Campuses dealing with the creepy critters who suck blood in the night

Laptops, textbooks and new jeans are among the must-haves for college students heading back to campus, but the most common back-to-school item may well be the blood-sucking bedbug. Colleges around the U.S. are reporting a scourge of the little buggers infesting dormitories, and the problem only gets worse when they hitchhike on their coed hosts going from room to room.

“U.S. college campuses are really the perfect setting,” noted entomologist Richard Cooper told Matt Lauer on TODAY Friday. “We have large numbers of students coming from all over the country and, in fact, all over the world every semester, and it’s inevitable that somebody is going to bring bugs with them. And once the bugs are introduced, they can rapidly spread because of all the interactions students have visiting each other’s rooms.”

The denizens of the mattress — nocturnal critters who feed on their host at night, then hide in the nooks and crannies of a bed during the day — trace their U.S. roots to soldiers returning home from World War II. They gained strength in numbers during the 1990s with widespread infestations of homes, hospitals and hotels.

But Cooper told Lauer that college campuses are a virtual perfect storm for bedbugs to thrive and grow in numbers.

Schools such as Stanford and Ohio State have had to clear out dormitories to deal with the scourge in recent years — and last year, Texas A&M had to empty its coffers of $27,000 to transport bedbug-sniffing dogs and high-heat treatments to rid dorms of the insects. The University of Florida is baking dorm mattresses at 113 degrees-plus to kill their bedbug populace.

Cooper told Lauer bedbugs tend to thrive because they are hard to spot — and even harder to eradicate. He brought along some samples to TODAY, and while Lauer noted there were some “big, juicy ones,” many are too minute to spot.

“They don’t carry disease, but they do leave incredibly itchy, irritating welts that can become heavy rashes on some people,” Cooper said. Checking for bites is one way to spot the furtive insects, and looking for their tiny black droppings on a mattress is another way to detect, he added.

Bake the buggers

The University of Florida knows what it’s doing by baking the bugs, Cooper added.

“Heat is a great idea — it is the biggest weakness of the bedbugs,” he told Lauer. “It will kill the adults and the immatures, the eggs as well.”

Unfortunately for a private homeowner, the practice is not for amateurs.

“Getting rid of them is very difficult. This is really a job for a professional,” Cooper said. “This is not something someone is going to do on their own. It takes repeated treatments.”

For the good news: “Once they’re gone, unless they are reintroduced, the problem is solved,” Cooper said.

Cooper’s ounce of prevention includes purchasing mattress and box spring encasements that restrict bedbug movement and make them easier to detect. And never, ever bring in discarded furniture from the street — as appealing as that might be for a college student looking to jazz up a dorm room.

“College students are on a budget, and they may see a mattress or other piece of furniture and their first thought is to take it home,” Cooper said. “More often than not, items on the street have bedbugs.”

He adds that students shouldn’t sit luggage or backpacks on their beds because bedbugs may have been hitching a ride during their travel. And if bedbugs are detected, hot laundering is the best home cure.

LEONARDO DA VINCI

LEONARDO DA VINCI
Painter and Sculptor of Florence
(1452-1519)

THE heav ens often rain down the richest gifts on human beings, naturally, but someti mes with lavish abundance bestow upon a single individual beauty, grace and ability, so that, whatever he does, every action is so divine that he distances all other men, and clearly displays how his genius is the gift of God and not an acquirement of human art. Men saw this in Leonardo da Vinci, whose personal beauty could not be exaggerated, whose every movement was grace itself and whose abilities were so extraordinary that he could readily solve every difficulty. He possessed great personal strength, combined with dexterity, and a spirit and courage invariably royal and magnanimous, and the fame of his name so spread abroad that, not only was he valued in his own day, but his renown has greatly increased since his death.

This marvellous and divine Leonardo was the son of Piero da Vinci. He would have made great profit in learning had he not been so capricious and fickle, for he began to learn many things and then gave them up. Thus in arithmetic, during the few months that he studied it, he made such progress that he frequently confounded his master by continually raising doubts and difficulties. He devoted some time to music, and soon learned to play the lyre, and, being filled with a lofty and delicate spirit, he could sing and improvise divinely with it. Yet though he studied so many different things, he never neglected design and working in relief, those being the things which appealed to his fancy more than any other. When Ser Piero perceived this, and knowing the boy's soaring spirit, he one day took some of his drawings to Andrea del Verrocchio, who was his close friend, and asked his opinion whether Leonardo would do anything by studying design. Andrea was so amazed at these early efforts that he advised Ser Piero to have the boy taught. So it was decided that Leonardo should go to Andrea's workshop. 1 The boy was greatly delighted, and not only practised his profession, but all those in which design has a part. Possessed of a divine and marvellous intellect, and being an excellent geometrician, he not only worked in sculpture, doing some heads of women smiling, which were casts, and children's heads also, executed like a master, but also prepared many architectural plans and elevations, and he was the first, though so young, to propose to canalise the Arno from Pisa to Florence. He made designs for mills, fulling machines, and other engines to go by water, and as painting was to be his profession he studied drawing from life. He would make clay models of figures, draping them with soft rags dipped in plaster, and would then draw them patiently on thin sheets of cambric or linen, in black and white, with the point of the brush. He did these admirably, as may be seen by specimens in my book of designs. He also drew upon paper so carefully and well that no one has ever equaled him. I have a head in grisai he which is divine. The grace of God so possessed his mind, his memory and intellect formed such a mighty union, and he could so clearly express his ideas in discourse, that he was able to confound the boldest opponents. Every day he made models and designs for the removal of mountains with ease and to pierce them to pass from one place to another, and by means of levers, cranes and winches to raise and draw heavy weights; he devised a method for cleansing ports, and to raise water from great depths, schemes which his brain never ceased to evolve. Many designs for these notions are scattered about, and I have seen numbers of them. He spent much time in making a regular design of a series of knots so that the cord maybe traced from one end to the other, the whole filling a round space. There is a fine engraving of this most difficult design, and in the middle are the words: Leonardus Vinci Academia. Among these models and designs there was one which he several times showed to many able citizens who then ruled Florence, of a method of raising the church of S. Giovanni and putting steps under it without it falling down. He argued with so much eloquence that it was not until after his departure that they recognised the impossibility of such a feat.

