Heroes of Modern Europe | Page 9

mandates. The assault was unsuccessful,
and Henry of Luxemburg died without accomplishing his laudable
intention of making Italy more peaceful.
Dante lived under the protection of the powerful Uguccione, lord of
Pisa, while he wrote the Purgatorio. The second part of his epic dealt
with the region lying between the under-world of torment and the
heavenly heights of Paradise itself. Here the souls of men were to be
cleansed of their sins that they might be pure in their final ecstasy.
A revolt against his patron led the poet to follow him to Verona, where
they both dwelt in friendship with the young prince, Cane della Scala.
The later cantos of the great poem, the Divine Comedy, were sent to
this ruler as they were written. Cane loved letters, and appreciated
Dante so generously that the exile, for a time, was moved to forget his
bitterness. He dedicated the Paradiso to della Scala, but he had to give
up the arduous task of glorifying Beatrice worthily and devote himself
to some humble office at Verona. The inferiority of his position galled
one who claimed Vergil and Homer as his equals in the world of letters.
He lost all his serene tranquillity of soul, and his face betrayed the
haughty impatience of his spirit. Truly he was not the fitting companion
for the buffoons and jesters among whom he was too often compelled
to sit in the palaces where he accepted bounty. He could not always win
respect by the power of his dark and {29} piercing eyes, for he had few
advantages of person and disdained to be genial in manners. Brooding

over neglect and injustice, he grew so repellant that Cane was secretly
relieved when thoughtless, cruel levity drove the poet from his court.
He never cared, perhaps, that Dante, writing the concluding cantos of
his poem, decided sadly not to send them to his former benefactor.
The last goal of Dante's wanderings was the ancient city of Ravenna,
where his genius was honoured by the great, and he derived a
melancholy pleasure from the wonder of the people, who would draw
aside from his path and whisper one to another: "Do you see him who
goes to hell and comes back again when he pleases?" The fame of the
Divine Comedy was known to all, and men were amazed by the
splendid audacity of the Inferno.
Yet Dante was still an exile when death took him in 1321, and Florence
had stubbornly refused to pay him tribute. He was buried at Ravenna,
and over his tomb in the little chapel an inscription reproached his own
city with indifference.
"Hic claudor Dantes patriis extorris ab oris, Quem genuit parvi
Florentia mater amoris."
"Here I am enclosed, Dante, exiled from my native country, Whom
Florence bore, the mother that little did love him."

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Chapter III
Lorenzo the Magnificent
The struggle in which Dante had played a leading part did not cease for
many years after the poet had died in exile. The Florentines proved
themselves so unable to rule their own city that they had to admit
foreign control and bow before the Lords Paramount who came from
Naples. The last of these died in 1328 and was succeeded by the Duke
of Athens. This tyrant roused the old spirit of the people which had

asserted its independence in former days. He was driven out of
Florence on Saint Anne's Day, July 26th of 1343, and the anniversary
of that brave fight for liberty was celebrated henceforth with loud
rejoicing.
The Ciompi, or working-classes, rose in 1378 and demanded higher
wages. They had been grievously oppressed by the nobles, and were
encouraged by a general spirit of revolt which affected the peasantry of
Europe. They were strong enough in Florence to set up a new
government with one of their own rank as chief magistrate. But
democracy did not enjoy a lengthy rule and the rich merchant-class
came into power. Such families as the Albizzi and Medici were well
able to buy the favour of the people.
There had been a tradition that the Florentine banking-house of Medici
were on the popular side in those struggles which rent Florence. They
were certainly born leaders {31} and understood very thoroughly the
nature of their turbulent fellow-citizens. They gained influence steadily
during the sway of their rivals, the illustrious Albizzi. When Cosimo
dei Medici had been banished, it was significant that the same
convention of the people which recalled him should send Rinaldo degli
Albizzi into exile.
Cosimo dei Medici rid himself of enemies by the unscrupulous method
of his predecessors, driving outside the walls the followers of any party
that opposed him. He had determined to control the Florentines so
cleverly that they should not realize his tyranny. He was quite