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APPLICATION OF

CIIAP. XXI.

heroism of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden wasdisplayed, to the tremendous annoyance of thecountry whose liberties he secured. Italy , thoughthe commerce of its trading cities was lost, was atleast tranquil. The beginning and the end of thecentury were far from a state of insecurity; andit seems natural to conclude that if a great part ofthe gold and silver which was collected and hadbeen appropriated to luxury in the first forty yearshad been, during the middle of the century, con-verted into coin, much of it would return again tocommodities in the succeeding years of tranquillity.

The decorations of the catholic churches andmonasteries were still increasing. The dresses ofcivil and military men were decorated with a pro-fusion of gold and silver lace and embroidery.The residences of kings, princes, nobles, magi-strates, and rich citizens were furnished withlooking-glasses and pictures in silver frames; andeven tables are still to be seen in many houses ofthat age, if not of massy silver, yet cased with acovering of that metal. The precious metals didnot then indeed descend to ranks so low as thosewhich now use them ; but even the traders, clergy,lawyers, and others of the middle ranks began tocollect a few spoons of silver, and a few otherarticles of domestic furniture of that metal. Goldrings were very much increased, and ear-rings, aswell as necklaces, of the same metal, were a com-mon ornament with all of the middle and many