. Life and times of Girolamo Savonarola. r churches, monasteries, and other public works fitted tospread the fame of his munificence and increase his popu-larity. While the convent was in course of erection, hehad been very generous in helping the Dominicans, andnow that the work was so successfully completed, he wasnot satisfied until he could endow them with a valuablelibrary. This, however, was a difficult undertaking andone of considerable expense, since it was a question ofcollecting manuscripts, which, just then, commanded ex-orbitant prices. But the opportune decease of NiccolòNiccoli,
. Life and times of Girolamo Savonarola. r churches, monasteries, and other public works fitted tospread the fame of his munificence and increase his popu-larity. While the convent was in course of erection, hehad been very generous in helping the Dominicans, andnow that the work was so successfully completed, he wasnot satisfied until he could endow them with a valuablelibrary. This, however, was a difficult undertaking andone of considerable expense, since it was a question ofcollecting manuscripts, which, just then, commanded ex-orbitant prices. But the opportune decease of NiccolòNiccoli, the greatest manuscript collector in Europe,enabled Cosimo to fulfil his purpose. Niccoli had beenone of the most learned men of his day, and spent hiswhole life and fortune in acquiring a store of codices thatwas the admiration of all Italy. He had bequeathed thistreasure to Florence, but having also left many debts behindhim, his testamentary dispositions had not been carried Cosimo paid off the debts, and reserving a. ST. MARKS CONVENT. ST ANTONINE. 35 few of the more precious codices for himself, entrusted therest of the collection to the Monastery of St. was the first public library established in Italy, andthe monks kept it in such excellent order as to provethemselves worthy of the charge. St. Marks becamealmost a centre of erudition, and being joined to the con-gregation of the Lombard Dominicans, the more learnedbrothers of the Order resorted to Florence, and increasedthe new convents renown. The most distinguished menof the time frequently came to St. Marks to enjoy con-versation with the friars. It was during these years thatFra Giovanni da Fiesole, better known as Fra BeatoAngelico, was employed in covering the convent wallswith his incomparable works. But above all theirtreasures of art and learning, the brethren chiefly gloriedin their spiritual father and founder St. Antonine, one ofthose characters who are true glories of the human rac
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