“For to take him at every point, there was something to count off. Thus in all the city there was no one—according to his own declaration—who was
Richer or more prosperous,
Or who had enjoyed a better education,
Or who had such remarkable general knowledge of everything taking place,
Or more of a distinguished courtier,
Or one with such a train of dependants, and people of all kinds running after him,
Or more generally accomplished,
Or better looking—
“And finally, no one so physically strong, as he was accustomed to boast to everybody on first acquaintance, and give them proofs of it—he having heard somewhere that ‘physical force makes a deeper impression than courtesy.’ But all these fine gifts failed to inspire respect (and here was another puzzle in his nature), either because he was so tremendously vain that he looked down on all mortals as so many insects, and all pretty much alike as compared to himself, or else from a foolish carelessness and want of respect, he made himself quite as familiar with trivial people as with anybody. [213]
“One evening the Signore Pietro gave a grand ball in his palace, and as the guests came in—the beauty and grace and