His charming conversation won all hearts, and although he possessed nothing and worked little, he kept servants and horses of which he was very fond, and indeed he loved all animals, and trained them with great kindness and patience. Often, when passing places where birds were sold, he would let them out of their cages and pay the vendor the price asked. Nature had favoured him so greatly that in whatever his brain or mind took up he displayed unrivalled divinity, vigour, vivacity, excellence, beauty and grace. His knowledge of art, indeed, prevented him from finishing many things which he had begun, for he felt that his hand would be unable to realize the perfect creations of his imagination, as his mind formed such difficult, subtle and marvellous conceptions that his hands, skilful as they were, could never have expressed them. His interests were so numerous that his inquiries into natural phenomena led him to study the properties of herbs and to observe the movements of the heavens, the moon's orbit and the progress of the sun.

Leonardo was placed, as I have said, with Andrea del Verrocchio in his childhood by Ser Piero, and his master happened to be painting a picture of St. John baptising Christ. 2 For this Leonardo did an angel holding some clothes, and, although quite young, he made it far better than the figures of Andrea. The latter would never afterwards touch colours, chagrined that a child should know more than he. Leonardo was next employed to draw a cartoon of the Fall for a portire in tapestry, to be made in Flanders of gold and silk, to send to the King of Portugal. Here he did a meadow in grisaille, with the lights in white lead, containing much vegetation and some animals, unsurpassable for finish and naturalness. There is a fig-tree, the leaves and branches beautifully foreshortened and executed with such care that the mind is amazed at the amount of patience displayed. There is also a palm-tree, the rotundity of the dates being executed with great and marvellous art, due to the patience and ingenuity of Leonardo. This work was not carried farther, and the cartoon is now in Florence in the fortunate house of Ottaviano de' Medici the Magnificent, to whom it was given not long ago by Leonardo's uncle.

It is said that when Ser Piero was at his country-seat he was requested by a peasant of his estate to get a round piece of wood painted for him at Florence, which he had cut from a fig-tree on his farm. Piero readily consented, as the man was ‚very skilful in catching birds and fishing, and was very useful to him in such matters. Accordingly Piero brought the wood to Florence and asked Leonardo to paint something upon it, without telling him its history. Leonardo, on taking it up to examine it one day, found it warped, badly prepared and rude, but with the help of fire he made it straight, and giving it to a turner, had it rendered soft and smooth instead of being rough and rude. Then, after preparing the surface in his own way, he began to cast about what he should paint on it, and resolved to do the Medusa head to terrify all beholders. To a room, to which he alone had access, Leonardo took lizards, newts, maggots, snakes, butterflies, locusts, bats, and other animals of the kind out of which he composed a horrible and terrible monster, of poisonous breath, issuing from a dark and broken rock, belching poison from its open throat, fire from its eyes, and smoke from its nostrils, of truly terrible and horrible aspect. He was so engrossed with the work that he did not notice the terrible stench of the dead animals, being absorbed in his love for art. His father and the peasant no longer asked for the work, and when it was finished Leonardo told his father to send for it when he pleased, as he had done his part. Accordingly Ser Piero went to his rooms one morning to fetch it. When he knocked at the door Leonardo opened it and told him to wait a little, and, returning to his room, put the round panel in the light on his easel, and having arranged the window to make the light dim, he called his father in. Ser Piero, taken unaware, started back, not thinking of the round piece of wood, or that the face which he saw was painted, and was beating a retreat when Leonardo detained him and said, "This work has served its purpose; take it away, then, as it has produced the effect intended." Ser Piero indeed thought it more than miraculous, and he warmly praised Leonardo's idea. He then quietly went and bought another round wheel with a heart transfixed by a dart painted upon it, and gave it to the peasant, who was grateful to Piero all his life. Piero took Leonardo's work secretly to Florence and sold it to some merchants for 100 ducats, and in a short time it came into the hands of the Duke of Milan, who bought it of them for 300 ducats.

Leonardo next did a very excellent Madonna, which afterwards belonged to Pope Clement VII. Among other things it contained a bowl of water with some marvellous flowers, the dew upon them seeming actually to be there, so that they looked more real than reality itself. For his good friend Antonio Segni he drew a Neptune on paper, with so much design and care that he seemed alive. The sea is troubled and his car is drawn by sea-horses, with the sprites, monsters, and south winds and other fine marine creatures. The drawing was given by Antonio's son Fabio to M. Giovanni Gaddi with this epigram:

Pinxit Virgilius Neptunum, pinxit Homerus;Dum maris undisoni per vada flectit equosMente quidem vates illum conspexit uterqueVincius ast oculus; jureque vincit eos.

