Dear，hadtheworldinitscapriceDeignedtoproclaim”Iknowyouboth，Haverecognizedyourplightedtroth，Amsponsorforyou：liveinpeace！”——
HowmanypreciousmonthsandyearsOfyouthhadpassed，thatspeedsofast，Beforewefounditoutatlast，Theworld，andwhatitfears?
2。
HowmuchofpricelesslifewerespentWithmenthateveryvirtuedecks，Andwomenmodelsoftheirsex，Society’strueornament，——
Erewedaredwander，nightslikethis，Throughwindandrain，andwatchtheSeine，AndfeeltheBoulevartbreakagainTowarmthandlightandbliss?
3。
Iknow！theworldproscribesnotlove；
AllowsmyfingertocaressYourlips’contouranddowniness，Provideditsupplyaglove。
Theworld’sgoodword！——theInstitute！
GuizotreceivesMontalembert！
Eh?Downthecourtthreelampionsflare：
Putforwardyourbestfoot！——
St。3。Guizot：FrancoisPierreGuillaumeGuizot，Frenchstatesmanandhistorian，b。1787，d。1874。
Montalembert：CharlesForbesRene，ComtedeMontalembert，Frenchstatesman，orator，andpoliticalwriter，b。1810，d。1870。
GuizotreceivesMontalembert：i。e。，onpurelyconventionalgrounds。
HomeThoughts，fromAbroad。
1。
Oh，tobeinEnglandnowthatApril’sthere，AndwhoeverwakesinEnglandsees，somemorning，unaware，ThatthelowestboughsandthebrushwoodsheafRoundtheelm-treeboleareintinyleaf，WhilethechaffinchsingsontheorchardboughInEngland——now！
AndafterApril，whenMayfollowsAndthewhite-throatbuilds，andalltheswallows！
Hark，wheremyblossomedpear-treeinthehedgeLeanstothefieldandscattersontheclover[10]
Blossomsanddewdrops——atthebentspray’sedge——
That’sthewisethrush：hesingseachsongtwiceoverLestyoushouldthinkhenevercouldrecaptureThefirstfinecarelessrapture！
Andthoughthefieldslookroughwithhoarydew，AndwillbegaywhennoontidewakesanewThebuttercups，thelittlechildren’sdower——Farbrighterthanthisgaudymelon-flower！
{despitethisstanzabeingnumbered1，thereisapparentlyno2。}
HomeThoughts，fromtheSea。
Nobly，noblyCapeSaintVincenttothenorth-westdiedaway；
Sunsetran，onegloriousblood-red，reekingintoCadizBay；
Bluishmidtheburningwater，fullinfaceTrafalgarlay；
Inthedimmestnorth-eastdistance，dawnedGibraltargrandandgray；”HereandheredidEnglandhelpme，——howcanIhelpEngland?”——say，WhosoturnsasI，thisevening，turntoGodtopraiseandpray，WhileJove’splanetrisesyonder，silentoverAfrica。
OldPicturesinFlorence。
1。
ThemornwhenfirstitthundersinMarch，Theeelinthepondgivesaleap，theysay。
AsIleanedandlookedoverthealoedarchOfthevilla-gatethiswarmMarchday，Noflashsnapped，nodumbthunderrolledInthevalleybeneathwhere，whiteandwideAndwashedbythemorningwater-gold，Florencelayoutonthemountain-side——
St。1。washedbythemorningwater-gold：thewateroftheArno，gildedbythemorningsun；”Icanbutmuseinhope，uponthisshoreOfgoldenArno，asitshootsawayThroughFlorence’heartbeneathherbridgesfour。”——
CasaGuidiWindows。
2。
RiverandbridgeandstreetandsquareLaymine，asmuchatmybeckandcall，Throughthelivetranslucentbathofair，Asthesightsinamagiccrystal-ball。
AndofallIsawandofallIpraised，ThemosttopraiseandthebesttoseeWasthestartlingbell-towerGiottoraised：
Butwhydiditmorethanstartleme?——
St。2。thestartlingbell-towerGiottoraised：theCampanileoftheCathedral，orDuomo，ofFlorence(LaCattedralediS。MariadelFiore)，begunin1334。”ThecharacteristicsofPowerandBeautyoccurmoreoflessindifferentbuildings，someinoneandsomeinanother。
