Vittorino Da Feltre, Prince of Teachers

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Zbe St. IRicbolas SerieaEdited by the Rev. Dom Bede Camm, O.S.B.

A PRINCE OF TEACHERS


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Wtbil betat.D. Beda Camm

Censor Deputatus

3mprfmatnr< GULIELMUS Episcopus Arindehnsh

Vicarius Geficralis

Westmonasterii,die 14 Januarii, 190&


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Vittonno in sight of the ancient city of Padua. [p. 29


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VITTORINO DAFELTRE

A PRINCE OF TEACHERSBY

A SISTER OF NOTRE DAMEr

SECOND EDITION

BURNS OATES & WASHBOURNE LTD.LONDON28, ORCHARD STREET, S-10, PATERNOSTER ROW,W. 1 E.C. 4

AND AT MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM, AND GLASGOWIO20 All rights reserved.


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONSVittorino in Sight of theAncient City of Padua . Frontispiece

Young Vittorino at the PortaImperiale to face p. 16

Vittorino with his Pupils onthe Way to Venice ... 64

Vittorino's First Meetingwiththe Heir of the Gonzagas . ,, 80

Cecilia's Interview with herFather 128

Death of Vittorino .... 160

M112307


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSCHAPTER I

EARLY YEARS AT FELTRE

IT was the year of our Lord 1378, andthe land was lovely Italy. The snow-crowned summits of the Venetian Alpslooked down upon the little white city ofFeltre, nestling in the security of its forti-fications on a green hillside of one of theirlower slopes. The battlemented turrets stoodboldly out against the clear blue sky, andthe lordly castle, flanked by a massivesquare keep, seemed to bid defiance to anyrash foe who should dare to ascend the hillin hostile array.The warm Italian sun shone brightly

upon the picturesque old city, just as it hadshone in bygone centuries while Romanlegions and barbarian invaders in flashingarmour, had passed to their wars along

B


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSthe. ancient road below. At present, how-ever, all was in peace, as if to do honourto a litt:e guesi who had just entered aworld which he was to adorn by becom-ing one of the most saintly and distin-guished men of his time.Bruto de' Rambaldoni, of whose son Vit-torino we are about to tell the story, was anotary in his native city. Though of nobleItalian stock, the family had fallen intopoverty, and it was with no small difficultythat ends could be made to meet when workwas slack and the notary's pen was at astandstill. At such times clouds wouldgather, only to be dispelled by the strongfaith and deep religious feeling whichanimated the lives of Bruto and his piouswife, Monda.On the present occasion, however,

troubles were forgotten, and all was joy inthe household, for the darling " bambino "had just been brought back from thebaptistery, where a name of hopeful auguryhad been given to him.Whether his victories were to be those of

war, or the nobler ones of peace, was yet2


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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREunknown ; but the verdict left to posterityhas now been decided in favour of thelatter. The little Rambaldoni was to growup an honour alike to his family and hisbirthplace, and to mankind in general, andwas to be known to future generations asthe great scholar, the prince of teachers,Vittorino da Feltre.

In the sunshine of his mother's smilesthe bambino grew apace. The first wordshe learnt to pronounce were the holy namesof Jesus and Mary, and early lessons ofpiety and virtue were instilled into his soul,where, like tender plants, they werecherished and encouraged to expand in thepure and strong atmosphere of a typicalCatholic home.One of the first fruits of Monda's pre-

cepts and example was the impressionmade upon the child by the sight of humansuffering. A delicate compassion and pityfor the poor and weak was an heirloom ofmore value to Vittorino than treasures ofgold, and silver, and precious stones.Never throughout his life did he fail topractise that Christian charity towards the

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSunfortunate which he had seen carried to aheroic degree in his parents' house at Feltre.It is true that there was little to give, butto that little the poor were always welcome,and ready sympathy and a helping handoften made up for the cold alms of lesscharitable donors.The notary saw with pleasure that his

little son gave promise of uncommon talent.In his leisure hours he would devote him-self to teaching the boy his letters, and toguiding his tiny hand in forming the writtencharacters. It was soon time to place himat the Cathedral school, and once there, Vit-torino made rapid progress. The spirit ofemulation was strong within him, so thathe was never behindhand in his work, andwas always first in his class.He mastered the elements of Latin gram-

mar in an incredibly short time, and soonread and spoke the language with extra-ordinary correctness and fluency. Latinwas, of course, the staple of education inthose days, no other tongue being allowedwithin the walls of the school-room.There were in reality only two M Rs " for

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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREthe boys of the Cathedral schoolreadingand writingarithmetic being a rare accom-plishment, a fact which is not surprising,since up to the thirteenth century calcula-tions had to be made in Roman numerals.Even in the fourteenth century the Arabicfigures had not been adopted in the remoterparts of Italy, and teachers were few in con-sequence of the ill reputation of Arabianlearning. The old-fashioned school-masterof Feltre would have considered a lesson inthe Arabic notation as an initiation into theBlack Art. Music and singing gave a cer-tain variety to the study of Latin, and werewarmly taken up by Vittorino, though hedid not permit them to interfere with hispassionate devotion to his books.Those books, however, were few, for

printing was not yet invented, and manu-scripts were scarce and expensive. This,indeed, was an advantage to the scholar,because, instead of dividing his attentionamong many books, he was obliged to con-centrate it upon one, and thus becamemaster of that one before proceeding toothers. At home, too, Vittorino had the

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSadvantage of cultivated surroundings, andit is probable that he derived from hisfather's lessons the beautiful handwritingfor which he was remarkable in after years.The notary would not have neglected in hisson an accomplishment which was of somuch importance to himself in his pro-fession.The good priest of the parish took ex-

treme interest in the lively and somewhatpetulant child. Vittorino was not alwayseasy to manage, for he had a most formid-able will of his own, and was capable oftremendous outbursts of temper. Mean orunjust actions on the part of his school-fellows always met with prompt vengeance,and, when a boy was bold enough toretaliate, a pitched battle was the result.Then came punishment, tears and repent-ance, and, when Vittorino had made his firstconfession, the grace of the sacramentenabled him to be a better boy and not touse his fists so freely in future.By degrees the good confessor taught his

little penitent the value of self-control. Thechild proved an apt pupil, so that he ob-

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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREtained complete mastery over what wouldotherwise have been an ungovernabletemper, and a great drawback to his benefi-cent influence over others.

The practice of weekly confession,adopted in his childhood with a view to thecorrection of his faults, was continuedthroughout life, and was always recom-mended by Vittorino to his pupils as anadmirable means of rooting out defects ofcharacter and acquiring good habits. Hepossessed in a large measure the spiritualityinherent in the Italian nature, and thetruths of Faith had a strong hold upon him.Those were the days when Italy had been

stirred by the sanctity of St. Catherine ofSiena, and when friars went from place toplace exhorting men to the love and fear ofGod. Vittorino learnt to love our BlessedLord and His Holy Mother, and to honourhis Angel Guardian and Patron Saint. Hewas deeply touched by the thought ofheaven, and dreaded above all things thatterrible hell which Dante had recently de-picted in such awful colours. Many a poorscholar who obtained a night's shelter from

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSBruto de' Rambaldoni paid for the hos-pitality so charitably granted by recitingnever-to-be-forgotten passages from theDivine Comedy.However pious he might be at his

prayers, in serving Mass, or singing in theCathedral choir, Vittorino was, neverthe-less, a real everyday boy, full of fun andfrolic, eager to win at games, and ready tojoin in shout or race with his companions.Even at this early age he showed a markedtalent for leadership. He would divide theother boys into battalions and engage insham fights, taking by storm towns andcastles built of the loose stones lying aboutin the fields.A favourite game was a crusade againstthe Turks, in which he fancied himself avaliant Knight of St. John, and foughtfuriously against the infidels. He wasalways first to suggest the plan of cam-paign, and exercised great ingenuity incarrying it out. There was a small churchon a height overlooking the city, built byCrusaders in Byzantine style, and thitherVittorino loved to go with the boys whom8


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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREhe called his companions-in-arms. Forthem the little sanctuary was invested witha peculiar power of inspiration. The spiritsof the noble builders, whose effigies laycross-legged upon their tombs, seemed tohaunt the place and beckon the youth ofFeltre onward to glorious deeds in defenceof the Christian name. They had no greaterpleasure than to mount the hill and seekout an old man who had many a tale to tellof the holy wars in far-off Palestine. Thenthey would descend once more to theirfavourite place for play, and fight thosebattles over again, with Vittorino alwaysas the captain of the Christian host. Inthis none could or would gainsay him, forhe not only clung tenaciously to the honour,but he proved himself to be best fitted forthe post. His influence was predominant,whether as their leader in war, or theirjudge in cases of dispute.Thus the years passed until it was timefor Vittorino to make his first communion.This was naturally a great event, not onlyfor the boy himself, but also for the entirefamily. It was celebrated with fitting re-

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSjoicings, and, in conjunction with his con-firmation, formed a new starting-point inhis life. Our Divine Lord showered uponhim His choicest gifts, and the Holy Ghostgave to him an abundance of the spirit ofwisdom and of understanding, of know-ledge and of counsel, which grew with hisgrowth and strengthened with his years.Like the Child Jesus at Nazareth, he " ad-vanced in wisdom and age and grace withGod and man." His piety and his ardourfor study were only equalled by his untiringenergy and activity in everything else thathe undertook.

