. The story of Verona . lla Scala, whose name first appears amongthose who formed a covenant with the people ofCremona in i 254. The mention of the Scaligers brings with it theperiod of Veronas greatest prosperity. The art, theliterature, the romance of the city centres round theyears in which the della Scalas reigned as lords ofVerona, and in which they brought the town to adegree of prominence and splendour and importancewhich she had never reached before and to which shenever attained again. The cruelties of Ezzelino daRomano were instrumental in bringing the della Scalafamily into notice.
. The story of Verona . lla Scala, whose name first appears amongthose who formed a covenant with the people ofCremona in i 254. The mention of the Scaligers brings with it theperiod of Veronas greatest prosperity. The art, theliterature, the romance of the city centres round theyears in which the della Scalas reigned as lords ofVerona, and in which they brought the town to adegree of prominence and splendour and importancewhich she had never reached before and to which shenever attained again. The cruelties of Ezzelino daRomano were instrumental in bringing the della Scalafamily into notice. No less than three persons of thatname had been put to death by Ezzelino, who weresupiosed to be some relations, even li not very nearones, of the new Podesta. The efforts made by somewriters to claim an old and exalted lineage for theScaligers has not been crowned with much legend, based however on no very trustworthy 1 Tiranni Che dier nel Sangiie e nell aver di piglio.—Irif. xii. 104-105 62 -4f ^-^r?«V. Milll|i W^ THE TRJUUJJA—ANCUENT SEAT OK JUUCiMENT, IlAZZA D ERBE 63 Ez%elino da Romano foundation, says that they sprang from a man of poor,nay vile condition, of the name of Jacopo Fico, whomade ladders and sold them, and that from this thefamily took its name. The most generally acceptedidea is though that Mastino della Scala, the first ofthe name who sprang into notability and who may beconsidered as the founder of the family, was a manof modest origin, and whose line in life was of acommercial nature. His position was a prominentone during Ezzelinos reign of oppression and blood-shed ; and that the tyrant had shown him some regardimplies in itself that Mastino had known how to meritit. He was an absolute Ghibelline as to politics, awarrior ever ready to serve his country, and a worthyancestor of the great men who followed him. Cipollameanwhile bids us observe that neither as Podesta,nor as Captain was he lord of Verona in the literalsense of the words; he
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