Glory and riches are in his house. His justice remains for ever. Light is risen in darkness for the straightforward people. He is merciful in heart, merciful in deed, and just. A jocund man; who is merciful, and lends. He will dispose his words in judgment. He hath dispersed. He hath given to the poor. His justice remain! for ever. His horn shall be exalted in glory. 272. With vacillating, but steadily prevailing effort, the Florentines maintained this life and character for full half a century. You will please now look at my staff of the year 1300, [Footnote: Page 33 in my second lecture on Engraving.] adding the names of Dante and Orcagna, having each their separate masterful or prophetic function. That is Florence's contribution to the intellectual work of the world during these years of justice. Now, the promise of Christianity is given with lesson from the fleur-de-lys: Seek ye first the royalty of God, and His justice, "and all these things," material wealth, "shall be added unto you." It is a perfectly clear, perfectly literal,--never failing and never unfulfilled promise. There is no instance in the whole cycle of history of its not being accomplished,--fulfilled to the uttermost, with full measure, pressed down, and running over. 273. Now hear what Florence was, and what wealth she had got by her justice. In the year 1330, before she fell, she had within her walls a hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, of whom all the men--(laity)--between the ages of fifteen and seventy, were ready at an instant to go out to war, under their banners, in number twenty-four thousand. The army of her entire territory was eighty thousand; and within it she counted fifteen hundred noble, families, every one absolutely submissive to her gonfalier of justice. She had within her walls a hundred and ten churches, seven priories, and thirty hospitals for the sick and poor; of foreign guests, on the average, fifteen hundred, constantly. From eight to ten thousand children were taught to read in her schools. The town was surrounded by some fifty square miles of uninterrupted garden, of olive, corn, vine, lily, and rose. And the monetary existence of England and France depended upon her wealth. Two of her bankers alone had lent Edward III. of England five millions of money (in sterling value of this present hour).