And that falling drapery of his cap is, in its few lines, faultless, and subtle beyond description.

And now, here is a simple but most useful test of your capacity for understanding Florentine sculpture or painting.

If you can see that the lines of that cap are both right, and lovely; that the choice of the folds is exquisite in its ornamental relations of line; and that the softness and ease of them is complete,--though only sketched with a few dark touches,--then you can understand Giotto's drawing, and Botticelli's; Donatello's carving and Luca's.

But if you see nothing in this sculpture, you will see nothing in theirs, of theirs.

Where they choose to imitate flesh, or silk, or to play any vulgar modern trick with marble--( and they often do)--whatever, in a word, is French, or American, or Cockney, in their work, you can see; but what is Florentine, and for ever great--unless you can see also the beauty of this old man in his citizen's cap,--you will see never." The passage is in "Mornings in Florence," which begins with S.Croce and should be read by every one visiting the city.