THE RENAISSANCE 105 



surpassed in number almost immeasurably the philo- 

 sophers of Greece. It is perhaps well to bear in mind 

 this last fact when exalting modern achievements in 

 the realms of science. 



But, when we have traced what we know of the 

 different tendencies which combined make up the Re- 

 Leonardo naissance, and given due weight to them 

 da Vinci. ^ we cannot but feel that the attempt to 

 explain by obvious causes the amazing change of 

 mental attitude produced in so short a time is not 

 wholly successful. As Bishop Creighton said, " After 

 marshalling all the forces and ideas which were at work 

 to produce " this change, the observer " still feels that 

 there was behind all these an animating spirit which 

 he can but most imperfectly catch, whose power 

 blended all else together and gave a sudden cohesion 

 to the whole. This modern spirit formed itself with 

 surprising rapidity, and we cannot fully explain the 

 process." 



We must, however, remember that we possess 

 records of but a tithe of the intellectual efforts of the 

 time. Few men then put their thoughts on paper, 

 and of the writings of those few not all have reached 

 us. In Italian city life, knowledge, and the change of 

 outlook which knowledge brings, must have passed 

 from man to man more by word of mouth than by 

 writings. Even in our days, the influence of a great 

 personality by direct action on others is not small, 

 and in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries it must 

 have been greater in proportion. 



The full greatness of one such personality is only 

 now coming to light as the inchoate manuscript note- 