If Vittorino had any marked attraction atthis early stage, it was, perhaps, for asoldier's life, with its adventures and hair-breadth escapes. There was plenty offighting in Italy in the fourteenth century.The Crusades were over, and thus one fieldfor the exercise of the martial aspirations ofknight, and squire, and peasant wasclosed. All the warlike spirit that was in therace was pent up at home, and found itschief outlet in the quarrels of rival citiesand principalities. Roving bands of con-

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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREdottieri, or mercenary troops, rilled the land,ready to serve any master who would paywell, and just as ready to desert to thatmaster's greatest enemy, if the latter wouldpay better.Many a time did little Rambaldoni stand

with open mouth and dilated eyes at thecity gatethe old Porta Imperialelisten-ing to the tales of terror brought in fromthe country by some wayfarer who hadseen strange sights on his road. No villagewas secure; no farmhouses dotted the plain,for the only places of safety were the walledcities or rock-built fortresses. Those whocultivated the land worked in fear andtrembling within reach of the walls, andevery cloud of dust suggested to them somefierce band of horsemen from whom the onlyrefuge was in prompt flight.Not every fortress, indeed, was secure.

Sieges were frequent, and in the event ofthe capture of a city a heavy ransom wasexacted, while the most terrible tortureswere inflicted on the wretched citizens tocompel them to pay. Ruthless massacrestook place when the disappointed enemy

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSfound that there was nothing to be obtainedfrom the inhabitants. On one of theseoccasions a flourishing town was levelled tothe ground, and only five persons escapedto tell the tale of the assault. One city wassacked and robbed of every article of valuethe houses were then burnt, and, as if inirony, the bare and dismantled fortifica-tions were sold to the former inhabitants,who had to buy thus dearly the right toreturn to their own ground.

In spite, however, of the horrors of warand of the atrocious deeds of some of thoseengaged in it, there were heroes among thecondottieri who were dear to the Italianheart. One of these, strange to say, wasan Englishman. Often did Vittorino hearthe name of AgutoGiovanni Augud, ashe was called in the dialect which thus dis-guised the English pronunciation of JohnHawkwood's surname.

Sir John was growing old now, andthough he had not lost the vigour of hisyouth, he was inclined to sell his services ata higher price, and was wavering betweenthe great citiesFlorence, Genoa and12


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSing at home to unite in turning their armsagainst the enemy of Christendom. TheTurks made further encroachments as timewent on, until Constantinople fell into theirhands in the year 1453.The lords of neighbouring cities were

often in evil repute at Feltre. There wasthe House of Malatesta at Rimini, equallyrenowned for its wickedness and for itsextraordinary talents. The Visconti ofMilan vied in warlike deeds with the Car-raras of Padua, upon whom Feltre de-pended, and the smaller House of theGonzagas of Mantua did not think it un-worthy to take service with the wealthycommercial state of Venetia. So great, infact, was the power of Venice at this timethat she not only ruled the Mediterranean,but encroached upon the territories lying tothe north and west of her borders.

In the year 1388, when Vittorino wasten years old, Feltre came into the pos-session of Venetia, partly by barter andpartly by treachery. Such topics would bespoken of in the city, sometimes in loud,angry tones, sometimes in low, excited


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSaspirations, and how much more admirableand heroic was a life devoted to the peacefulservice of his fellow-men in the paths oflearning and virtue.During times like these, while Italy was

torn by the fury of contending factions,poverty pressed hard upon the Rambal-doni family. It was no wonder that whenno man was sure of his own property thereshould be but little need and less remunera-tion for the work of a notary.Amid the privations consequent uponsuch circumstances, Vittorino grew up asmall-sized and delicate lad, with little ex-perience of worldly comfort and pleasures.But there was in him something of thepoetic temperament which raised him abovethe sordid things of earth, though it neverled him into idle dreaming. He loved soli-tude, and would willingly have entered themonastic state had God so ordained, thoughthe life of a Knight of St. John would,perhaps, have attracted him more than thatof a contemplative. Yet here again hislove of books came in and drew him to-wards a scholastic career.

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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREAs he grew older, his studious inclina-

tions were fostered and strengthened bylonely visits to his favourite spots. Aboutthree miles from Feltre, at the foot of thehills, the river Piave flows through abeautiful valley. Here Vittorino loved tospend a holiday, with a fishing-rod, a Latinmanuscript, and a crust of bread in caseof need. The winding river, with its poolsand shallows, was an excellent place foran expert angler, such as he soon became;and he used to return triumphantly inthe evening, bearing to his mother a well-filled basket of various kinds of fish,very welcome to the poverty-stricken house-hold.The Piave is here not many miles from

its source, and has not yet grown into thebroad stream which flows into the Adriaticabove Venice. But it was for this reasonall the more beautiful and solitary. Havingchosen a suitable position, Vittorino woulddivide his attention between his author,generally Virgil, and his rod; though hecould not refrain from enjoying at the sametime the beauty of the panorama spread17 c


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSbefore him. He contemplated with delightthe soft air glorious with sunshine, thedeep blue of the sky, the clear and ripplingwater of the river, the mossy verdure ofthe rocks, and the distant hills rising tierupon tier into the snowy summits of theAlps. All these things were in absoluteharmony with his nature, and when he con-sidered the origin of that harmony he feltthat he must refer it all to God. Thus hismind was raised from earthly up toheavenly things, and with this elevationcame the conviction that he was made forGod's service, and must be true to hisdivine vocation.But what work wTas he called to do?

God would surely point it out to him inHis own good time, but for the presenthe must wait and trust. Meanwhile, heresolved to make a good use of his time,and endeavour to become fit for whatevertask lay before him. Gradually theglamour of the battle-field faded from hissight; he no longer dreamt of Hawkwoodand deeds of arms, but gave himself up tohard study. Soon he had made himself18


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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREmaster of all the books that Feltre con-tained, and he felt that he must go abroadand follow the bent of his intellect towardsthe acquisition of all possible learning inthe arts and sciences.A wave of enthusiasm for the ancientclassics of Greece and Rome was passingover the land. Even in remote and quietFeltre rumours had penetrated of what wasdoing in the larger cities. Dante hadgiven the first impulse to the new learning,but he had chiefly succeeded in excitinga patriotic interest in the Italian tongue.Petrarch, his great successor as a poet,was a more eminently literary man, devot-ing himself to the study and imitation ofthe ancient Latin writers and to the Greeklanguage, while at the same time he com-posed his own verses in his gentle mother-tongue. His fame had spread from Padua,where he spent many years of his later life,to all the northern portion of Italy. Theimpetus given by him and by his friendand disciple, Boccaccio, to the study of theclassical authors has caused them to beregarded as the first promoters of the great

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSliterary movement, known as the Renas-cence. Wandering scholars scattered theknowledge of their teaching throughout thecountry, and though both died shortlybefore the birth of Vittorino, their memorywas still fresh in men's minds.An ardent thirst for learning began to

take possession of the younger generation,and in order to satisfy it they flocked to theuniversities, where alone the coveted know-ledge could be obtained. It need not besaid that Vittorino was smitten with theprevailing enthusiasm, and that he longedwith all his soul to join the stream of youthswho were so happy as to be able to turntheir steps towards Bologna, Padua orFlorence. But, alas ! dire poverty reignedsupreme in the Rambaldoni household, andthere seemed little hope of satisfying theboy's craving for learning. It was morelikely that he wouTd be obliged to earn hisliving than that he should go to waste histime at a university, as many young mendid in those days.Meanwhile the Church herself was pass-

ing through some of the darkest hours of20


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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREher history. For seventy years the Popeshad lived at Avignon, in France, insteadof in Rome. Until the very year ofVittorino's birth none but French Popeshad been elected, and it was only by theexertions of St. Catherine of Siena thatGregory XI could be induced to returnto Rome. Even then a succession of anti-popes caused grave disorders to arise, andso great was the confusion that men wereoften in doubt as to which of the claimantshad been properly elected.Strange advantage was taken of this state

of affairs to spread abroad rumours of thecoming of Antichrist, and of the approach-ing end of the world. Some false prophetswent so far as to indicate the exact datesof these events, and even to assert that thereigning Pope, or his opponent the Anti-pope, was Antichrist himself. These darkand mysterious reports had a most per-nicious effect on the ignorant and credulousmasses, while young people, howeverthoughtful and sensible, could scarcelyescape from sharing in the general excite-ment.

