Savonarola, 1452-1498, prior of monastery of S. Marco, Florence,
preacher, reformer, martyr.
Marc' Antonio, 1487-1539, engraver.
Bramante, 1444-1514, architect of St. Peter's.
Antonio da San Gallo, 1485-1546, architect of St. Peter's.
Christopher Columbus, 1436 or 1446-1506, discoverer.
Aldo Manuzio (Teobaldo Mannucci), 1450-1515, printer, established
press at Venice 1490.
Vittoria Colonna, 1490-1547, poet.




I

THE MADONNA AND CHILD


About two thousand years ago a babe was born in the little
Judæan village of Bethlehem whose life was to change all history. His
name was Jesus, and every Christian country now takes his birth as a
standard from which to reckon time. When we speak of the year 1900, we
are counting the number of years that have passed since that event.[3]
To make this clear we sometimes add the initials A.D., standing for
the Latin words, Anno Domini, meaning in the year of our Lord. To go
still farther back we speak of an event as so many years B.C. or
Before Christ.

[Footnote 3: To be perfectly exact we must always add four years to a