Those old troubles were now,
however, long since past and gone; and Signor Fortini lived only for
his law and his artistic and antiquarian collections. He was like
many of his peers in the provincial cities of the Papal dominions--a
great antiquary and virtuoso. Antiquarianism is a "safe" pursuit
under a government the nature of which makes and finds very many
intellectual occupations unsafe. And this may account for the fact,
that very many competent historical antiquaries and collectors are
found in the Pope's territories among such men as Signor Fortini.
The son and grandson of thriving lawyers, who had for nearly an
hundred years managed the affairs of the Chapter and the estates of
the principal landed proprietors of the neighbourhood, was not
likely to be otherwise than well off; and it was generally
understood that Signor Fortini was a wealthy man. He loudly
protested on all occasions that this was a most mistaken notion; but
there never occurred an opportunity of adding to his very remarkable
collection of drawings of the old masters, or his unrivalled series
of mediaeval seals, or his all but perfect library of the Municipal
Statutes of the mediaeval Communes of Italy, which found Signor
Fortini unprepared to outbid most competitors.
There were very few among his clients whom Signor Fortini would not
have expected to call on him at his "studio," instead of summoning
him to wait on them.
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