Improvement in Taste and Criticism -- Coteries and Academies -- Revival of Italian Literature -- Printing -- Florence, the Capital of Learning -- Lorenzo de' Medici and his Circle -- Public Policy of Lorenzo -- Literary Patronage -- Variety of his Gifts -- Meetings of the Platonic Society -- Marsilio Ficino -- His Education for Platonic Studies -- Translations of Plato and the Neoplatonists -- Harmony between Plato and Christianity -- Giovanni Pico -- His First Appearance in Florence -- His Theses proposed at Rome -- Censure of the Church -- His Study of the Cabbala -- Large Conception of Learning -- Occult Science -- Cristoforo Landino -- Professor of Fine Literature -- Virgilian Studies -- Camaldolese Disputations -- Leo Battista Alberti -- His Versatility -- Bartolommeo Scala -- Obscure Origin -- Chancellor of Florence -- Angelo Poliziano -- Early Life -- Translation of Homer -- The 'Homericus Juvenis' -- True Genius in Poliziano -- Command of Latin and Greek -- Resuscitation of Antiquity in his own Person -- His Professorial Work -- The 'Miscellanea' -- Relation to Medici -- Roman Scholarship in this Period -- Pius II. -- Pomponius Lætus -- His Academy and Mode of Life -- Persecution under Paul II. -- Humanism at Naples -- Pontanus -- His Academy -- His Writings -- Academies established in all Towns of Italy -- Introduction of Printing -- Sweynheim and Pannartz -- The Early Venetian Press -- Florence -- Cennini -- Alopa's Homer -- Change in Scholarship effected by Printing -- The Life of Aldo Manuzio -- The Princely House of Pio at Carpi -- Greek Books before Aldo -- The Aldine Press at Venice -- History of its Activity -- Aldo and Erasmus -- Aldo and the Greek Refugees -- Aldo's Death -- His Family and Successors -- The Neacademia -- The Salvation of Greek Literature 224 CHAPTER VII FOURTH PERIOD OF HUMANISM