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ign animals。' The menagerie at Naples； in the time of Ferrante； contained even a giraffe and a zebra； presented； it seems； by the ruler of Baghdad。 Filippo Maria Visconti possessed not only horses which cost him each 500 or 1；000 pieces of gold； and valuable English dogs； but a number of leopards brought from all parts of the East； the expense of his hunting birds； which were collected from the countries of Northern Europe； amounted to 3；000 pieces of gold a month。 King Emanuel the Great of Portugal knew well what he was about when he presented Leo X with an elephant and a rhinoceros。 It was under such circumstances that the foundations of a scientific zoology and botany were laid。
A practical fruit of these zoological studies was the establishment of studs； of which the Mantuan； under Francesco Gonzaga； was esteemed the first in Europe。 All interest in； and knowledge of the different breeds of horses is as old； no doubt； as riding itself； and the crossing of the European with the Asiatic must have been common from the time of the Crusades。 In Italy； a special inducement to perfect the breed was offered by the prizes at the horse…races held in every considerable town in the peninsula。 In the Mantuan stables were found the in… fallible winners in these contests； as well as the best military chargers； and the horses best suited by their stately appearance for presents to great people。 Gonzaga kept stallions and mares from Spain； Ireland； Africa； Thrace； and Cilicia； and for the sake of the last he cultivated the friendship of the Sultans。 All possible experiments were here tried； in order to produce the most perfect animals。
Even human menageries were not wanting。 The famous Cardinal Ippolito Medici； bastard of Giuliano； Duke of Nemours； kept at his strange court a troop of barbarians who talked no less than twenty different languages； and who were all of them perfect specimens of their races。 Among them were incomparable _voltigeurs _of the best blood of the North African Moors； Tartar bowmen； Negro wrestlers； Indian divers； and Turks； who generally accompanied the Cardinal on his hunting expeditions。 When he was overtaken by an early death （1535）； this motley band carried the corpse on their shoulders from Itri to Rome； and mingled with the general mourning for the open…handed Cardinal their medley of tongues and violent gesticulations。
These scattered notices of the relations of the Italians to natural science； and their interest in the wealth and variety of the products of nature； are only fragments of a great subject。 No one is more conscious than the author of the defects in his knowledge on this point。 Of the multitude of special works in which the subject is adequately treated； even the names are but imperfectly known to him。
Discovery of the Beauty of Landscape
But outside the sphere of scientific investigation； there is another way to draw near to nature。 The Italians are the first among modern peoples by whom the outward world was seen and felt as something beautiful。
The power to do so is always the result of a long and complicated development； and its origin is not easily detected； since a dim feeling of this kind may exist long before it shows itself in poetry and painting and thereby becomes conscious of itself。 Among the ancients； for example； art and poetry had gone through the whole circle of human interests； before they turned to the representation of nature； and even then the latter filled always a limited and subordinate place。 And yet； from the time of Homer downwards； the powerful impression made by nature upon man is shown by countless verses and chance expressions。 The Germanic races； which founded their States on the ruins of the Roman Empire； were thoroughly and specially fitted to understand the spirit of natural scenery； and though Christianity compelled them for a while to see in the springs and mountains； in the lakes and woods； which they had till then revered； the working of evil demons； yet this transitional conception was soon outgrown。 By the year 1200； at the height of the Middle Ages； a genuine； hearty enjoyment of the external world was again in existence； and found lively expres… sion in the minstrelsy of different nations； which gives evidence of the sympathy felt with all the simple phenomena of nature spring with its flowers； the green fields and the woods。 But these pictures are all foreground without perspective。 Even the crusaders； who travelled so far and saw so much； are not recognizable as such in their poems。 The epic poetry； which describes amour and costumes so fully； does not attempt more than a sketch of outward nature； and even the great Wolfram von Eschenbach scarcely anywhere gives us an adequate picture of the scene on which his heroes move。 From these poems it would never be guessed that their noble authors in all countries inhabited or visited lofty castles； commanding distant prospects。 Even in the Latin poems of the wandering clerks； we find no traces of a distant viewof landscape properly so called but what lies near is sometimes described with a glory and splendor which none of the knightly minstrels can surpass。 What picture of the Grove of Love can equal that of the Italian poet for such we take him to beof the twelfth century？
'Immortalis fieret Ibi manens homo； Arbor ibi quaelibet Suo gaudet pomo； Viae myrrha； cinnamo Fragrant； et amomo Conjectari poterat Dominus ex domo' etc。
To the Italian mind； at all events； nature had by this time lost its taint of sin； and had shaken off all trace of demoniacal powers。 Saint Francis of Assisi； in his Hymn to the Sun； frankly praises the Lord for creating the heavenly bodies and the four elements。
But the unmistakable proofs of a deepening effect of nature on the human spirit begin with Dante。 Not only does he awaken in us by a few vigorous lines the sense of the morning air and the trembling light on the distant ocean； or of the grandeur of the storm…beaten forest； but he makes the ascent of lofty peaks； with the only possible object of enjoying the viewthe first man； perhaps； since the days of antiquity who did so。 In Boccaccio we can do little more than infer how country scenery affected him； yet his pastoral romances show his imagination to have been filled with it。 But the significance of nature for a receptive spirit is fully and clearly displayed by Petrarchone of the first truly modern men。 That clear soulwho first collected from the literature of all countries evidence of the origin and progress of the sense of natural beauty； and himself； in his 'Aspects of Nature；' achieved the noblest masterpiece of descriptionAlexander von Humboldt has not done full justice to Petrarch； and following in the steps of the great reaper； we may still hope to glean a few ears of interest and value。
Petrarch was not only a distinguished geographerthe first map of Italy is said to have been drawn by his directionand not only a reproducer of the sayings of the ancients； but felt himself the influence of natural beauty。 The enjoyment of nature is； for him； the favorite accompaniment of intellectual pursuits； it wa