Leonardo then had the fancy to paint a picture of the Medusa's head in oils with a garland of snakes about it, the most extra-ordinary idea imaginable, but as the work required time, it remained unfinished, the fate of nearly all his projects. 3 This is among the treasures in the palace of Duke Cosimo, together with the head of an angel, who is raising an arm in the air, this arm being foreshortened from the shoulder to the elbow, while the other rests on its breast. So marvellous was Leonardo's mind that, desiring to throw his things into greater relief, he endeavoured to obtain greater depths of shadow, and sought the deepest blacks in order to render the lights clearer by contrast. He succeeded so well that his scenes looked rather like representations of the night, there being no bright light, than of the brightness of day, though all was done with the idea of throwing things into greater relief and to find the end and perfection of art. Leonardo was so delighted when he saw curious heads, whether bearded or hairy, that he would follow about anyone who had thus attracted his attention for a whole day, acquiring such a clear idea of him that when he went home he would draw the head as well as if the man had been present. In this way many heads of men and women came to be drawn, and I have several such pen-and-ink drawings in my book, so often referred to. Among them is the head of Amergio Vespucci, a fine old man, drawn in carbon, and that of Scaramuccia, the gipsy captain, which afterwards belonged to M. Donato Valdambrini of Arezzo, canon of S. Lorenzo, left to him by Giambullari. He began a picture of the Adoration of the Magi, 4 containing many beautiful things, especially heads, which was in the house of Amerigo Benci, opposite the loggia of the Peruzzi, but which was left unfinished like his other things.

On the death of Giovan. Galeazzo, Duke of Milan, and the accession of Ludovico Sforza in the same year, 1493, Leonardo was invited to Milan with great ceremony by the duke to play the lyre, in which that prince greatly delighted. 5 Leonardo took his own instrument, made by himself in silver, and shaped like a horse's head, a curious and novel idea to render the harmonies more loud and sonorous, so that he surpassed all the musicians who had assembled there. Besides this he was the best reciter of improvised rhymes of his time. The duke, 6 captivated by Leonardo's conversation and genius, conceived an extraordinary affection for him. He begged him to paint an altar-picture of the Nativity, which was sent by the duke to the emperor. Leonardo then did a Last Supper for the Dominicans at S. Maria delle Grazie in Milan, 7 endowing the heads of the Apostles with such majesty and beauty that he left that of Christ unfinished, feeling that he could not give it that celestial divinity which it demanded. This work left in such a condition has always been held in the greatest veneration by the Milanese and by other foreigners, as Leonardo has seized the moment when the Apostles are anxious to discover who would betray their Master. All their faces are expressive of love, fear, wrath or grief at not being able to grasp the meaning of Christ, in contrast to the obstinacy, hatred and treason of Judas, while the whole work, down to the smallest details, displays incredible diligence, even the texture of the tablecloth being clearly visible so that actual cambric would not look more real. It is said that the prior incessantly importuned Leonardo to finish the work, thinking it strange that the artist should pass half a day at a time lost in thought. He would have desired him never to lay down the brush, as if he were digging a garden. Seeing that his importunity produced no effect, he had recourse to the duke, who felt compelled to send for Leonardo to inquire about the work, showing tactfully that he was driven to act by the importunity of the prior. Leonardo, aware of the acuteness and discretion of the duke, talked with him fully about the picture, a thing which he had never done with the prior. He spoke freely of his art, and explained how men of genius really are doing most when they work least, as they are thinking out ideas and perfecting the conceptions, which they subsequently carry out with their hands. He added that there were still two heads to be done, that of Christ, which he would not look for on the earth, and felt unable to conceive the beauty of the celestial grace that must have been incarnate in the divinity. The other head was that of Judas, which also caused him thought, as he did not think he could express the face of a man who could resolve to betray his Master, the Creator of the world, after having received so many benefits. But he was willing in this case to seek no farther, and for lack of a better he would do the head of the importunate and tactless prior. The duke was wonderfully amused, and laughingly declared that he was quite right. Then the poor prior, covered with confusion, went back to his garden and left Leonardo in peace, while the artist indeed finished his Judas, making him a veritable likeness of treason and cruelty. The head of Christ was left unfinished, as I have said. The nobility of this painting, in its composition and the care with which it was finished, induced the King of France to wish to take it home with him. Accordingly he employed architects to frame it in wood andiron, so that it might be transported in safety, without any regard for the cost, so great was his desire. But the king was thwarted by its being done on the wall, and it remained with the Milanese.

While engaged upon the Last Supper, Leonardo painted the portrait of Duke Ludovico, with Maximilian, his eldest son, at the top of this same refectory, where there is a Passion in the old style. At the other end he did the Duchess Beatrice with Francesco, her other son, both of whom afterwards became Dukes of Milan, the portraits being marvellous. While thus employed, Leonardo suggested that the duke should set up a bronze horse of colossal size with the duke upon it in memory of himself. But he began it on such a scale that it could never be done. Such is the malice of man when stirred by envy that there are some who believe that Leonardo, as with so many of his things, began this with no intention of completing it, because its size was so great that extraordinary difficulties might be foreseen in having it install in one piece. And it is probable that many have formed this opinion from the result, since so many of his things have been left unfinished. However, we can readily believe that his great and extraordinary talents suffered a check from being too venturesome, and that the real cause was his endeavour to go on from excellence to excellence and from perfection to perfection. Talche l'Operafusseritardata dal desio," 8 as our Petrarca says in truth, those who have seen Leonardo's large clay model aver that they never beheld anything finer or more superb. It was preserved until the French came to Milan with King Louis of France, and broke it all to pieces. Thus a small wax model, considered perfect, was lost, as well as a book of the anatomy of horses, done by him. He afterwards devoted even greater care to the study of the anatomy of men, aiding and being aided by M. Marcantonio della Torre, a profound philosopher, who then professed at Padua and wrote upon the subject. I have heard it said that he was one of the first who began to illustrate the science of medicine, by the learning of Galen, and to throw true light upon anatomy, up to that time involved in the thick darkness of ignorance. In this he was marvellously served by the genius, work and hands of Leonardo, who made a book about it with red crayon drawings 9 outlined with the pen, in which he foreshortened and portrayed with the utmost diligence. He did the skeleton, adding all the nerves and muscles, the first attached to the bone, the others keeping it firm and the third moving, and in the various parts he wrote notes in curious characters, using his left hand, and writing from right to left, so that it cannot be read without practice, and only at a mirror. A great part of the sheets of this anatomy is in the hands of M. Francesco de Melzo, a nobleman of Milan, who was a lovely child in Leonardo's time, who was very fond of him, and being now a handsome and courteous old man, he treasures up these drawings with a portrait of Leonardo. Whoever succeeds in reading these notes of Leonardo will be amazed to find how well that divine spirit has reasoned of the arts, the muscles, the nerves and veins, with the greatest diligence in all things. N. N., a painter of Milan, also possesses some writings of Leonardo, written in the same way, which treat of painting and of the methods of design and colour. 10 Not long ago he came to Florence to see me, wishing to have the work printed. He afterwards went to Rome to put it in hand, but I do not know with what result.