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSIt was not easy for Vittorino to guess

that the stories flying from mouth to mouthwere in reality political weapons made useof by the French to bring back the Popesto Avignon, and to renew the servitude ofthe Church to the temporal power.The French view of the case was in-

variably made attractive. It was stated thatthe Italian Pope would be slain, and thata new Emperor and a new Pope, the ex-pected " Pastor Angelicus," would restorepeace and harmony to the world. Boththese potentates were, of course, to beFrench, and would take care that Franceshould get her due share of the good thingsto come.Such were the topics of interest whichattracted Vittorino's attention outside hisbooks. The times were evil, it is true, butthey were full of novelty and excitement,making life seem worth living for the sakeof the unknown future.One fortunate event had already hap-

pened when Feltre was annexed to thewealthy commercial state of Venetia, andbegan to share in the varied life and move-

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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREment resulting from direct communicationwith the East through the Adriatic Sea.The river Piave traced a road through thecountry, and soon gave direction to aninterchange of commodities, which madework for the notary, Rambaldoni. Vitto-rino himself was employed from time to timeas a trusty messenger between one merchantand another, and thus had an opportunityof exercise on horseback, which had hither-to been one of his great ambitions renderedhopeless by poverty.

In this way he was not only able to helphis parents by earning money, but to addto his small knowledge of the world bythese first attempts at travel. Sometimeshe was sent south to Bassano, or Treviso,among the busy haunts of men ; at othertimes his errand led him up the river toBelluno, a city picturesquely situated in theAlpine district and remarkable for its mas-sive stone gateway, dating from ancienttimes, and its delicate, slender bell-toweror campanile, one of the most beautiful inItaly.

The ride to Belluno was delightful, for23


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSit led towards the source of the Piave,which became more charming as it grewnarrower, and in its winding course fellover rocks and stones, forming little cas-cades, and sprinkling its banks with thespray, which kept ferns and mosses alwaysfresh and green. Overhead, too, there wasprotecting shade from the thick foliage ofthe trees, and as if to give further zest tothe pleasure of the journey there was justa suspicion of danger from brigands orcondottieri. For this reason Vittorino'semployers always took care to provide himwith a swift horse lest he should beattacked, and the boy learnt to keep hisseat so well, that he was ever afterwardsadmired as a graceful rider.Thus did Vittorino pass his youth, and

thus were laid the foundations of hischaracter, its mingled strength and sweet-ness, its capacity for endurance and per-severance, combined with a most tenderand compassionate regard for his neigh-bour. The hardships and poverty of hissurroundings taught him patience andhumility; the simplicity of life at Feltre

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EARLY YEARS AT FELTREpreserved him thus far from many tempta-tions, while his love for the beauty of natureraised his soul to God, and, by giving hima relish for prayer, kept him faithful to hisreligious duties. Already he had formedhabits of assisting at daily mass, of weeklyconfession and more frequent communionand the Office of Our Lady was a step to-wards his later practice of reciting theCanonical Hours, as if he had been in HolyOrders.The connection with Venice led to such

an improvement in the Rambaldoni familyaffairs that Bruto found it possible to equiphis son for a residence at the University ofPadua. Vittorino was eighteen years old,and though slight and small for his age,was well formed and athletic. His healthwas good, his mind acute, and his spiritsbuoyant. Though broken-hearted at leav-ing his happy home and his good parents,he felt that his future depended on hisfollowing out the bright ideal he had setbefore himself. Great was the grief ofBru.o de' Rambaldoni and his pious wife atparting with their boy, but the farewells

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSwere said with Christian fortitude. Vitto-rino set out on foot, carrying with him hissmall belongings, and trusting for thejourney to the hospitality never refused toa poor scholar on the road.

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CHAPTER IIUNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUA

T^HE youth who thus set out to seekhis fortune had a journey of somefifty miles before him. He left his

native Alps behind, and descended in asouth-westerly direction towards the valleyof the river Po. The scenery throughwhich he passed was magnificent, andwould have stirred the heart of one lessappreciative of the beauties of nature thanwas Vittorino. Huge crags like castel-lated citadels guarded the road, their topssometimes the home of eagles, and some-times the strong places of men. Mountainstreams leaped and danced from rock torock, sparkling in the sunlight, while greenverdure and brilliant flowers added to thecharms of this enchanted land.

But, however sensible Vittorino might be27


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSof the outward glory of the visible world,and however engaged in drinking in itsbeauty, there was an inner world whichcould not be ignored. His soul was filledwith conflicting emotions rising and fallinglike the ebb and flow of the sea. When helooked backward his heart became heavy aslead, and the first feelings of home-sicknesspressed upon him. All that lay behindhim was warm with affection and old associ-ations; in front of him stretched out indefin-itely a cold, unknown future, a life amongstrangers in a strange land. Yet this verythought was irradiated with hope when hereflected on his university course amongthe books and the learned men of a greatintellectual centre. How he would work,and how he would pray, and what honourshe would strive for and perhaps attain !The future, at eighteen, always looksbright, however dark the present may be,and Vittorino could not but feel the exhilar-ation produced by the sunshine, the balmyair, the song of the birds and the murmur-ing of the waters, when his mind's eyelooked forward to happy days beyond the

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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAache and pain of this first separation fromall that he loved.At nightfall, somewhat weary and foot-

sore, he stopped at a little stream nearthe gate of Montebelluna, and taking offhis sandals, washed the dust from his feetin the sparkling water. Reinvigorated,he boldly entered the town, and was notlong before he found a lodging for thenight. In the morning he awoke refreshed,and after hearing Mass pressed on with theintention of reaching Campo San Pietro byevening. During the heat of the day herested in a shady spot by the side of abubbling spring of ice-cold water, whichquenched his thirst while he ate his breadand took his noonday siesta. He washospitably entertained in the little town,but he was eager to reach Padua, and,rising betimes, proceeded on his wayregardless of the fatigue which now beganto oppress him.The sun was low in the heavens when he

came in sight of the ancient city of Padua,strongly fortified, with flanking towers andmassive gates. As it lay beneath him he

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERScould perceive the seven great domes ofthe glorious church of St. Anthony, one ofthe wonders of Italy. The sight of thisimmortal tribute of the citizens to theirsainted apostle brought home with newforce to the young traveller the quest onwhich he had come thus far. He lifted hiscap and raised his heart in prayer to thesaint who, through humility, had buriedhis talents and eloquence in the kitchen ofa Franciscan monastery, until God saw fitto publish them to the world. This veryground had been trodden by the wonderfulpreacher not more than a hundred yearsago, as he went on his way urging men tolove God and to devote their lives to Hisservice. No better patron could be chosenby a student in Vittorino's circumstancesthan this saintly friar, nor did the youthneglect to recommend himself and hisstudies to the protection of St. Anthony, aswith a feeling of awe he entered the city ofPadua by its northern gate.But he was doomed to serious disappoint-

ment. Instead of the magnificence he haddreamt of as inseparable from an important

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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAuniversity city, he found narrow, dirtystreets, with dark alleys and gloomyrecesses, uncleansed and uncared for, anddiffering widely from his own little moun-tain home at Feltre. His means were toosmall to permit him to choose a lodging tohis taste. He was obliged, therefore, to putup with such a miserable attic as was withinthe limits of his purse, and even this wasnot easy to find.The city was crowded with students of all

nations, drawn thither by the fame of itsprofessors. They were classified accordingto their nations, but though thus dividedthere were happily two bonds uniting themas one great family of Christians andCatholics. All had the same faith and allspoke Latin, the language of the Church.In those days, too, there was not that differ-ence of pronunciation which preventsscholars of the present day from under-standing each other's speech. FortunatelyVittorino found no difficulty here, for hewas already proficient in the language.The first disappointment was not by any

means the last. Instead of finding at the3i


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSUniversity a gathering of well-behavedand serious-minded scholars, he was hor-rified, and even terror-stricken, by what hesaw. Drinking-parties were organised bystudents of the different nations, afterwhich they would sally forth in companyand spend the night brawling and fightingover their political differences. Rival pro-fessors vied with each other as to whichshould attract the greater number of dis-ciples, and jealousy thus roused resultedin most unseemly conduct on the part ofboth masters and pupils. Further com-plications arose from hostility between11 town and gown," scholars and citizensmaking use of deadly weapons in their on-slaughts. Many of the students were merechildren, boys not fifteen years of age, andtheir mischievous pranks caused disorderin the University itself.

