46 BROWN : 



home during the summer months — June, July and August — 

 than out at the villa. The practice is to close the windows 

 tight, both sash and blinds, during the day, and set them 

 wide open at night. Thereupon consequent is the firm, 

 strong, permanent grating of all lower windows, the bars 

 being so arranged as not to interfere with the movement of 

 the shutters. The gratings, moreover, are so curved out- 

 wards at bottom as to allow of putting the head out of 

 window, and even of putting children in the receptacle so 

 formed, for their air and gentle play. These gratings, more- 

 over, often are in the palaces of wealthy nobles, specimens of 

 iron work which are real works of art. Those, for instance, 

 on the Strozzi Palace. 



Old Filippo Strozzi was a merchant — 7in ncgcziantc per 

 bene. His descendants are nobles. Another marked differ- 

 ence is that these are poor, while he was enormously rich. He 

 was so rich that, as is said, he lost by theft merely of one 

 kind and another, to the value of seven hundred and fifty 

 thousand pounds sterling, at a time when the pound sterling 

 would purchase vastly more than it does now. 



A story that is told of this old Strozzi gives a notion of 

 one at least of the means b}' which he became so wealth}'. 

 At the time spoken of he already owned a large, costly 

 palace, which is to be seen in a far corner of the Piazza de' 

 Strozzi. But his needs required a larger house, and he in 

 person was, early one morning, overseeing the workmen as 

 they placed the huge blocks for the lower story of the new 

 building. Along came a friend of his, a man only less rich 

 tban himself, with — as is said — his market basket on his 

 arm ; but this I do not believe, for it seems to me a sounder 

 economy for a wealthy man to send for what he wants than 

 to go himself, even though he be cheated a little. At all 

 events the friend, whom we may call what we please — say 

 Tornabuoni — passed the time of day, and taking a crazia, 

 the smallest coin of the Florentine issue, out of his pouch, 

 dropped it into the soft mortar, saying: "There, Kilippo, 