To return to Leonardo's works. When Lionardo was at Milan the King of France came there and desired him to do something curious; accordingly he made a lion whose chest opened after he had walked a few steps, discovering himself to be full of lilies. At Milan Leonardo took Salai 11 of that city as his pupil. This was a graceful and beautiful youth with fine curly hair, in which Leonardo greatly delighted. He taught him many things in art, and some works which are attributed in Milan to Salai were retouched by Leonardo. He returned to Florence, where he found that the Servite friars had allotted to Filippino the picture of the high altar of the Nunziata. At this Leonardo declared that he should like to have done a similar thing. Filippino heard this, and being very courteous, he withdrew. The friars, wishing Leonardo to paint it, brought him to their house, paying all his expenses and those of his household. He kept them like this for a long time, but never began anything. At length he drew a cartoon of the Virgin and St. Anne with a Christ, which not only filled every artist with wonder, but, when it was finished and set up in the room, men and women, young and old, flocked to see it for two days, as if it had been a festival, and they marvelled exceedingly. The face of the Virgin displays all the simplicity and beauty which can shed grace on the Mother of God, showing the modesty and humility of a Virgin contentedly happy, in seeing the beauty of her Son, whom she tenderly holds in her lap. As she regards it the little St. John at her feet is caressing a lamb, while St. Anne smiles in her great joy at seeing her earthly progeny become divine, a conception worthy of the great intellect and genius of Leonardo. This cartoon, as will be said below, afterwards went to France. He drew Ginevra, the wife of Amerigo Benci, a beautiful portrait, and then abandoned the work of the friars, who recalled Filippino, though he was prevented from finishing it by death.

For Francesco del Giocondo Leonardo undertook the portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife, and left it incomplete after working at it for four years. 12 This work is now in the possession of Francis, King of France, at Fontainebleau. This head is an extraordinary example of how art can imitate Nature, because here we have all the details painted with great subtlety. The eyes possess that moist lustre which is constantly seen in life, and about them are those livid reds and hair which cannot be rendered without the utmost delicacy. The lids could not be more natural, for the way in which the hairs issue from the skin, here thick and there scanty, and following the pores of the skin. The nose possesses the fine delicate reddish apertures seen in life. The opening of the mouth, with its red ends, and the scarlet cheeks seem not colour but living flesh. To look closely at her throat you might imagine that the pulse was beating. Indeed, we may say that this was painted in a manner to cause the boldest artists to despair. Mona Lisa was very beautiful, and while Leonardo was drawing her portrait he engaged people to play and sing, and jesters to keep her merry, and remove that melancholy which painting usually gives to portraits. This figure of Leonardo's has such a pleasant smile that it seemed rather divine than human, and was considered marvellous, an exact copy of Nature.

The fame of this divine artist grew to such a pitch by the excellence of his works that all who delighted in the arts and the whole city wished him to leave some memorial, and they endeavoured to think of some noteworthy decorative work through which the state might be adorned and honoured by the genius, grace and judgment characteristic of his work. The great hall of the council was being rebuilt under the direction of Giuliano da S. Gallo, Simone Pollajuolo called Cronaca, Miclielagnolo Buonarroti and Bacciod'Agnolo, by the judgment and advice of the gonfaloniere and leading citizens, as will be related at greater length in another place, and being finished with great speed, it was ordained by public decree that Leonardo should be employed to paint some fine work. Thus the hall was allotted to him 13 by Piero Soderini, then gonfaloniere of justice. Leonardo began by drawing a cartoon at the hall of the Pope, a place in S. Maria Novella, containing the story of Niccolo Piccinino, captain of Duke Filippo of Milan. 14 Here he designed a group of horsemen fighting for a standard, a masterly work on account of his treatment of the fight, displaying the wrath, anger and vindictiveness of men and horses; two of the latter, with their front legs involved, are waging war with their teeth no less fiercely than their riders are fighting for the standard. One soldier, putting his horse to the gallop, has turned round and, grasping the staff of the standard, is endeavouring by main force to wrench it from the hands of four others, while two are defending it, trying to cut the staff with their swords; an old soldier in a red cap has a hand on the staff, as he cries out, and holds a scimetar in the other and threatens to cut off both hands of the two, who are grinding their teeth and making every effort to defend their banner. On the ground, between the legs of the horses, are two foreshortened figures who are fighting together, while a soldier lying prone has another over him who is raising his arm as high as he can to run his dagger with his utmost strength into his adversary's throat; the latter, whose legs and arms are helpless, does what he can to escape death. The manifold designs Leonardo made for the costumes of his soldiers defy description, not to speak of the scimetars and other ornaments, and his incredible mastery of form and line in dealing with horses, which he made better than any other master, with their powerful muscles and graceful beauty. It is said that for designing the cartoon he made an ingenious scaffolding which rose higher when pressed together and broadened out when lowered. Thinking that he could paint on the wall in oils, he made a composition so thick for laying on the wall that when he continued his painting it began to run and spoil what had been begun, so that in a short time he was forced to abandon it.