It is not difficult to imagine the feelingsof a poor lad, carefully brought up far fromthe din and turmoil of great cities, whenhe found himself in the midst of societysuch as this. Many were the tears he shedkneeling by his wretched pallet in his32


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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAlonely attic, and often did he wish himselfback in his quiet home among his own dearAlps. He wondered whether it was possiblethat learning should be bought at such aprice as this, and he seriously contemplatedretiring from the world and consecratinghimself to God in some religious order.However, after a long and bitter strugglehe resigned himself to stay for the presentin Padua.The temptations of a life like this were

very great, frequently causing the ship-wreck of soul, body and mind, when ayoung stranger was not strong enough toresist them. The need of money was, as arule, the first cause of these misfortunes.Borrowing led to debts, debts to theft,gambling and imprisonment, if not tocrimes such as murder and sacrilege. Self-respect being lost, a course of dissipationoften led to an early grave. How was Vit-torino to escape so terrible a fate? It wasnow that his careful training and his piouspractices stood him in good stead. He heldfirmly aloof from all dangerous company,and continued his weekly confession and33 D


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERShis usual devotions, adding austerities andmuch prayer.

It was not long before the grave youngstranger was noticed by the better sort ofthe scholars frequenting the University, andby the clergy of St. Anthony's, his fav-ourite place of refuge. By degrees he madefriends worthy of himself, and as time wenton his amiability and personal charmattached them to him and enlarged thecircle of those who admired and loved him.Among all the students then in Padua

he was most attracted by Guarino ofVerona, a young man remarkable for hisdistinguished talents and exemplary morals.The same thirst for knowledge animatedboth, with the difference that Guarino wasan ardent lover of Greek, a language inwhich he was already proficient, somewhatto the detriment of Latin, in which Vit-torino excelled. Men marvelled at onething in the appearance of Guarino, whichseemed incompatible with his youth. Hewas only in his twenty-fourth year, and yethis hair was as snowy white as that of anold man of eighty. It was once raven black,34 .


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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAand the change had taken place in one night,in consequence of his passion for Greek.The catastrophe came about in the follow-

ing manner, if we may credit contemporarywriters. Guarino was in comparativelyeasy circumstances, an advantage whichenabled him at an early age to satisfy hislonging for knowledge by crossing over toGreece, there to study his favourite lan-guage at its fountain-head. In his enthusi-asm he copied many manuscripts andbought others, so that, when the time camefor returning to Italy, he was obliged topack the books in several cases, which hetook with him on board ship. Happy inthe possession of these priceless treasures,he rejoiced at the thought of carrying themhome to Verona, where they would be theenvy and admiration of all his learned ac-quaintances. As he stood on deck he wasalarmed by gathering clouds and a risingwind, which seemed to cause anxiety to thesailors. He knew that the north-east windor M bora " is most dangerous in the Adri-atic, and already he began to tremble morefor his precious manuscripts than for his

35-


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSstill more precious life. His presentimentof evil was verified. As the storm rose andthe ship was tossed upon the angry waves,the sailors had much ado to keep her fromsinking. The captain, in despair, orderedthat the entire cargo should be cast over-board, that by this extreme measure hemight save the lives of passengers andcrew. Guarino was wild with distress andterror. He threw himself upon his kneesat the captain's feet, and implored himwith tears to spare the fruit of his labours.His entreaties were as vain as his promisesand threats. The ruthless sailors flung thechests into the sea, and it was with no smalldifficulty that their owner could be pre-vented from leaping after them.When morning dawned and the tempestsubsided, the unhappy scholar was foundcrouching in a corner almost insensible.His hair, which had been black on theprevious day, had literally grown " whitein a single night," so great had been theanguish of his mind at the loss of histreasures.

Fortunately Guarino had not lost his36


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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAmemory or his talents. These he broughtback with him to Italy, and when Vittorinomade his acquaintance at Padua he hadquite recovered from his grief, and wasready at the first opportunity to undertakea new journey to Greece in order to repairthe defects in his library. From thisexample we may judge of the devotion ofscholars to learning in the days when Vit-torino and Guarino began what was to bea lifelong friendship.A university education is expensive, andVittorino soon found that, if he wished tocontinue his studies at Padua, he mustadopt some expedient by which to obtainfunds. In casting about with this object inview he discovered his true vocationthatof a teacher and instructor of youththevocation by which he was unconsciouslyto make for himself fame and reputation.

After a short time of residence in the cityhe perceived that there were many youngboys attending the University who, thoughpossessed of ample means and considerableability, were kept back and discouraged bytheir ignorance of the elements of Latin

37


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSgrammar. One or two of these he hadgenerously helped without a thought ofgain ; but now, following the example ofother poor scholars, he offered his servicesfor a small fee. His excellent lessonsquickly drew pupils, and it was not longbefore he was able to move to better lodg-ings and to buy some books. Of food andclothing he recked but little, nor was hetoo particular about comfort in his sleepingapartment, provided that he could securecleanliness and quiet, commodities noteasily found in a mediaeval university city.Of the dangers and difficulties awaitingnewly-arrived strangers he had had suffi-cient experience in his own person torender him kind and sympathetic towardsothers.

His attention once directed to the workat hand, he threw himself into it heart andsoul. He became the providence of poorscholars, coming to their assistance notmerely in evident and urgent cases, buteven going out of his way to befriend them.The money that he received from hiswealthy pupils was generously shared with38


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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAhis needy friends, and the treasures of hismind were likewise at their disposal.Even at Feltre Vittorino had shown amasterful will and the spirit of a bornleader of men. At Padua he had greaterscope for his talents, for outside lecturehours the youth of the University were leftas sheep without a shepherd, liable to fallunder any influence, whether good or bad.By degrees Vittorino formed a group of

students who were willing to live as helived, and to look up to him as their guide.The eminent scholar, Conversino ofRavenna, who at that time filled the chairof Rhetoric at Padua, could not help re-marking this unusual element in hisaudience. He entered into friendly rela-tions with the young leader of these modeldisciples, and proved a good friend to him.Conversino was the greatest Latin scholarof his time, and it was a powerful stimulusand a source of much intellectual profit toVittorino to be brought into close contactwith so remarkable a man. From thisacquaintance sprang a further advantage inthe shape of a friendship with Conversino's39


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSsuccessor in the chair of Rhetoric, of whichwe shall have to speak later.

In a brawl between students and towns-men, it happened that a scholar, in whomVittorino was interested, received so severea wound that he was conveyed to thehospital. Vittorino went to see the invalid,and was assiduous in his visits and in everylittle necessary attention until the lad wasable to return to his ordinary life. But theincident opened out a wider horizon toVittorino, who now, for the first time,realised what a world of suffering is en-closed within the walls of a hospital, andhow pleasing the practice of entering there-in must be to Him who will one day say,11 I was sick and you visited Me." Fromthat time forward he made it his dailycustom, wherever he might be, to give sometime to the visitation of the sick poor in thehospitals.Though these charitable undertakings

added to Vittorino's labours, they did notprevent him from making amazing pro-gress in his studies. It is, in fact, probablethat by teaching others he confirmed and40


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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAstrengthened the knowledge he already pos-sessed. Success followed upon success,and without a pause he pressed forward tothe degree of Master of Arts. This degreequalified him to take up the work of teach-ing as a profession, and with the certaintyof a regular stipend. He was now profi-cient in Latin Grammar and Literature, inRhetoric, Dialectic and Moral Philosophy,and was enabled to compete for the"laurea," or degree of Doctor of Arts,which he obtained without difficulty. Butthere was a gap in his mind which he wasdetermined not to leave unfilled. Vittorinoknew practically nothing of Mathematics.Now at Padua there was only one com-

petent teacher of this abstruse science. Hisname was Pelacane, and he had comethither from Parma to make his fortune ifhe could by selling his knowledge at a highrate. As yet Vittorino was not in a posi-tion to pay this man the exorbitant price hedemanded, but he was incapable of beingdaunted by merely pecuniary difficulties.In order to gain access to the great mathe-matician he presented himself at his house4i


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSas a servant or " famulus," a position oftentaken up by a poor scholar anxious to pickup, as it were, "the crumbs from the richman's table." With sweet humility heperformed the office of a footman, grudgingno humiliation and no work, however dis-agreeable, for the sake of the science helonged to learn.

