DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61902#0285
THE MAKERS OF FLORENCE.
265
his preaching tours, he attended the Dominican chapter at
Reggio, and was there seen and heard by a genial, gentle
young courtier, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, one of
Lorenzo’s most affectionate flatterers and friends. This
court butterfly was the most learned creature that ever
fluttered near a prince, but full of amiable sentiments and
tender-heartedness, and the kindly insight of an unspoiled
heart. He saw the frate of San Marco among the other
Dominicans, his remarkable face intent upon the delibera-
tions of the Council; and heard him speak with such
power and force of utterance that the whole audience was
moved. Probably something more than this, some per-
sonal contact, some kindly gleam from those resplendent
blue eyes that shone from underneath Fra Girolamo’s
cavernous brow, some touch of that urbanita, humile,
ornato e grazioso, upon which Burlamacchi insists, went
to the heart of the young Pico, himself a noble young
gentleman amid all his frippery of courtier and virtuoso.
He was so seized upon and captured by the personal attrac-
tions of Savonarola, that he gave Lorenzo no peace until he
had caused him to be authoritatively recalled from his
wanderings and brought back permanently to Florence.
Young Pico felt that he could not live without the teacher
whom he had thus suddenly discovered, and Lorenzo,
unwitting, at his friend’s request, ordered back into Flor-
ence the only man who dared stand face to face with him-
self, and tell him he had done wrong. Savonarola came
back perhaps not very willingly, and betook himself once
more to his novices and his philosophy. But he had by
this time learned to leaven his philosophy with lessons
more important, and to bring in the teachings of a greater
than Aristotle, taking the Bible which he loved, and
which, it is said, he had learned by heart, more and more
for his text-book ; and lancliing forth into a wider sea of
remark and discussion as day followed day, and his mind
expanded and his system grew.
265
his preaching tours, he attended the Dominican chapter at
Reggio, and was there seen and heard by a genial, gentle
young courtier, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, one of
Lorenzo’s most affectionate flatterers and friends. This
court butterfly was the most learned creature that ever
fluttered near a prince, but full of amiable sentiments and
tender-heartedness, and the kindly insight of an unspoiled
heart. He saw the frate of San Marco among the other
Dominicans, his remarkable face intent upon the delibera-
tions of the Council; and heard him speak with such
power and force of utterance that the whole audience was
moved. Probably something more than this, some per-
sonal contact, some kindly gleam from those resplendent
blue eyes that shone from underneath Fra Girolamo’s
cavernous brow, some touch of that urbanita, humile,
ornato e grazioso, upon which Burlamacchi insists, went
to the heart of the young Pico, himself a noble young
gentleman amid all his frippery of courtier and virtuoso.
He was so seized upon and captured by the personal attrac-
tions of Savonarola, that he gave Lorenzo no peace until he
had caused him to be authoritatively recalled from his
wanderings and brought back permanently to Florence.
Young Pico felt that he could not live without the teacher
whom he had thus suddenly discovered, and Lorenzo,
unwitting, at his friend’s request, ordered back into Flor-
ence the only man who dared stand face to face with him-
self, and tell him he had done wrong. Savonarola came
back perhaps not very willingly, and betook himself once
more to his novices and his philosophy. But he had by
this time learned to leaven his philosophy with lessons
more important, and to bring in the teachings of a greater
than Aristotle, taking the Bible which he loved, and
which, it is said, he had learned by heart, more and more
for his text-book ; and lancliing forth into a wider sea of
remark and discussion as day followed day, and his mind
expanded and his system grew.