less orderly and peaceful life. In spite of the violent contentions of
the great, in spite of frequent civic uproar, of war with neighbors, of
impassioned party disputes, in spite of incessant interruptions of their
tranquillity, many of the cities of Italy were advancing in prosperity
and wealth. No one of them made more rapid and steady progress than
Florence.

The history of Florence during the thirteenth century is a splendid tale
of civic energy and resolute self-confidence. The little city was full
of eager and vigorous life. Her story abounds in picturesque incident.
She had her experience of the turn of the wheel of Fortune, being now at
the summit of power in Tuscany, now in the depths of defeat and
humiliation.

The spiritual emotion, the improvement in the conditions of society, the
increase of wealth, the growth in power of the cities of Italy, were
naturally accompanied by a corresponding intellectual development, and
the thirteenth century became for Italy what the twelfth had been for
France, a period of splendid activity in the expression of her new life.
Every mode of expression in literature and in the arts was sought and
practiced, at first with feeble and ignorant hands, but with steady gain
of mastery. At the beginning of the century the language was a mere
spoken tongue, not yet shaped for literary use. But the example of
Provence was strongly felt at the court of the Emperor Frederick II. in
Sicily, and the first half of the century was not ended before many
poets were imitating in the Italian tongue the poems of the troubadours.
Form and substance were alike copied; there is scarcely a single
original note; but the practice was of service in giving suppleness to
the language, in forming it for nobler uses, and in opening the way for
poetry which should be Italian in sentiment as well as in words. At the
north of Italy the influence of the trouveres was felt in like manner.
Everywhere the desire for expression was manifest. The spring had come,
the young birds had begun to twitter, but no full song was yet heard.
Love was the main theme of the poets, but it had few accents of
sincerity; the common tone was artificial, was unreal.

In the second half of the century new voices are heard, with accents of
genuine and natural feeling; the poets begin to treat the old themes
with more freshness, and to deal with religion, politics, and morals, as
well as with love. The language still possesses, indee