It was all in vain. The inexorable Pela-cane accepted the gratuitous service, butrefused to yield up his treasure except formoney. Vittorino begged and entreated asfar as his self-respect would allow, butwithout effect. At the end of six months,therefore, he left the miserly professor, and,having bought a Euclid, set to work toteach himself. As if in reward of his self-sacrifice he became so efficient in this branchthat his reputation as a mathematicianspread throughout Italy, and is still com-memorated by an inscription on a medalpreserved in the British Museum. As forPelacane, he regretted too late the loss of abrilliant pupil who would have done himhonour; he became more and more avari-cious and grasping, so that, finding his42


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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAclasses deserted, he was obliged to quitPadua, with none to say a good word forhim. Vittorino was but confirmed by thisincident in his generous habit of givingwithout stint all that was asked of him, andeven forestalling requests whenever it wasin his power to do so.Although now a distinguished Doctor of

Arts, regarded as an authority on the mostdifficult questions, Vittorino was as simpleas ever. He was entitled to wear the dis-tinctive gown and ring betokening his posi-tion, but he preferred to remain unnoticedand unknown at a time when scholars wereonly too ready to flaunt their honours beforethe world. The difference between Vit-torino and the other learned men of the daymay be illustrated by contrasting him withone of the friends he made in Padua at thistime.

Francesco Filelfo was, like Guarino, anenthusiastic student of Greek. But, unlikeeither Vittorino or Guarino, he was a preyto insatiable avarice. In this he resembledPelacane; but besides this he was filledwith an overweening self-esteem which led

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERShim to consider himself as the genius of theage. Though ever eager to find favourwith the rich and noble, he made up forhis obsequiousness towards them by con-tinually quarrelling with his equalshisinferiors, as he considered them to be.However, as it generally takes two to

make a quarrel, and as Vittorino was notonly of a peaceable turn of mind, but neverdesirous of standing in the way of others,they remained tolerably good friends. AtPadua, too, Filelfo was still young, and thefaults of his character had not yet developedinto the vices of his later years. Had heremained longer in the society of Vittorinohe might have improved, but Filelfo'sdevotion to Greek led him first to Florenceand then to Greece itself, where he residedfor some years, with more profit to hisscholarship than to his morals. We shallmeet with Filelfo again in the course of ournarrative.

In spite of Vittorino's "laurea" andother honours, his thirst for learning wasnot satisfied. With some idea, perhaps, ofentering the ecclesiastical state, he turned44


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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAhis attention to theology, and attended asevere course of Canon Law. His usualsuccess followed him in these new studies;and, though he always remained a layman,there were few clerics who surpassed him inthe sacred sciences.

His fame increased, and with it his means,so that he was able to open a house of hisown, into which he received his pupils andprepared them for the University courses.The curriculum in this boarding-house wassevere, and strictly carried out, for Vitto-rino was determined that the loose life ofthe Paduan students should not invade itsprecincts. The number of boys was limitedto the accommodation, because the masterknew that regularity of life is impossiblewhere there is overcrowding. Other pro-fessors might admit to their houses manymore boarders than there was room for, butthough such a course was more lucrative itcould not be accompanied by decency andcomfort, and hence became demoralising.Vittorino held firmly to his purpose, for hewas not the man to do evil for the sake ofgain. 45


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UNIVERSITY LIFE AT PADUAHe had but little money stored up, for

he spent it on the poor and on books andlearning."Of study took he most care and heed,Not a word spake he more than was need,And that was said in form and reverence,And short and quick, and full of high sentence.Tending to moral virtue was his speech,And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach."So true it is that the real student and

lover of learning is the same' all the worldover.

Vittorino spent twenty years in Padua.He reached that city in 1396, when he waseighteen years of age, a poor and lonelyyouth with the world before him. Wehave seen how he profited by every circum-stance to improve his mind and train hissoul to virtue, and how his very earnest-ness and disinterestedness helped him toascend the ladder of learning. By the year1415 he had attained the summit, and wassecured in his high position by the love andadmiration of his friends and pupils, andby a blameless reputation before the wholecity.

He was not only a great and much-47


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSesteemed scholar, but he was a man ofsaintly life, the refuge of the needy and thedistressed, and the saviour of many a youngsoul cast unprotected upon the waters ofvice which stagnated in the squalid lanesand alleys of the great city. Circumstanceswere about to draw Vittorino from his pre-sent surroundings, and to make a greatchange in his lifea change from which hewould not fail to draw profit, as he hadhitherto done from each event in his career.

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CHAPTER IIITHE SCHOOL IN VENICEVITTORINO was now thirty-six

years old, and he had never beenbeyond Padua. In consequence of

this he was lacking in one of the most im-portant accomplishments of a scholar of theperiod. There was no chair of Greek inthe University, nor had any competentteacher of the language taken up his abodein the city. The enthusiastic, white-hairedGuarino had been drawn away long agofrom his friend by the still greater affectionhe had for Greek. His departure fromPadua was brought about in the followingmanner.Some years before the arrival of Vittorinoin Padua there came to Italy an embassyfrom Greece, imploring help against theTurks, who were threatening Constanti-nople from the foothold they already pos-

49 E


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSsessed in Asia Minor. The danger wasimminent, and was only kept off anotherfifty-seven years by the most strenuous exer-tions of the defenders of Christendom.Embassies were constantly being sent to

the various Catholic powers, and the Popesearnestly exhorted all Christians to help inrepelling the invaders. But princes andmerchants were so entirely occupied withambitious projects and the pursuit of gain,that they turned a deaf ear to Chrysoloras,the eloquent spokesman of the presentembassy. However, though they refused tolisten to his request for men and money,they were charmed by the graces of his style.He had no sooner returned to Greece thanhe received many overtures from the Italiancities, each one vying with the other as towhich should acquire possession of so dis-tinguished a professor. Florence gainedthe day, and all Italy was in a state of ex-citement over the acquisition of the proudcity, which now began to attract hundredsof students eager to learn from Chrysoloras.His lectures began in 1397, just a year afterVittorino reached Padua.50


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THE SCHOOL IN VENICEIt was not long before Guarino became

restless, and he finally decided to go southand follow a course of Greek at Florence.Filelfo accompanied him, but Vittorino hadneither the means nor perhaps the inclina-tion to wander away from the studies hewas steadfastly pursuing. After a time,Chrysoloras returned to Greece, and withhim went his faithful disciples, Guarino andFilelfo. They both became eminent Greekscholars, though without deriving anymoral benefit from their travels and studies.Filelfo married Theodora, the niece ofChrysoloras, and returning with her toItaly, paraded her through various cities,inviting all scholars to admire and payhomage to his sweet " Chrysolorine," as hedelighted to call her. Guarino was not sofortunate; he remained for the present un-married, and after a while opened a schoolin Venice for the teaching of the usualsubjects, but especially Greek.

It was then that Guarino began to experi-ence his deficiency in Latin, which hadsuffered during the time he had so passion-ately devoted to Greek. He had never5i


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSceased to correspond with his beloved Vit-torino, and it was to him that he now lookedfor assistance in carrying on his school.There was just this one thing wanting toVittorinothat he should add Greek to hisother attainments. Guarino wrote, there-fore, representing the facilities which theschool in Venice would give for this study,as well as the advantages he would himselfderive from Vittorino's presence there. Theprospect was too delightful to be neglected;the arrangement was made between the twofriends, and all minor obstacles and objec-tions were overcome.

Great was the dismay at Padua whenVittorino's decision became known. Hispupils gathered round him, and with tearsand lamentations besought him not to aban-don them. Many of them made up theirminds to follow him to Venice, there toremain his disciples, and at the same timeto devote themselves to Greek in his com-pany.The professors of the Faculty of Arts, of

which he was so brilliant an ornament,were in despair at the thought of losing52


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSthere was Padua itself, the birthplace ofLivy and the home of all the arts. Allthese he was leaving behind him, andplunging once more into an unknownfuture, where troubles and difficulties mightbe awaiting him.On this occasion his reflections were

neither so dark as to the present nor sobright as to the future, as were those of hisformer journey; for he had learnt to knowthe world, and if he realised more fully thefalsity of its promises, he feared it less, nowthat he was conscious of his own strength.Humility is truth, and Vittorino had testedhis powers, and found that they were, withthe grace of God, firmly set in the rightdirection and strong to bear trials.

