Philosophy of Literature -- Sensuousness of Boccaccio's Inspiration -- Giovanni da Ravenna -- The Wandering Professor -- His Pupils in Latin Scholarship -- Luigi Marsigli -- The Convent of S. Spirito -- Humanism in Politics -- Coluccio de' Salutati -- Gasparino da Barzizza -- Improved Style in Letter-writing -- Revival of Greek Learning -- Manuel Chrysoloras -- His Pupils -- Lionardo Bruni -- Value of Greek for the Renaissance 37 CHAPTER III