Leonardo had a high spirit and was most generous in every action. It is said that when he went to the bank for the monthly provision that he used to receive from Piero Soderini, the cashier wanted to give him some rolls of farthings, but he would not take them, saying that he was not a painter for farthings. Learning that Piero Soderini accused him of deceiving him and that murmurs rose against him, Leonardo with the help of his friends collected the money and took it back, but Piero would not accept it. He went to Rome with Duke Giuliano de'Medici on the election of Leo X., 15 who studied philosophy and especially alchemy. On the way he made a paste with wax and constructed hollow animals which flew in the air when blown up, but fell when the wind ceased. On a curious lizard found by the vine-dresser of Belvedere he fastened scales taken from other lizards, dipped in quicksilver, which trembled as it moved, and after giving it eyes, a horn and a beard, he tamed it and kept it in a box. All the friends to whom he showed it ran away terrified. He would often dry and purge the guts of a wether and make them so small that they might be held in the palm of the hand. In another room he kept a pair of smith's bellows, and with these he would blow out one of the guts until it filled the room, which was a large one, forcing anyone thereto take refuge in a corner. The fact that it had occupied such a little space at first only added to the wonder. He perpetrated many such follies, studied mirrors and made curious experiments to find oil for painting and varnish to preserve the work done. At this time he did a small picture for M. Baldassare Turini of Pescia, the datary of Leo, of the Virgin and Child, with infinite diligence and art. But today it is much spoiled either by neglect or because of his numerous fanciful mixtures and the colouring. In another picture he represented a little child, marvellously beautiful and graceful, both works being now at Pescia in the possession of M. Giulio Turini. It is said that, on being commissioned by the Pope to do a work, he straightway began to distil oil and herbs to make the varnish, which induced Pope Leo to say: "This man will never do anything, for he begins to think of the end before the beginning.”

There was no love lost between him and Michelagnolo Buonarroti, so that the latter left Florence owing to their rivalry, Duke Giuliano excusing him by saying that he was summoned by the Pope to do the facade of S. Lorenzo. When Leonardo heard this, he left for France, where the king had heard of his works and wanted him to do the cartoon of St. Ane in colours. But Leonardo, as was his wont, gave him nothing but words for a long time. At length, having become old, he lay sick for many months, and seeing himself near death, he desired to occupy himself with the truths of the Catholic Faith and the holy Christian religion. Then, having confessed and shown his penitence with much lamentation, he devoutly took the Sacrament out of his bed, supported by his friends and servants, as he could not stand. The king arriving, for he would often pay him friendly visits, he sat up in bed from respect, and related the circumstances of his sickness, showing how greatly he had offended God and man in not having worked in his art as he ought. He was then seized with a paroxysm, the harbinger of death, so that the king rose and took his head to assist him and show him favour as well as to alleviate the pain. Leonardo's divine spirit, then recognising that he could not enjoy a greater honour, expired in the king's arms, at the age of seventy-five. The loss of Leonardo caused exception all grief to those who had known him, because there never was a man who did so much honour to painting. By the splendour of his magnificent mien he comforted every sad soul, and his eloquence could turn men to either side of a question. His personal strength was prodigious, and with his right hand he could bend the clapper of a knocker or a horseshoe as if they had been of lead. His liberality warmed the hearts of all his friends, both rich and poor, if they possessed talent and ability. His presence adorned and honoured the most wrethchied and bare apartment. Thus Florence received a great gift in the birth of Leonardo, and its loss in his death was immeasurable. To the art of painting he added a type of darkness to the style of colouring in oils whereby the moderns have imparted great vigour and relief to their figures. He proved his powers in statuary in three figures in bronze over the door of S. Giovanni on the north side. They were executed by Gio. Francesco Rustici, but under Leonardo's direction, and are the finest casts for design and general perfection that have as yet been seen. To Leonardo we owe a greater perfection in the anatomy of horses and men. Thus, by his many surpassing gifts, even though he talked much more about his in armour, a remarkable work, unequalled for its beauty, and that the general took it away with him. Giorgione did many other fine portraits which are scattered throughout Italy, as may be seen by that of Leonardo Loredano, done when he was doge, seen by me on exhibition one Ascension Day, so that I seemed to see that most serene prince alive. There is yet another at Faenza, in the house of Giovannni di Castel Polognese, 16 an excellent carver of cameos and crystals, done for his father-in-law. This is indeed a divine work for the soft blending of the colours, and it seems in relief rather than painted. Giorgione was very fond of painting in fresco, and among many things did all one side of Ca Soranzo on the piazza of S. Paolo, where, in addition to many pictures, scenes and other fancies, there is one done in oils upon lime, which has preserved it from the rain, sun and wind, so that it still exists. There is a Spring, which I think one of the loveliest works in fresco, and it is a great pity that time has injured it so cruelly. Personally I know of nothing that injures fresco so much as the scirocco, especially near the sea, where it always brings some saltness with it.