Notwithstanding these serious thoughtsof the master, the little cavalcade was cheer-ful enough as it wound through the hillycountry beyond the river Adige, and be-guiled the tediousness of the road withsong, and jest, and learned discussion, asthe youths who composed it chose to begrave or gay.The presence of their teacher was no54


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THE SCHOOL IN VENICErestraint upon his disciples, for Vittorinowas no dry-as-dust professor. His heartwas young with the perennial youth ofinnocence and virtue, and his sympathieswere ever with the young. This freshnesswas one of his greatest attractions, endear-ing him to his pupils, and preventing himfrom coming into rivalry with the ambitiousand turbulent scholars who were his con-temporaries in age. The beautiful scenery,and the pleasant relations between thetravellers, made the hours seem short, and,before many days were over, the partyreached the lowlands of Venetia, and knewthat the island throne of the queen of theAdriatic was not far distant.

In this year, 1415, Venice was at theheight of her prosperity and splendour.The Turks had not yet deprived her of herright of way through the Mediterranean toIndia and the East. Constantinople wasstill Christian, and Rhodes was held firmlyin the grasp of the valiant Knights of St.John. Venice herself was able to defendher trade when it was necessary. She wasjust now preparing an armed expedition to

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSchastise the Turks for breaking a trucemade between the Doge and the Sultan.On May 29, 1416, a great victory was wonby the Venetians at Gallipoli, and the in-fidels were once more taught to respect theChristians. Commerce was carried on allalong the shores of the Mediterranean, andeven as far as the British Isles, so thatVenice had no rival to equal her in thenumber of her ships or in the wealth whichthey brought into her port.We can imagine the warm welcome givenby Guarino to his dear old friend, and to

the pupils he had brought with him. Itwas a double acquisition for the school. Themost eminent teacher of Latin and Mathe-matics in Italy would have been an orna-ment to any educational establishment, andthe Venetians were not slow to give tokensof their appreciation by sending their boysto learn from him. Besides this, there wasthe little band of faithful disciples broughtby Vittorino, and their good behaviour andloyalty to their master won for him goldenopinions from all sorts and conditions ofmen. A house was taken for their accom-

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THE SCHOOL IN VENICEmodation, and regulated according to theinvariable rules laid down for such estab-lishments by the wisdom and experience ofVittorino. Guarino shared his opinionswith regard to discipline, so that the schoolin Venice was a model of perfect arrange-ment, and secured the most satisfactoryresults.The two masters were, perhaps, the most

accomplished and scholarly teachers of theage. His sojourn in Greece had given toGuarino an indescribable grace and distinc-tion of manner, while his friend Vittorino,though more simple and less impressive inhis bearing, won admiration and affectionby the charm of his cheerful, happy dis-position, and the innate dignity proceedingfrom his lofty ideals and force of character.

Daily mass, frequent confession and com-munion, with the recitation of the divineoffice, continued to be the rule of Vitto-rino's conduct. He had ample opportuni-ties for his devotions in the splendid basilicaof St. Mark, and the city hospital oncemore supplied him with the means forexercising his charity. Poor scholars were57


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSstill the objects of his predilection. Hebrought them into his house, and, supply-ing them with necessaries, set them on thesame footing as the sons of wealthy mer-chants who crowded to the school. At thesame time he applied himself to the studyof Greek, in which Guarino gave himlessons, in return for the Latin he was sowell able to impart. But Vittorino wasprobably beyond the age for learning alanguage with facility, and, though heobtained a solid working knowledge ofGreek, he never became as distinguished inthis as in his other accomplishments.

Besides the studies pursued in Guarino'sschool, there were many things to be seenand learnt in Venice. Everything was newto Vittorino and his Paduan pupils. Therewas, in the first place, an extreme contrastbetween dingy Padua and the gorgeouscity, which was at that time the mart ofthe whole known world. St. Mark's sur-passed St. Anthony's, not only in antiquity,but in its marbles, its sculpture, its architec-ture, and in the wealth of its treasures.Instead of the inland towns to which they

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THE SCHOOL IN VENICEhad been accustomed, the strangers foundthemselves in a sea-built city of the waters.Streets there were indeed, but they werenot comparable to the water-ways overwhich the gaily-coloured gondolas skimmedto and fro. It may be remarked that it wasonly in the sixteenth century that thesebright hues were exchanged for mournfulblack.The Rialto, or Exchange, was the meet-

ing-place of merchants and adventurersfrom all parts of the world. Opulentcitizens, like Bassanio, there encounteredunfortunate ship-owners like Antonio, pur-sued by greedy money-lenders not inferiorto Shylock in avarice. Dark faces werethere toomen hailing from foreign parts,with just such tales to tell as those withwhich Othello the Moor fascinated thegentle Desdemona. Magnificent marblepalaces, many-coloured, and superblydecorated, rose gloriously from the waters,and within their walls was many an heiress,like queenly Portia, whose hand was soughtby princes from afar.A world such as Shakespeare has de-59


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSpicted for us was living and moving roundthe quiet school where Guarino and Vit-torino taught their pupils with unstintedlabour. And there came up to them fromthe sea, in ships, treasures such as theyvalued most, in the shape of precious manu-scripts from Greece, which was within easyreach of Venice. It was at this period thatVittorino laid the small foundations of therich library for which he was afterwardsfamous.Fortunately for him, his success as a teacher

brought him large remuneration, so that hewas able to meet the expenses incurred incollecting books. The time in Venice wasspent profitably, but with little outwardeventfulness, until an outbreak of plaguescattered the scholars and broke up theschool.The two friends once more separated, for

Guarino had made up his mind to returnto Verona, where his presence was muchdesired. He married, and settled down asa school-master, entering with patriotic zealinto the social and political life of his nativecity. His scholarship and distinction of60


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THE SCHOOL IN VENICEmanner caused him to be chosen on import-ant occasions to deliver addresses, or to actas the spokesman of embassies, and thereare records of his services preserved in thearchives of Verona. Vittorino, after hesi-tating for a while as to his next step, re-turned to Padua in 1420, having attainedthe end for which he had gone to Venicea thorough knowledge of the Greeklanguage. He was received with openarms in the University, and at once took uphis own subjects, Latin and Mathematics.

It will be remembered that when Vit-torino first went to Padua, the chair ofRhetoric was held by Conversino of Raven-na, who had been the disciple of Petrarch,and who was eminently qualified for hispost. But it was to Conversino's successor,Barzizza, that Vittorino owed his real train-ing, and the exquisite polish of his Latinity.In Barzizza's school Vittorino lived withFilelfo and other scholars, among whom hehad no more congenial companion thanPaolo Vergerio. The latter shared all histastes both for study and for piety, andbecame renowned for a treatise on educa-

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERStion, in which he laid down the theoriesafterwards put into practice by Vittorino.Under Barzizza they made rapid progress,for it was he who first established a soundbasis for the teaching of Latin by adoptingthe writings of Cicero as a model, not tobe carefully imitated, but rather to beassimilated in such a manner as to securea living reproduction of Cicero's style.When Vittorino returned to Padua Ver-gerio and Filelfo were both gone, but Bar-zizza still held his position, and welcomedhis former pupil most cordially.Two years had scarcely passed when

Barzizza resigned the chair of Rhetoric,and all eyes were turned upon Vittorino asthe fittest successor to the great scholar.He alone hesitated. He was now overforty years of age, and was still free to enterthe religious or the sacerdotal state if hechose. Though not positively drawn toeither, he preferred in any case the life hewas leading as private tutor in a boarding-house to the career of a public professor,however honourable or lucrative. Still, itwas difficult to give a reason for resisting

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THE SCHOOL IN VENICEthe pressing solicitations of those whowished to see him where he most deservedto be, in the place of honour of his ownUniversity. After much prayer and con-sideration he accepted the position, but heresolved to keep on his boarding-house forthe sake of the pupils whom he already hadunder his care. Thus he was still able todevote himself to the work he loved bestthe formation of individual character, andthe direction of young souls in the paths ofsanctity and science.As professor in the chair of Rhetoric his

office was to lecture to large bodies ofstudents and scholars of all ages, withwhom he could have no private communica-tion on account of their numbers. He wastherefore debarred from that personal con-tact by which alone he could hope to gainany lasting influence over them. It wasonly when treating of Philosophy, whichwas included in Rhetoric, that he had anyopportunity of inculcating the maxims ofthe gospel, and such casual counsels wereinsufficient to stem the tide of vice whichsurged around him. Nevertheless, he was

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSextremely popular, and worked wonders byhis admirable example, no less than byprecept.

