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cluding representation appeared in the king. Of course, those who possessed power often acted violently, turning the system in actual operation against its own meaning. But he reads history to little purpose who cannot find its idea beneath the perturbations caused by the passion and partiality of agents.

Now, at a later period, in Europe, as landed estate became private property,—a change rendered inevitable, perhaps, by our more complex civilization, so the sovereignty was appropriated by its representatives. Losing the mediate character, it came to be held by pure proprietary title. The chain of mutual, comprehending obligation was broken, and egoism enthroned; for a flowing and circling fidelity, upon which, by the proxy of a monarch, the crown was placed, was substituted a bald individual domination; and the doctrine of the "divine right of kings" was devised to dignify with the colors, and protect with the force, of religion, this infidelity of power.

From this degraded royalty there were two possible modes of departure. Those who should adopt the one, would begin with a common renunciation of property in sovereign power. This pretension, take what shape it might, would receive peremptory dismissal, and once for all. This act at the outset, and as preliminary to any reconstruction.

We could hardly expect, however, that the regal institution would be restored. No longer bound by the primitive laws of thought,- which permit a principle to be recognized only in some express image, that is, to appear only by a definite individual proxy,- these renovators would not find it necessary to locate the sovereignty in a particular man, but would institute a free representation, open to all, and the duty of all, in whom the civil spirit should be clearly reflected. This would lead to a pure republicanism; and could this have been done promptly at that time when first a great political renovation was felt as required, there had been such untying of a knot as in our heady and passionate world is seldom accomplished.

Those who should depart in the opposite direction would

merely take up that spurious royalty upon which I have remarked, and transfer it to the individual in general. Property in political power they would not only recognize, but assert with zeal and dogmatic heat, red in the face; supposing a great thing done, and conceiving themselves the most "liberal" of mortals, when they had extended indiscriminately this crass political egotism.

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The Puritans of New England, as I may attempt to show at another time, chose the former mode of departure, but not wisely enough. They sought to do what at length — though, it would seem, through much struggle and dim groping in the dark, much retracing of steps confidently taken, and not a little recalling of theories complacently put forth — will have to be done. They could not prevail. They were partial, narrow, and afflicted with religious cramp, while the tide of the time ran hard against them. The modern world was fated to elect, not republicanism, but democracy. Political egoism forsook the thrones, where it was in peril, to find securer shelter among populaces; and the fungus, that grew out of decaying kingship, became in the eyes, of most a celestial plant, when its spores were sown broadcast, and sprang up as a proprietary sovereignty without condition or discrimination.

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Of the brilliant epochs which arrest the attention in glancing over the history of modern Italy, none combined more of grace and elegance than the Court of Ferrara at the period when Duke Hercules held the reins of government. His coronet was shared by the witty, graceful Renée, daughter of Louis XII. of France, who possessed all the vivacity of the French woman, united to a high tone of moral character, and a noble, generous nature which rendered her the charm of the court, and drew around her a circle of the choicest spirits of the age. Among these were many ladies possessing the highest culture, rivalling even Renée and her daughter, in the graces and

accomplishments to which the women of that period aspired. One of the most celebrated, for loveliness of character, beauty of person, distinguished literary genius, was Olympia Morata. Ferrara at this period was not only a most brilliant city, gay and intellectual, but was an asylum of free thought, where, under the protecting influence of Renée, such men as Calvin and Clement Marot found not only a refuge, but a welcome.

Among the most distinguished men at the ducal court was Fulvio Peregrino Morato, who had been invited there to become the preceptor of the young brothers of Hercules, Hippolito and Alphonso D'Este. After a time, his brilliant wit excited. the envy and dislike of some of the courtiers, and he was banished for several years. After his return, he did not appear much at court, but devoted his leisure to studies at home, and the instruction of his young daughter, whose education and development became to him the greatest solace and highest pleasure. Olympia was born in Ferrara in 1526. Endowed with gifts which excited the admiration of men, she had a peculiar grace and charm of manner, which fascinated her own sex. From her earliest youth, she heard of Plato and Aristotle, Virgil and Cicero, whose genius, for a long time veiled, presided now over the literary resurrection of Italy as household words; she lisped their language; she was nourished by their thoughts, and inspired by their sentiments and imagination. She had hardly reached her twelfth year, when her knowledge, the vivacity of her mind, the grace and brilliancy of her conversation, over which still rested the veil of childlike simplicity and modesty, drew around her a circle of charmed friends; not only the young, fascinated by the novelty of the thing, but wise doctors of philosophy, venerable professors of Greek and Latin. She talked freely with all, answered all their questions with prompt and ingenious repartee. Among those the most impressed by this youthful genius was Celio Calcagnini, a mathematician, archæologist, and poet, bound by ties of most intimate friendship to Peregrino Morato. He followed with loving eyes the progress of the youthful Olympia. He wrote of her, "She is a new Aspasia, purer than the one the Athenian first worshipped and then despised. The favor of the

