254 A HILL-TOP STRONGHOLD. 



the Tamar, is even a finer example. This relatively 

 early disappearance of the hill-top fortress from our own 

 midst is in part due, no doubt, to the early growth of the 

 industrial spirit in England, and our long-continued 

 freedom from domestic warfare. But all over Southern 

 Europe, as everybody must have noticed, the hill-top 

 town, perched, like Eza, on the very summit of a pointed 

 pinnacle, still remains everywhere in evidence as a 

 common object of the country in our own day. 



I said above that Fiesole was the mother of Florence, 

 and, in spite of formal objections to the contrary, I ven- 

 ture to defend that now somewhat obsolete and heretical 

 opinion. For why does Fiesole stand just where it does ? 

 What made them build a city up there, anyway ? Well, 

 a town always exists just where it does exist for some 

 good and amply sufficient reason. Even if, like Fiesole, 

 it is mainly a survival (though at Fiesole there are, indeed, 

 olives in plenty and other live trades to keep a town 

 going), it yet exists there in virtue of facts which once 

 upon a time were quite sufficient to bring the world to 

 the spot, and it goes on existing, partly by mere conserva- 

 tive use and wont, no doubt, but partly also because 

 there are houses, churches, mills, and roads all ready 

 built there. Now, a town must always, from a very 

 early period, have existed upon the exact site of Fiesole. 

 And why ? To answer that question you have only to 

 look at the view from the platform. I do not mean to 

 suggest that the ancient Etruscans came there to enjoy 

 the prospect as we go nowadays to the hotels on the lligi 

 or to the summit of Mount Washington. The ancient 

 Etruscan was a practical man, and his views about 