In the year 1504 there was a terrible fire 17 at Venice, in the Fondaco de' Tedeschi at the Rialto bridge, which consumed all the merchandise, inflicting great loss upon the merchants. The Signoria of Venice directed that it should be rebuilt, and it was speedily finished, with more convenient dwelling-rooms, greater magnificence, decoration and beauty than before. The fame of Giorgione being now considerable, those in charge of the building decided that he should paint it in fresco, colouring it according to his fancy, in order to display his ability in producing an excellent work, the site being the finest and the best position in all the city. Accordingly Giorgione set to work, 18 but with no other purpose than to make figures at fancy to display his art, for I cannot discover what they mean, whether they represent some ancient or modern story, and no one has been able to tell me. Here is a lady and there a man, in various attitudes, one has a lion's head hard-by, another an angel in the guise of a cupid, and I cannot tell what it means. There is certainly a woman over the principal door towards the Merzeria seated, with the head of a dead giant beneath, almost like a Judith. She is raising the head with a sword and speaking to a German below. I cannot explain this in any way unless he wished her to represent Germania. However, we see his figures well grouped and that he was always improving. There are heads and parts of figures which are excellently done and brilliantly coloured. Giorgione was careful in all that he did there to copy straight from living things, and not to imitate any one style. This building is celebrated and famous in Venice no less for these paintings than for its convenience for commerce and utility to the public. He did a picture of Christ bearing the Cross and a Jew dragging him along, which, after a time, was placed in the church of S. Rocco, 19 and now works miracles, as we see, through the devotion of the multitudes who visit it. He worked at various places, such as Castelfranco in the Trevisano, and did several portraits for various Italian princes, while many of his works were sent out of Italy as things of distinction, to show that if Tuscany overflowed with artists in all ages, Heaven had not entirely forgotten or passed over the district near the mountains.

Giorgione is said to have once engaged in an argument with some sculptors at the time when Andrea Verrocchio was making his bronze horse. They maintained that sculpture was superior to painting, because it presented so many various aspects, whereas painting only showed one side of a figure. Giorgione was of opinion that a painting could show at a single glance, without it being necessary to walkabout, all the aspects that a man can present in a number of gestures, while sculpture can only do so if one walks about it. He offered in a single view to show the front and back and the two sides of a figure in painting, a matter which greatly excited their curiosity. He accomplished this in the following way. He painted a nude figure turning its back; at its feet was a limpid fount of water, the reflection from which showed the front. On one side was a burnished corselet which had been taken off, and gave a side view, because tile shining metal reflected everything. On the other side was looking-glass, showing the other side of the figure, a beautiful and ingenious work to prove that painting demands more skill and pains, and shows to a single view more than sculpture does. This work was greatly admired and praised for its ingenuity and beauty. Giorgione also drew a portrait of Catherine, (Queen of Cyprus; which I have seen in the hands of the most excellent M. Giovan. Cornaro. In our book there is a head coloured in oils of a German of the house of Fugger, then one of the foremost merchants of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. This marvellous work is accompanied by other pen-and-ink sketches and designs of his.

Whilst Giorgione was doing honour to his country and to himself, he went frequently into society to entertain his numerous friends with music, and fell in love with a lady, so that they became greatly enamoured of each other. However, in 1511, she caught the plague, and Giorgione, being ignorant of this, associated with her as usual, took the infection, and died soon after at the age of thirty-four, to the infinite grief of his numerous friends, who loved him for his talents, and damage to the world which lost him. They were the better able to support the loss because he left behind two excellent pupils, Sebastiano of Venice, afterwards friar vi the Piombo at Rome, and Titian of Cadore, who not only equalled but far excelled his master. I shall have occasion to speak of these hereafter, and of the honour and benefit which they have conferred upon art.

• 1 About 1468.

• 2 About 1470.

• 3 The picture answering to this in the Uffizi is a work of the later sixteenth century, painted from Vasari's description.

• 4 Now in the Uffizi, supposed to be the high-altar picture for S. Donato in Scopeto which he was commissioned to paint in 1481.

• 5 Leonardo was at Milan from 1483.

• 6 Ludovico il Moro became duke in 1494, but he had been the real ruler of the state some time before.

• 7 Between 1495 and 1498.

• 8 The full quotation runs:

"Tu sai lesser mioE l'amor di saper che m'ha si accesoChe l'opra e ritardata dal desio."(Trionfo d'Amore, cap. 3. II. 7-9.)

• 9 Now in the British Museum.

• 10 Trattato della Pittura, published in 1651.

• 11 Andrea Salaino.

• 12 1503-06.

• 13 In 1503.

• 14 The Battle of Anghari, in which the Florentines routed the army of the Duke of Milan on 29 June, 1440.

• 15 This was in 1513, but Leonardo did not go till 1515.

• 16 Giovanni Bernardi.

• 17 On 28 January, 1505, new style.

• 18 In 1507.

• 19 Modern critics accept this as a work of the master, but in the Life of Titian, Vasari ascribes it to that artist.

Height

At the professional level, most male players are above 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m) and most women above 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m). Guards, for whom physical coordination and ball-handling skills are crucial, tend to be the smallest players. Almost all forwards in the men's pro leagues are 6 ft 6 in (2 m) or taller. Most centers are over 6 ft 10 in (2.1 m) tall. According to a survey given to all NBA teams, the average height of all NBA players is just under 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), with the average weight being close to 222 lb (101 kg). The tallest players ever in the NBA were Manute Bol and Gheorghe Mureşan, who were both 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) tall. The tallest current NBA player is Yao Ming, who stands at 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m).

The shortest player ever to play in the NBA is Muggsy Bogues at 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m). Other short players have thrived at the pro level. Anthony "Spud" Webb was just 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) tall, but had a 42-inch (1.07 m) vertical leap, giving him significant height when jumping. The shortest player in the NBA as of the 2006-07 season is Earl Boykins at 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m). While shorter players are often not very good at defending against shooting, their ability to navigate quickly through crowded areas of the court and steal the ball by reaching low are strengths.

Blocking

A block is performed when, after a shot is attempted, a defender attempts to alter the shot by touching the ball. In almost all variants of play, it is illegal to touch the ball after it is in the downward part of its arc; this is known as goaltending. It is also illegal to block a shot after it has touched the backboard, or when any part of the ball is directly above the rim.