Butalltogether，andallintheirhighestpossiblerelativedegrees，theyexist，asfarasIknow，onlyinonebuildingoftheworld，theCampanileofGiotto。”——Ruskin。
Butwhydiditmorethanstartleme?：There’sarumor”thatacertainpreciouslittletabletwhichBuonarottieyedlikealover”hasbeendiscoveredbysomebody。Ifthisrumoristrue，thespeakerfeelsthatGiotto，whomhehassoloved，hasplayedhimfalse，innotfavoringhimwiththepreciousfind。SeeSt。30。”TheopinionwhichhiscontemporariesentertainedofGiotto，asthegreatestgeniusintheartswhichItalyinthatagepossessed，hasbeenperpetuatedbyDanteinthelinesinwhichtheilluminator，Oderigi，says：——”`InpaintingCimabuefainhadthoughtTolordthefield；nowGiottohasthecry，Sothattheother’sfameinshadeisbrought’
(Dante，`Purg。’xi。93)。”GiottodiBondonewasbornatDelColle，avillageinthecommuneofVespignanonearFlorence，accordingtoVasari，A。D。1276，butmoreprobablyA。D。1266。HewentthroughhisapprenticeshipunderCimabue，andpractisedasapainterandarchitectnotonlyinFlorence，butinvariouspartsofItaly，infreecitiesaswellasinthecourtsofprinces……OnApril12，1334，GiottowasappointedbythecivicauthoritiesofFlorence，chiefmasteroftheCathedralworks，thecityfortifications，andallpublicarchitecturalundertakings，inaninstrumentofwhichthewordingconstitutesthemostaffectionatehomagetothe`greatanddearmaster’。GiottodiedJanuary8，1337。”——
WoltmannandWoermann’sHistoryofPainting。
ForagoodaccountoftheCampanile，seeSusanandJoannaHorner’s`WalksinFlorence’，v。I，pp。62-66；Art。in`Macmillan’sMag。’，April，1877，bySidneyColvin，——`Giotto’sGospelofLabor’。
3。
Giotto，how，withthatsoulofyours，Couldyouplaymefalsewholovedyouso?
SomeslightsifacertainheartenduresYetitfeels，Iwouldhaveyourfellowsknow！
I’faith，IperceivenotwhyIshouldcareTobreakasilencethatsuitsthembest，ButthethinggrowssomewhathardtobearWhenIfindaGiottojointherest。
4。
OnthearchwhereolivesoverheadPrinttheblueskywithtwigandleaf(Thatsharp-curledleafwhichtheynevershed)，’Twixtthealoes，Iusedtolearninchief，Andmarkthroughthewinterafternoons，ByagiftGodgrantsmenowandthen，Inthemilddeclineofthosesunslikemoons，WhowalkedinFlorence，besideshermen——
St。4。ByagiftGodgrantsmenowandthen：thegiftofspiritualvision。
5。
Theymightchirpandchaffer，comeandgoForpleasureorprofit，hermenalive——
Mybusinesswashardlywiththem，Itrow，Butwithemptycellsofthehumanhive；——
Withthechapter-room，thecloister-porch，Thechurch’sapsis，aisleornave，Itscrypt，onefingersalongwithatorch，Itsfacesetfullforthesuntoshave。
6。
Whereverafrescopeelsanddrops，WhereveranoutlineweakensandwanesTillthelatestlifeinthepaintingstops，StandsOnewhomeachfainterpulse-tickpains：
One，wishfuleachscrapshouldclutchthebrick，Eachtingenotwhollyescapetheplaster，——Alionwhodiesofanass’skick，ThewrongedgreatsoulofanancientMaster——
St。6。”HeseestheghostsoftheearlyChristianmasters，whoseworkhasneverbeendulyappreciated，standingsadlybyeachmoulderingItalianFresco。”——Dowden。
7。
Foroh，thisworldandthewrongitdoes！
Theyaresafeinheavenwiththeirbackstoit，TheMichaelsandRafaels，youhumandbuzzRoundtheworksof，youofthelittlewit！
Dotheireyescontracttotheearth’soldscope，NowthattheyseeGodfacetoface，Andhaveallattainedtobepoets，Ihope?
