The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century : a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and a pronouncing vocabulary of each nation . thusiasm of such a man for ancient literature naturally directedother mens attention to it. The collection of old manuscripts became a that had been lost was found. Much that had been forgotten was re-understood. Men began to realize that life was a pleasant and good and beau-tiful thing in itself. The old nations had found it so. The tendency of
The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century : a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and a pronouncing vocabulary of each nation . thusiasm of such a man for ancient literature naturally directedother mens attention to it. The collection of old manuscripts became a that had been lost was found. Much that had been forgotten was re-understood. Men began to realize that life was a pleasant and good and beau-tiful thing in itself. The old nations had found it so. The tendency of oneextreme of Christianity had been to represent this life as of no importance; itwas a mere passage to the next, and nothing in it was worth a momentsthought. The actual physical joy which the old Greeks had found in mere liv-ing and inhaling the sunshine came like a revolt against all this icy asceti-cism. In his old age Petrarch set himself to studying Greek, that he mightread of these things for himself. The third writer of Italys great trio, Boccaccio (1313-1375), expressesmost fully this detail of the Renaissance, its eager comprehension of the deli-ciousness and worth of life itself. Boccaccio was also a Florentine, and though. Rome—The Rebuilding of Rome 47 r he wrote both prose and poetry, he is certain to be best remembered by hiscollection of prose stories, the Decameron. In this he catches up all thelittle popular tales of his time, and narrates them in a style so exquisite thathis countrymen have always held him as a model of prose. Boccacciointroduced the regular study of Greek into the Florentine university, and hehimself translated for his countrymen the great poems of Homer. Meanwhile art was also blossoming into splendor. The architects of Flor-ence were erecting stately palaces and solemn cathedrals. Her artists with thepainter Giotto at their head were decorating the interiors of the great buildings-with paintings, and the exteriors with statues. The soari
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