ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE 



At the same time he knew how to forgive, and when 

 wounded by a Neapolitan, who resented an act of 

 justice on his part, himself obtained the man's pardon 

 from the king. Unfortunately, with all these fine 

 qualities there was a haughtiness about him, an utter 

 carelessness of the opinion of men, which occasion- 

 ally became irritating to those around him, and \v.is 

 the cause of quarrels with his best friends. This it 

 was, probably, which wounded Boccaccio, and finally 

 estranged even Petrarch. In the same way, his love 

 of splendour gave great offence on one occasion to 

 the Florentines, who regarded the banquets and en- 

 tertainments which he gave in their city as ill be- 

 coming the severity of republican simplicity. And 

 yet this same man, who delighted in stately pageants 

 and splendid festivities, and appeared in public 

 in a silken tunic worked with feathers and gold, was 

 remarkable in private life for the simplicity of his 

 attire and the frugality of his repasts, being often 

 heard to say that state was to be used not for the 

 honour of the individual, but for the dignity of the 

 office and majesty of the crown. 



But there was in reality a natural magnificence 

 about the man which appears in all his actions. It 

 was not only that he took pleasure in pomp and de- 

 lighted to accumulate lands and titles, but everything 

 he did was marked by the same love of splendour and 

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