Marchese Piccinino.  His sons lived with him, and spent much of their spare time in hawking and the chase.  They were three, Carlo, who rose to great dignity in the republic, Giannozzo, still more eminent as a public man, and Pandolfo, who died young.  His wife, one of the Strozzi, died while Agnolo was between thirty and forty; but he never married again.  He was a great friend of Lionardo Aretino, who published nothing without his approval.  He lived to be upwards of eighty-five, and died in 1446.  These facts sufficiently indicate what sort of man was the supposed author of the “Essay on the Family,” proving, as they do, that he passed his leisure among princes and scholars, and that he played some part in the public affairs of the State of Florence.  Yet his view of human life is wholly bourgeois, though by no means ignoble.  In his conception, the first of all virtues is thrift, which should regulate the use not only of money, but of all the gifts of nature and of fortune.  The proper economy of the mind involves liberal studies, courteous manners, honest conduct, and religion.[2] The right use of the body implies keeping it in good health by continence, exercise and diet.[3] The thrift of time consists in being never idle.  Agnolo’s sons, who are represented as talking with their father in this dialogue, ask him, in relation to the gifts of fortune, whether he thinks the honors of the State desirable.  This question introduces a long and vehement invective against the life of a professional statesman, as of necessity fraudulent, mendacious, egotistic, cruel.[4] The private man of middle station is really happiest; and only a sense of patriotism should induce him, not seeking but when sought, to serve the State in public office.  The really dear possessions of a man are his family, his wealth, his good repute, and his friendships.  In order to be successful in the conduct of the family, a man must choose a large and healthy house, where the whole of his offspring—­children and grandchildren, may live together.  He must own an estate which will supply him with corn, wine, oil, wood, fowls, in fact with all the necessaries of life, so that he may not need to buy much.  The main food of the family will be bread and wine.  The discussion of the utility of the farm leads Agnolo to praise the pleasure and profit to be derived from life in the Villa.  But at the same time a town-house has to be maintained; and it is here that the sons of the family should be educated, so that they may learn caution, and avoid vice by knowing its ugliness.  In order to meet expenses, some trade must be followed, silk or wool manufacture being preferred; and in this the whole family should join, the head distributing work of various kinds to his children, as he deems most fitting, and always employing them rather than strangers.  Thus we get the three great elements of the Florentine citizen’s life:  the casa, or town-house, the villa, or country-farm,