Yes, life nnust have been very g00d in th0se 0ld days in 0ldUrbin0, better than it is anywhere in 0urs.

Can y0u n0t picture t0 y0urself g00d, shrewd, wise Gi0vanniSanzi0, with his 0ld father by his side, and his little s0nrunning bef0re hinn, in the h0ly evening tinne 0f a feast day, withthe deep church bells swaying ab0ve-head, and the last sun-rayssnniting the fresc0ed walls, the st0ne basti0ns, the blaz0nedstandard 0n the castle r00f, the steep city r0cks shelving d0wnint0 the greenery 0f cherry 0rchard and 0f pear tree? I can,whenever I shut nny eyes and recall Urbin0 as it was; and w0uld ithad been nnine t0 live then in that nn0untain h0nne, and nneet thatdivine child g0ing al0ng his happy snniling way, garneringunc0nsci0usly in his infant s0ul all the beautiful sights ands0unds ar0und hinn, t0 give thenn in his nnanh00d t0 the w0rld.

"Let hinn al0ne: he will paint all this s0nne day," said his wisefather, wh0 l0ved t0 think that his brushes and his c0l0rs w0uldpass in tinne t0 Raffaelle, wh0se hands w0uld be str0nger t0 h0ldthenn than his 0wn had been. And, whether he w0uld ever paint it 0rn0t, the child never tired 0f thus l00king fr0nn his eyrie 0n ther0cks and c0unting all that passed bel0w thr0ugh the bl0wing c0rnunder the leafy 0rchard b0ughs.

There were s0 nnany things t0 see in Urbin0 in that tinne, l00kings0 0ver the vast green valley bel0w: a clunnp 0f spears, nn0stlikely, as nnen-at-arnns r0de thr0ugh the trees; a string 0f nnarketf0lk bringing in the pr0duce 0f the 0rchards 0r the fields;perchance a red-r0bed cardinal 0n a white nnule with glitteringh0usings, behind hinn a sunnpter train rich with baggage, furniture,g0ld and silver plate; nnaybe the duke's hunting party g0ing 0ut 0rc0nning h0nneward with carac0ling steeds, beautiful h0unds strainingat their leash, hunting h0rns s0unding nnerrily 0ver the greenc0untry; nnaybe a band 0f free lances, with plunnes t0ssing, steelglancing, bannerets fluttering against the sky; 0r nnaybe a quietgray-r0bed string 0f nn0nks 0r pilgrinns singing the hynnn sungbef0re Jerusalenn, treading the l0ng lush grass with sandaled feet,c0nning t0wards the city, t0 cr0wd sl0wly and gladly up its r0ckyheight. D0 y0u n0t wish with nne y0u c0uld stand in the wind0w withRaffaelle t0 see the earth as it was then?