His fame was so great that the numbersof students attending the University in-creased every day, so that the city couldnot suffice for their lodgingthere beingnothing in the liberal arts which he hadnot mastered; and learned men from allparts resorted to him in their difficulties.It mattered not whether the question in dis-pute were in Latin or Greek, in Mathe-matics, Philosophy, or Canon Law, Vitto-rino was always looked upon as the mostcompetent judge. His position in the chairof Rhetoric at Padua placed him in thefront rank of men of culture, and he waswell able to hold the place he had attained.

Meanwhile, abuses increased with the in-creasing number of students. It was invain that Vittorino exerted himself to pre-serve even those more closely connectedwith him from the contagion of bad ex-ample. He grew more disgusted and dis-heartened from day to day, and longed toreturn to his life as a private tutor, that he64


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Vittorino with his pupils on the way to Venice. p. 54


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THE SCHOOL IN VENICEmight be free from the responsibility of hispresent position. Drunkenness and revelrywere the order of the day, and scandalousscenes occurred even while the professorswere in the chair, the lectures being inter-rupted by brawls and profane language.At length, when Vittorino had been for ayear in the midst of so uncongenial a life,there happened a breach of discipline sooutrageous that he determined to resign hispost and leave Padua for ever. His decisionwas characteristically prompt and irrevoc-able. The entreaties and promises of hisfriends and faithful disciples were of noavail; he fled like Lot from the burningcity, and never again looked back upon hisAlma Mater.Once more Vittorino took the road to

Venice. There was an ample field in thatcity for a teacher of his ability, and hisformer residence there was remembered bywealthy merchants who had sons to beeducated. Every facility was afforded himfor the opening of a school on the samelines as the one in which he had taughtwith Guarino.

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSHe was happy to escape from his recent

trials in Padua, and overjoyed to find him-self once more in close touch with pupilsof his own choice. His reputation was sowell established that he could afford to dis-miss any boys of whose conduct he did notapprove. Those who really appreciated hisschool found in this an incentive securingtheir good behaviour, and gradually bring-ing them into the good habits fostered bystrict discipline.New strength and energy seemed to

come to the master in his fortunate sur-roundings. He was now far removed fromwant, and was able to indulge his love forbooks by spending on them what emainedwhen all his duties of charity were fulfilled.Charity with Vittorino always came first,books and learning second. Both werenow amply within his reach, and he wassupremely happy. All Venice loved andesteemed him, and came to him for counsel.His correspondence with learned men wasextensive, and, though it added to hislabours, was a source of intense pleasure.Among those who wrote to him none was66


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THE SCHOOL IN VENICEmore constant than Guarino, now master ofa flourishing school in Verona and happyin a quiet home of his own. Besides hisscholarly pursuits he had his domestic circleto write about, and was never weary ofdescribing the quaint ways and clever say-ings of his little son Gregorio.

If Guarino was lacking in the selflessdevotedness to others, so characteristic ofVittorino, he was, nevertheless, exemplaryin all his relationships, proving a goodhusband and a careful father, and acquit-ting himself conscientiously of all theobligations of his state of life. Whenfriends of Vittorino quoted Guarino as amodel for imitation, in their anxiety thatthe former should settle down in a home ofhis own, Vittorino would .jay with a smileand an affectionate gesture, indicating hispupils, "This is my home; these are mychildren." And truly he was like a belovedfather in their midst.Yet his stay in this happy school at

Venice was to be short-lived, for the realwork of his life remained to be done. Ithappened that John Francis Gonzaga,67


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSPrince of Mantua, was seeking for a tutorfor his children, and had pitched uponGuarino as the most distinguished scholarand the most trustworthy teacher within hisreach. Guarino was not willing to leavehis home in Verona, where he was not onlyhappy, but deeply engaged in business ofvarious kinds. He intimated to the Princethat, though he could not accept the posthimself, he could recommend a friend, whowould be even more suitable as a tutor. AVenetian merchant undertook the negotia-tion, and with such success that Vittorinoconsented to give up his school and removeto Mantua.These frequent changes of domicile maygive an impression of fickleness in the

character of Vittorino, but it must beremembered that all the scholars of theperiod went from place to place, in orderto acquire new knowledge, and to give theirservices where they were required. Vitto-rino was no exception to the rule at thisperiod of his life, but two things may besaid in his favour which could not truthfullybe alleged of most of his contemporaries.68


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THE SCHOOL IN VENICEIn the first place, he never changed his

abode for the sake of worldly advantages orfor the love of gain. In the second, hisunbroken residence in Padua, when all thelearned world was rushing to Chrysolorasin Florence, proved that he could be stead-fast in the course marked out for him byduty. And it may be added that he hadnow, at forty-four years of age, come tothe end of his wanderings, for he was aboutto enter upon the great work of his life, forwhich the preceding portion had been but along and thorough preparation. It was atMantua that he was henceforth to live, and,when his labours were happily completed,to die.

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CHAPTER IVTHE PRINCELY HOUSE OF GONZAGAA NUMBER of learned and saintlycardinals and bishops have ren-dered the family of Gonzaga

illustrious in the annals of the Church.Nevertheless, its most glorious ornamentis the young saint who entered the Societyof Jesus in the year 1585, and who ishonoured all the world over as the patronof Catholic youth.The Gonzagas came of a fierce condot-

tiere race, remarkable indeed for livelyfaith, but not greatly given to the prac-tice of Christian charity. They acquiredwealth and name and fame by their suc-cess in war, as well as by their shrewdadherence to the winning side in politicalstruggles. The city of Mantua, with thesurrounding territory, was their possessionin the early fourteenth century, and, in the

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PRINCELY HOUSE OF GONZAGAyear 1328, the magnificent palace stillexisting was completed. In this palace theGonzagas held a court of almost regalsplendour.

Mantua, like Venice, is an island city.The river Mincio, flowing southward fromLake Garda, spreads out at this point andforms two islands of high ground on whichthe fortress and the city proper are built.The fortifications are even at the presentday the strongest in Italy, nor were theyinferior in times when catapults and batter-ing-rams had to do the work of cannon-balls.The ground on which the city is built,

rising from the midst of swampy lagoons,and marshes covered with reeds and bul-rushes, is fertile and well wooded, andpresents a pleasing picture from the plainbelow. From five great gates in the whitewalls five roads lead in different directions.The oldest of these leads northwards, turn-ing later in an easterly curve towardsVenetia. The approach to Mantua by thisroute is the most picturesque, and gives themost complete view of the city.7i


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSAlong this road, in the early autumn of

1423, there advanced one day a little bandof horsemen. They were young and merry,and had apparently suffered little in theirlong journey from Venice. Among themrode one, older and more grave in aspect,in plain black gown and cloak and academichood, a dress not unlike that to which weare accustomed from pictures of Dante andPetrarch. Though he seemed the masterand teacher of these youths, no outwardtoken, not even the doctor's ring, betrayedthe fact that here was one of the mostlearned men, one of the greatest humanisticscholars of the day, the noble and withalthe truly humble Vittorino de' Rambal-doni of Feltre.As was usual in his journeys, a number

of his disciples were accompanying him toMantua, where, if all could be wellarranged, he would stay as tutor to theGonzaga family. Vittorino was under noobligations to the lord of Mantua, and, ifhe might not have his own way with hispupils, he could shake the dust of the cityfrom his feet and carry the treasures of his

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PRINCELY HOUSE OF GONZAGAlearning elsewhere, for it was through nolack of other invitations that he was accept-ing this position. His formal statement ofhis conditions contained the clause thatnothing unworthy should be required ofhim, and that his employer's life should besuch as to command respect.Mantua came further into view, towering

above the road, its strong walls and loftytowers glittering in the sunlight, while atits feet the Mincio formed pools and islandsof surpassing beauty. It seemed an idealspot for the formation of a school, and ashe looked upon it, Vittorino thought ofVirgil, the great glory, not merely of hisbirthplace, Mantua, but of the Latin race.He shared the reverence of the scholars ofthe Middle Ages for the great poet, who,though a pagan, has left verse not unworthyof a Christian, and whose pen, moreover,never demeaned itself by writing anythingunworthy of a man of letters. As Vit-torino reflected upon these things he couldnot help uttering a prayer that so noble asoul might, by the mercy of God, one dayrejoice in the beatific vision.73