Muses was a domestic inheritance: she drank in the love of poetry with the milk that nourished her; and, by a divine mystery, it became the source of life to both her mind and body."

The Duchess of Ferrara felt the deepest solicitude regarding the education of her eldest daughter, Anna. Gifted with rare intelligence, she had been taught Greek and Latin, and the delicate idioms of the Italian tongue. When a mere child, she recited the choicest fragments of Demosthenes and Cicero, translated the fables of Æsop, and wrote brilliant compositions; but her studies were solitary, and the duchess was anxious to find a companion for her, who should stimulate her progress by a friendly emulation. Sending for the daughter of Morato, she was charmed with the grace of her manner and the maturity of her mind; and she immediately invited her to come to the palace to share with her daughter every advantage, to be her friend, her sister. The friendship which grew up between these two young souls was deep and fervent, and was never broken by time or adverse fortune. From the time of her entering the palace, a brilliant career opened before the young Olympia. The amusements of the court were arts and letters. The splendid entertainments which Renée delighted to give presented always some new feature, some classic grace, some poetic study, which improved the taste while gratifying the eye and ear. Olympia's ready pen, and versatility in composition, offered a new source of pleasure. She wrote dialogues, which were spoken by the Princess Anna and herself; she instituted a series of oratorical tournaments, which called to witness them the most learned men throughout the country. Celio Curione, the learned reformer, having been present at one of these literary exercises, where Olympia had held the court enthralled by her grace and eloquence, wrote of her, "Young girls of her age are usually satisfied to gather a spring flower here and there; but she, disdaining these blossoms of a day, culls only from the garden of the Muses immortal garlands, which never fade, but by a divine privilege grow greener with the years."

The Court of Ferrara had been the refuge of all who were persecuted for freedom of opinion, religious or political. It

was well known that the Duchess Renée sympathized with the new doctrines, but that Duke Hercules barely tolerated them. The visit of Pope Paul III. riveted the papal chain upon the duke. The pontiff entered Ferrara with extraordinary pomp, in order to do honor to his princely host; who in his turn, anxious to propitiate him and win from him a confirmation of the investiture of his duchy, gave him a magnificent reception, and during his visit of several days lavished upon him every thing art and taste could devise. The royal children with Olympia acted plays; recited dialogues in Latin, Greek, and Italian; revived the classic drama; and filled every hour of his visit with some new, choice pleasure. The pope improved his time in making the duke realize that he must no longer permit the progress of freedom in his duchy; and from this period the harmony which had so eminently marked this court began to disappear: the seeds of dissension were sown, calumny was rife, friend was alienated from friend. There were many who had been for a long time jealous of Olympia Morata. Her keenest-eyed rival could not detect a flaw in her lovely moral character; but there were subtle whisperers to breathe into the ear of the duke, that her influence over the duchess was great, and that it was on the side of the Reformation. Others insinuated to the good Renée, that Olympia cared only for herself and her own renown, that she eclipsed the princesses, and won from them the admiration which was their right. Her devoted friend, her more than sister, Anna D'Este, had been married; so there was no one to note the first springing-up of distrust, no one to put down the traitorous aspersion. Day by day the noble girl saw the cloud coming, she felt the almost impalpable mist which heralded the storm; and hour by hour her agonized heart throbbed with anguish as she noted the averted eye of the beloved duchess, and felt the chilling coldness of her manner, in such bitter contrast to the love which had been so freely lavished upon her. The enthusiasm for antiquity, which had been for her an idolatry, no longer satisfied her. In her years of triumph and joy, the sages of antiquity had given her sufficient occupation and solace; but now that fountain was dry: she had exhausted all its living

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