Chapter I: The Men of the Renaissance

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Formation of Conscious Personality in Italy -- Aristocracy of
Intellect -- Self-culture as an Aim -- Want of National Architecture
-- Want of National Drama -- Eminence of Sculpture and Painting --
Peculiar Capacity for Literature -- Scholarship -- Men of Many-sided
Genius -- Their Relation to the Age -- Conflict between Mediæval
Tradition and Humanism -- Petrarch -- The Meaning of the Revival begun
by him -- Cosmopolitan Philosophy -- Toleration -- An Intellectual
Empire -- Worldliness -- Confusion of Impulses and Inspirations --
Copernicus and Columbus -- Christianity and the Classics -- Italian
Incapacity for Religious Reformation -- Free Thought takes the form of
License -- Harmonies attempted between Christianity and Antique
Philosophy -- Florentine Academy -- Physical Qualities of the Italians
-- Portraits of Two Periods -- Physical Exercises -- Determination of
the Race to Scholarship -- Ancient Memories of Rome -- The Cult of
Antiquity -- Desire of Fame -- Fame to be found in Literature -- The
Cult of Intellect -- The Cult of Character -- Preoccupation with
Personal Details -- Biography -- Ideal Sketches -- Posthumous Glory --
Enthusiasm for Erudition -- Piero de' Pazzi -- Florence and Athens --
Paganism -- Real Value of Italian Humanism -- Pico on the Dignity of
Man 1