hould have never moved one step for
that purpose. That Mr. Kirkup took no active part in this matter at
any time, is quite proved by two admissions I find in the letter of
your correspondent. He first says, 'I remember that the first time
I passed to the Bargello to see it, I found Marini on a scaffold,'
&c. The fact is, that several months had elapsed between the first
presentation of the memorial and the erection of the scaffold,
during which Mr. Kirkup admits that he never thought of visiting
the place, while I had spent hours and hours there, under not very
pleasant circumstances, and had detected raised aureolas and other
evidences of old fresco. But he continues--'Marini was permitted to
return to the work on account of the government; and at that point
Bezzi returned to England. It was _some months afterwards that I
heard that Marini had found certain figures_, and soon afterwards
the discovery of Dante himself" (sic.) These two passages
sufficiently show the nature of Mr. Kirkup's labors, and how far he
was really eager in the pursuit of this object, both during the
time when I was most deeply engaged in it, and also for 'some
months' after I had quitted Florence. But to resume: Mr. Kirkup,
however ignorant, or culpably negligent, or a little of both, he
might previously have been on the subject, yet when I brought it
before him, he at once admitted its importance, and made a liberal
offer of money, if any should be required, to carry out the
experiment. Thus encouraged by Mr. Wilde and by Mr. Kirkup, I
sought and found among English, American, and Italian friends and
acquaintances, many that were ready to assist the plan. Then it was
that I drew up a memorial to the Grand Duke; not because I am an
'advocate,' as your correspondent is pleased to call me, for that
is not the case, but simply because, having taken pains to organize
the means of working out the common object, the cooeperators thought
that I could best represent what this common object was. In the
memorial, I stated that, according to what Vasari, Moreni, and
others had written, it was just possible that a treasure was lying
hidden under the dirty coatings of the walls of the dispensa in the
Bargello; that a society was already formed for the purpose of
seeking with all care for