To block a shot, a player has to be able to reach a point higher than where the shot is released. Thus, height can be an advantage in blocking. Players at the taller power forward or center positions generally record more blocks than players at the shorter guard positions. However, with good timing and sufficient vertical leap, even shorter players can be effective at blocking shots.

Dribbling

Dribbling is the act of bouncing the ball continuously, and is a requirement for a player to take steps with the ball. To dribble, a player pushes the ball down towards the ground rather than patting it; this ensures greater control.

When dribbling past an opponent, the dribbler should dribble with the hand farthest from the opponent, making it more difficult for the defensive player to get to the ball. It is therefore important for a player to be able to dribble competently with both hands.

Good dribblers (or "ball handlers") tend to bounce the ball low to the ground, reducing the travel from the floor to the hand, making it more difficult for the defender to "steal" the ball. Additionally, good ball handlers frequently dribble behind their backs, between their legs, and change hands and directions of the dribble frequently, making a less predictable dribbling pattern that is more difficult to defend. This is called a crossover, which is the most effective way to pass defenders while dribbling.

A skilled player can dribble without watching the ball, using the dribbling motion or peripheral vision to keep track of the ball's location. By not having to focus on the ball, a player can look for teammates or scoring opportunities, as well as avoid the danger of someone stealing the ball from him/her.

Passing

Assist (basketball)

A pass is a method of moving the ball between players. Most passes are accompanied by a step forward to increase power and are followed through with the hands to ensure accuracy.

A staple pass is the chest pass. The ball is passed directly from the passer's chest to the receiver's chest. A proper chest pass involves an outward snap of the thumbs to add velocity and leaves the defense little time to react.

Another type of pass is the bounce pass. Here, the passer bounces the ball crisply about two-thirds of the way from his own chest to the receiver. The ball strikes the court and bounces up toward the receiver. The bounce pass takes longer to complete than the chest pass, but it is also harder for the opposing team to intercept (kicking the ball deliberately is a violation). Thus, players often use the bounce pass in crowded moments, or to pass around a defender.

The overhead pass is used to pass the ball over a defender. The ball is released while over the passer's head.

The outlet pass occurs after a team gets a defensive rebound. The next pass after the rebound is the outlet pass.

The crucial aspect of any good pass is being impossible to intercept. Good passers can pass the ball with great accuracy and touch and know exactly where each of their teammates like to receive the ball. A special way of doing this is passing the ball without looking at the receiving teammate. This is called a no-look pass.

Another advanced style of passing is the behind-the-back pass which, as the description implies, involves throwing the ball behind the passer's back to a teammate. Although some players can perform them effectively, many coaches discourage no-look or behind-the-back passes, believing them to be fundamentally unsound, difficult to control, and more likely to result in turnovers or violations.

Rebounding

The objective of rebounding is to successfully gain possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw, as it rebounds from the hoop or backboard. This plays a major role in the game, as most possessions end when a team misses a shot. There are two categories of rebounds: offensive rebounds, in which the ball is recovered by the offensive side and does not change possession, and defensive rebounds, in which the defending team gains possession of the loose ball. The majority of rebounds are defensive, as the team on defense tends to be in better position to recover missed shots.

Shooting

Shooting is the act of attempting to score points by throwing the ball through the basket. While methods can vary with players and situations, the most common technique can be outlined here.

The player should be positioned facing the basket with feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and back straight. The player holds the ball to rest in the dominant hand's fingertips (the shooting arm) slightly above the head, with the other hand on the side of the ball. To aim the ball, the player's elbow should be aligned vertically, with the forearm facing in the direction of the basket. The ball is shot by bending and extending the knees and extending the shooting arm to become straight; the ball rolls off the finger tips while the wrist completes a full downward flex motion. When the shooting arm is stationary for a moment after the ball released, it is known as a follow-through; it is incorporated to maintain accuracy. Generally, the non-shooting arm is used only to guide the shot, not to power it.

Players often try to put a steady backspin on the ball to deaden its impact with the rim. The ideal trajectory of the shot is somewhat arguable, but generally coaches will profess proper arch. Most players shoot directly into the basket, but shooters may use the backboard to redirect the ball into the basket.

The two most common shots that use the above described set up are the set shot and the jump shot. The set shot is taken from a standing position, with neither foot leaving the floor, typically used for free throws. The jump shot is taken while in mid-air, near the top of the jump. This provides much greater power and range, and it also allows the player to elevate over the defender. Failure to release the ball before returning the feet to the ground is a traveling violation.

Another common shot is called the layup. This shot requires the player to be in motion toward the basket, and to "lay" the ball "up" and into the basket, typically off the backboard (the backboard-free, underhand version is called a finger roll). The most crowd-pleasing, and typically highest-percentage accuracy shot is the slam dunk, in which the player jumps very high, and throws the ball downward, straight through the hoop.

Another shot that is becoming common is the "circus shot". The circus shot is a low-percentage shot that is flipped, heaved, scooped, or flung toward the hoop while the shooter is off-balance, airborne, falling down, and/or facing away from the basket.

A shot that misses both the rim and the backboard completely is referred to as an air ball. A particularly bad shot, or one that only hits the backboard, is jocularly called a brick.

Basketball positions in the offensive zone

Basketball positions in the offensive zone

Although the rules do not specify any positions whatsoever, they have evolved as part of basketball. During the first five decades of basketball's evolution, one guard, two forwards, and two centers or two guards, two forwards, and one center were used. Since the 1980s, more specific positions have evolved, namely:

1. point guard: usually the fastest player on the team, organizes the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time
2. shooting guard: creates a high volume of shots on offense; guards the opponent's best perimeter player on defense
3. small forward: often primarily responsible for scoring points via cuts to the basket and dribble penetration; on defense seeks rebounds and steals, but sometimes plays more actively
4. power forward: plays offensively often with his back to the basket; on defense, plays under the basket (in a zone defense) or against the opposing power forward (in man-to-man defense)
5. center: uses size to score (on offense), to protect the basket closely (on defense), or to rebound.