’Tistheirholidaynow，inanycase。
8。
Muchtheyreckofyourpraiseandyou！
Butthewrongedgreatsouls——cantheybequitOfaworldwheretheirworkisalltodo，Whereyoustylethem，youofthelittlewit，OldMasterThisandEarlytheOther，NotdreamingthatOldandNewarefellows：
Ayoungersucceedstoanelderbrother，DaVincisderiveingoodtimefromDellos——
St。8。Muchtheyreckofyourpraiseandyou！：theMichaelsandRafaels。LeonardodaVinci(b。atVinci，intheVald’Arno，belowFlorence，1452)；”inhimthetwolinesofartisticdescent，tracingfromclassicRomeandChristianByzantium，meet。”——Heaton’s`HistoryofPainting’。DellodiNiccoloDelli，painterandsculptor，fl。firsthalf15thcent。
9。
Andherewhereyourpraisemightyieldreturns，Andahandsomewordortwogivehelp，Here，afteryourkind，themastiffgirns，Andthepuppypackofpoodlesyelp。
What，notawordforStefanothere，Ofbrowonceprominentandstarry，CalledNature’sApeandtheworld’sdespairForhispeerlesspainting?(seeVasari。)——
St。9。”StefanoisextolledbyVasariashavingleftGiottohimselffarbehind，butitisverydifficulttoascertainwhatwerereallyhisworks。”——Heaton。”StefanoappearsfromLandinio’sCommentaryonDantetohavebeencalled`scimiadellanatura’，theapeofnature，whichseemstorefertothestrongrealistictendenciescommontotheschool。”——WoltmannandWoermann’sHistoryofPainting。
GiorgioVasari，anItalianpainterofArezzo，b。1512，d。1574；
authorof`Vitede’piuexcellentipittoriscultoriedarchitettori’。
Florence，1550。
10。
TherestandstheMaster。Study，myfriends，Whataman’sworkcomesto！Soheplansit，Performsit，perfectsit，makesamendsForthetoilingandmoiling，andthen，`sictransit’！
Happierthethriftyblind-folklabor，Withupturnedeyewhilethehandisbusy，Notsidlingaglanceatthecoinoftheirneighbor！
’Tislookingdownwardmakesonedizzy。
11。”Ifyouknewtheirworkyouwoulddealyourdole。”
MayItakeuponmetoinstructyou?
WhenGreekArtranandreachedthegoal，Thusmuchhadtheworldtoboast`infructu’——
TheTruthofMan，asbyGodfirstspoken，Whichtheactualgenerationsgarble，Wasre-uttered，andSoul(whichLimbsbetoken)
AndLimbs(Soulinforms)madenewinmarble——
St。11。”Ifyouknewtheirwork”，etc。：Thespeakerimputesthisremarktosomeone；themeaningis，ifyoureallyknewtheseoldChristianpainters，youwoulddealthemyourmiteofpraise，damnthem，perhaps，withfaintpraise，andnomore。Thepoetthenproceedstoinstructthisperson。
12。
So，yousawyourselfasyouwishedyouwere，Asyoumighthavebeen，asyoucannotbe；
Earthhere，rebukedbyOlympusthere：
AndgrewcontentinyourpoordegreeWithyourlittlepower，bythosestatues’godhead，Andyourlittlescope，bytheireyes’fullsway，Andyourlittlegrace，bytheirgraceembodied，Andyourlittledate，bytheirformsthatstay。
13。
Youwouldfainbekinglier，say，thanIam?
Evenso，youwillnotsitlikeTheseus。
Youwouldproveamodel?TheSonofPriamHasyettheadvantageinarms’andknees’use。
You’rewroth——canyouslayyoursnakelikeApollo?
You’regrieved——stillNiobe’sthegrander！
Youlive——there’stheRacers’friezetofollow：
Youdie——there’sthedyingAlexander。