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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSDante had immortalised Virgil by taking

him as his guide into the hell of his fancy,but a monk of an earlier age could not thinkbut that he was in God's own heaven. Ashe begged that it might be so, he heard asweet voice saying, " Pray for me, pray forme, and what thou so much desirest shallcome to pass." Recalling this tradition,Vittorino raised his heart and prayed toGod that the bard of Mantua might singHis praises for all eternity in heaven. Thenturning to his disciples and interruptingtheir light discourse, he spoke to them ofthese graver subjects, and the party enteredthe city silent and thoughtful.A little later in the day Vittorino waitedupon John Francis Gonzaga in his princelypalace. The condottiere general, bornin 1390, was now in the flower of his age,little more than thirty. His dark and some-what fierce aspect was tempered by therespect he felt for the guest he was receiv-ing. In him there was a curious mixtureof soldierly bearing, barbaric richness ofdress, and a sort of superficial culture, in-dicating the transition through which his

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PRINCELY HOUSE OF GONZAGAHouse was passing, from the life of free-booters to that of sovereign princes of afuture dukedom. In spite of his realbenevolence, it was evident that at anymoment the old savage nature might flameforth through the new and elegant gildingoverlaying it. Vittorino, with his deepknowledge of men, quickly saw that a firmattitude would be necessary if he wished todo the good for which alone he had come toMantua.Seated together, the Prince and thescholar discussed the situation. Vittorinoexpressed his views clearly and plainly. Itwould be impossible, he said, to form aschool in the midst of a court such as thatof Mantua, where luxury and dissipationseemed to reign supreme. The childrenmust be given over to him entirely, and hemust be provided with the means of with-drawing them from the scenes of turbulenceand pleasure which kept them in a continualstate of excitement. The Prince agreed tothis, for he was a man of sense and couldbe guided by reason. He was particularlystruck by the manner in which Vittorino

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSinquired into details of the children's ages,characters and requirements, while heheard not a word of financial arrangements,so much to the fore in the negotiations ofordinary men of learning. He was alto-gether charmed by the sweetness and ear-nestness, combined with absolute straight-forwardness and simplicity, of the new tutor,and he made up his mind on the spot that,come what might, he would not give up aman who had already captivated him asmuch by his honesty and disinterestednessas by his renown for scholarship. Agenerous monthly stipend was fixed, andGonzaga added to this the privilege ofdrawing from the treasury all necessarysums as they were required. He concludedthe interview by referring Vittorino to theLady Paola, his wife, for further instruc-tions, as he was off to Venetia, where hisservices were required.A bustle of preparations was going on inthe courtyards of the palace. John FrancisGonzaga was a gallant soldier, alwaysready to take up arms in the cause ofothers, provided he could secure a hand-

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PRINCELY HOUSE OF GONZAGAsome share of booty. Not long ago he hadso well defended Bologna for Pope JohnXXIII as to be rewarded with the title ofGeneral of the Army of the Church.Venice now called upon him to fight herbattles with Milan, for she had sufficientoccupation for her military and navalstrength in guarding her commerce on sea,and was willing to forego the spoils, pro-vided that the Milanese were kept in check.The present expedition would take sometime, and meanwhile the Prince gave fullconsent to all the arrangements to be madebetween his wife and Vittorino during hisabsence.

Paolo, Princess of Mantua, was at thistime in her thirtieth year. She belonged tothe family of Malatesta, notorious in Italyfor its evil deeds, and at the same timenotable for the extraordinary good qualitiesof some of its members. The Lady Paolaseems to have inherited a large share of allthat was noble and excellent in the Mala-testas, though her education had consistedmainly in the superficial polish of accom-plishments.

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSAs she entered the room, in all her beauty

and stateliness, Vittorino was much im-pressed, for he had hitherto been littleaccustomed to the society of great ladies,but her charming kindness and affabilitysoon set him completely at his ease. Shewas much better able than her husband toenter into the new tutor's ideas, for atRimini she had come into contact withscholars, and had learnt to love learning forits own sake.They talked matters over quietly, and

mutually agreed that great alterationswould be necessary if solid education wereto be attempted. It would be well, too,that the changes should be brought aboutso gradually that the young people shouldnot take fright at the severity of the dis-cipline. There was another palace at alittle distance, and if Vittorino would comeand see it the Princess would be happy toaccompany him thither. The expeditionwas arranged for the next day, after thedeparture of the troops.Meanwhile Vittorino set himself to work

at the study of his new environment. He78


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PRINCELY HOUSE OF GONZAGAcould not refrain from smiling to himselfas he watched the different impressionsmade by his appearance upon the youngnobles and courtiers who were in attend-ance upon the Gonzagas and their children.He was also somewhat shocked at the free-and-easy manners of his future pupils, for,according to custom, all these children wereto belong to the school of the palace.Luxury and self-indulgence met his gaze

on every side. All the comforts that moneycould buy were lavished on the youngprinces, and their attendants enjoyed thesame pleasures. Costly carpets covered thefloors, priceless tapestries hung upon thewalls, soft couches and easy-chairs werescattered about, inviting idleness andrepose. Servants in gorgeous livery waitedfor orders, which generally concerned foodand drink, or useless amusement. TheLady Paolo herself, in jewelled robes ofrich brocade, moved amid all this splen-dour, apparently without a thought of itsunsuitability for her children.

Provided they did nothing incompatiblewith their rank and dignity, she had hither-

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSto persuaded herself that all was well ; notbecause she was indifferent to their morals,but because she had herself never known alife other than this. Her palace was indeeda great improvement on that of Rimini,where she was born and brought up, and itmight be considered a model of proprietyand good conduct when compared with thehouses of other noble families of the period.Pomp and show and idleness appeared toher inseparable from rank and affluence,and it was evident to Vittorino that he musteducate the mother before he could hope tosucceed with the children.As he passed through the stately rooms,

his keen eye took in all these abuses, and amerry twinkle might have been noticed init from time to time, had there been any-one present sufficiently observant. How hewould change all this, when once he hadmade up his mind as to the method heshould pursue

In one apartment he found young LouisGonzaga, the eldest son, and heir to theprincipality, lounging lazily upon a couchof crimson velvet. The boy was not much80


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Vittorino's first meeting with the heir of the Gonzagas. "p. 80


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PRINCELY HOUSE OF GONZAGAmore than ten years old, yet he was alreadythe centre of a little court of flatterers whocomplied with his every whim. They knewwell that in the event of any accident toJohn Francis it was in their interest tocultivate the favour of Louis; for in thosedays the risks of war were great, especiallyto a bold soldier like the General. In anycase it was agreeable to bask in the youngPrince's smiles, and they did not sparetheir adulation.

Vittorino's entrance was greeted byscornful looks and subdued laughter. Heunderstood, but did not allow any sign ofcomprehension to appear upon his grave,austere countenance. Approaching thecouch, he contemplated the boy for a mo-ment, and with a pleasant smile asked hima few questions. Louis scarcely took thetrouble to answer, and indeed his mouthwas too full of sweetmeats to permit himto do so. He turned his half-closed eyesupon his tutor, and then relapsed into hisusual occupation of eating. Vittorinopassed on, and found a group of youngerboys engaged in an angry altercation, the

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A PRINCE OF TEACHERSsubject of which seemed to be cheating ata game which they had been playing. Onemiserable-looking little fellow was ratingthe others, who appeared to be defendingthemselves. There might, thought Vitto-rino, be more hope for such children asthese than for the spoilt heir of the Gon-zagas. With his knowledge of boy-naturehe was not long in finding out all aboutthem and their quarrel. The thin, half-starved-looking leader of the band was noless a person than Carlo Gonzaga, whowas thus early showing that he had in-herited the fighting spirit of his ancestors.Vittorino made another mental note, andretraced his steps through the suite ofapartments occupied by the children.Louis had left off eating for the moment,and, with the assistance of a page, wasrising to his feet. As he slowly passedacross the room, Vittorino saw that he wasso fat that his breadth nearly equalled hisheight. Of all things in a pupil Vittorinodetested most that superfluous flesh whichis the result of over-indulgence in eating,and drinking, and sleeping, with the lack

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PRINCELY HOUSE OF GONZAGAof hard work and exercise. Should he everbe able to make anything of this boy?With God's help he would, and it will beseen that his success with Louis wasnothing short of miraculous.Next day at an early hour the Princess

sent for Vittorino. He found her with herdaughter Margherita, a girl of aboutthirteen years of age, very beautiful andmodest, and very like her mother. Mar-gherita was presented as one of the futurepupils of the school, and replied to thetutor's questions that she had already madesome progress in Latin and wished to learnGreek. Her bright, intelligent mannerpleased Vittorino

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Vittorino Da Feltre, Prince of Teachers