trust? By no means. The children were
soon after taken away from their mother's supervision and sent off to a
villa not far from Florence, where they were put entirely under the
control of the man who had just insulted their mother! Furthermore,
Boccaccio wrote, at a somewhat earlier date it is true, but in a state
of society which differed little from that under discussion, that women
were of little real consequence in the world, and that "since but few
good ones are to be found among them, they are to be avoided
altogether."

[Illustration 2:
_ITALIAN WEDDING COSTUMES AND CUSTOMS, FIFTEENTH CENTURY
After a contemporary painting in the Guanazzi Gallery, Florence.
Represents nearly all that was known of the civil noble life at the
beginning of the fifteenth century. The instruments of the musicians,
who are seated on a slight elevation, bear representations of the old
arms of the Florentine Republic (red fleur-de-lis on a silver field). In
the background is seen the baptistery. The bride is clothed in a robe of
black velvet, with gold embroideries. Her hand is in that of her
husband, who, according to the mode, is bareheaded. After the wedding
mass, he receives his guests before the door of his house._]

The position occupied by women in the eyes of the law is somewhat more
difficult to determine, but it may be said with certainty that they took
no part in the public duties of life and seem to have manifested no
yearnings in that direction. They did not vote or hold public office,
and would no doubt have looked inquiringly and without comprehension at
anyone who proposed such possibilities. Women were evidently being
shielded and protected as much as possible; property was rarely held by
them in their own names, and the laws appear to have been made for the
men almost exclusively. It will be remembered, perhaps, that when Dante
was banished from Florence, his wife was allowed to continue her
residence in that city without molestation, and was even able to save
much of their property from confiscation and devote it to the education
of their children. Later on, when Carlo Strozzi was sent away in exile,
his family was not disturbed in the least, and it was during his absence
from the city that his daughter Maddalena was married to Luchino
Visconti in the midst of most brilliant ceremonies. Guests were invited
from all the north of Italy, there were horseraces and tournaments, and
the whole function was one of great pomp