" (19)
The first great men of letters in Italy were not mere men of
letters; they were men of business--merchants, statesmen,
diplomatists, judges, and soldiers. Villani, the author of the
best History of Florence, was a merchant; Dante, Petrarch, and
Boccacio, were all engaged in more or less important embassies;
and Dante, before becoming a diplomatist, was for some time
occupied as a chemist and druggist. Galileo, Galvani, and Farini
were physicians, and Goldoni a lawyer. Ariosto's talent for
affairs was as great as his genius for poetry. At the death of
his father, he was called upon to manage the family estate for the
benefit of his younger brothers and sisters, which he did with
ability and integrity. His genius for business having been
recognised, he was employed by the Duke of Ferrara on important
missions to Rome and elsewhere. Having afterwards been appointed
governor of a turbulent mountain district, he succeeded, by firm
and just governments in reducing it to a condition of comparative
good order and security. Even the bandits of the country
respected him. Being arrested one day in the mountains by a body
of outlaws, he mentioned his name, when they at once offered to
escort him in safety wherever he chose.
It has been the same in other countries. Vattel, the author of
the 'Rights of Nations,' was a practical diplomatist, and a first-
rate man of business.
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