274 A PJ&RSISTSNT NATIONALITY. 



Florence almost took the place of Eome. Nay, it is 

 known as a fact that under Otto the Great a large 

 Teutonic colony settled in Florence, thus adding to the 

 native Etrurian race (especially to the nobility) that 

 other element which the Tuscan seems to need in order 

 that he may be spurred to the realisation of his best 

 characteristics. But allow as we may for foreign admix- 

 ture, two points are abundantly clear to the impartial 

 observer of Tuscan history : one, that this non-Aryan 

 race has always been one of the finest and strongest in 

 Italy ; and the other, that from the very dawn of history 

 its main characteristics, for good or for evil, have 

 persisted most uninterruptedly till the present day. 