The above descriptions are flexible. On some occasions, teams will choose to use a three guard offense, replacing one of the forwards or the center with a third guard. The most commonly interchanged positions are point guard and shooting guard, especially if both players have good leadership and ball handling skills.

There are two main defensive strategies: zone defense and man-to-man defense. Zone defense involves players in defensive positions guarding whichever opponent is in their zone. In man-to-man defense, each defensive player guards a specific opponent and tries to prevent him from taking action.

Offensive plays are more varied, normally involving planned passes and movement by players without the ball. A quick movement by an offensive player without the ball to gain an advantageous position is a cut. A legal attempt by an offensive player to stop an opponent from guarding a teammate, by standing in the defender's way such that the teammate cuts next to him, is a screen or pick. The two plays are combined in the pick and roll, in which a player sets a pick and then "rolls" away from the pick towards the basket. Screens and cuts are very important in offensive plays; these allow the quick passes and teamwork which can lead to a successful basket. Teams almost always have several offensive plays planned to ensure their movement is not predictable. On court, the point guard is usually responsible for indicating which play will occur.

Defensive and offensive structures, and positions, are more emphasized in higher levels in basketball; it is these that a coach normally requests a time-out to discuss.

Fouls

The referee signals that a foul has been committed.

An attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent through physical contact is illegal and is called a foul. These are most commonly committed by defensive players; however, they can be committed by offensive players as well. Players who are fouled either receive the ball to pass inbounds again, or receive one or more free throws if they are fouled in the act of shooting, depending on whether the shot was successful. One point is awarded for making a free throw, which is attempted from a line 15 feet (4.5 m) from the basket.

The referee may use discretion in calling fouls (for example, by considering whether an unfair advantage was gained), sometimes making fouls controversial calls. The calling of fouls can vary between games, leagues and even between referees.

A player or coach who shows poor sportsmanship, for instance, by arguing with a referee or by fighting with another player, can be charged with a more serious foul called a technical foul. The penalty involves free throws (which unlike a personal foul, the other team can choose any player to shoot the free throws) and varies between leagues. Repeated incidents can result in disqualification. Blatant fouls with excessive contact or that are not an attempt to play the ball are called unsportsmanlike fouls (or flagrant fouls in the NBA) and typically will result in ejection.

If a team exceeds a certain limit of team fouls in a given period (quarter or half) – four for NBA and international games – the opposing team is awarded one or two free throws on all subsequent fouls for that period, the number depending on the league. In the US college game if a team surpasses 7 fouls in the half the opposing team is awarded a one-and-one free throw (a player making the first is given a second). If a team exceeds 10 fouls in the half the opposing team is awarded two free throws on all subsequent fouls for the half. A player who commits five fouls, including technical fouls, in a game (six in some professional leagues, including the NBA) is not allowed to participate for the rest of the game, and is said to have "fouled out".

After a team has committed a specified number of fouls, it is said to be "in the penalty". On scoreboards, this is usually signified with an indicator light reading "Bonus" or "Penalty" with an illuminated directional arrow indicating that team is to receive free throws when fouled by the opposing team. (Some scoreboards also indicate the number of fouls committed.)

The number of free throws awarded increases with the number of fouls committed. Initially, one shot is awarded, but after a certain number of additional fouls are committed the opposing team may receive (a) one shot with a chance for a second shot if the first shot is made, called shooting "one-and-one", or (b) two shots. If a team misses the first shot (or "front end") of a one-and-one situation, the opposing team may reclaim possession of the ball and continue play. If a team misses the first shot of a two-shot situation, the opposing team must wait for the completion of the second shot before attempting to reclaim possession of the ball and continuing play.

If a player is fouled while attempting a shot and the shot is unsuccessful, the player is awarded a number of free throws equal to the value of the attempted shot. A player fouled while attempting a regular two-point shot, then, receives two shots. A player fouled while attempting a three-point shot, on the other hand, receives three shots.

If a player is fouled while attempting a shot and the shot is successful, typically the player will be awarded one additional free throw for one point. In combination with a regular shot, this is called a "three-point play" (or more colloquially, an "and one") because of the basket made at the time of the foul (2 points) and the additional free throw (1 point). Four-point plays, while rare, can also occur.

Violation

The ball may be advanced toward the basket by being shot, passed between players, thrown, tapped, rolled or dribbled (bouncing the ball while running).

The ball must stay within the court; the last team to touch the ball before it travels out of bounds forfeits possession. The ball-handler may not move both feet without dribbling, known as traveling, nor may he dribble with both hands or catch the ball in between dribbles, a violation called double dribbling. A player's hand cannot be under the ball while dribbling; doing so is known as carrying the ball. A team, once having established ball control in the front half of the court, may not return the ball to the backcourt. The ball may not be kicked nor struck with the fist. A violation of these rules results in loss of possession, or, if committed by the defense, a reset of the shot clock.

There are limits imposed on the time taken before progressing the ball past halfway (8 seconds in international and NBA; 10 seconds in NCAA and high school), before attempting a shot (24 seconds in the NBA, 30 seconds in NCAA women's and Canadian Interuniversity Sport play for both sexes, and 35 seconds in NCAA men's play), holding the ball while closely guarded (5 seconds), and remaining in the restricted area (the lane, or "key") (3 seconds). These rules are designed to promote more offense.

No player may interfere with the basket or ball on its downward flight to the basket, or while it is on the rim (or, in the NBA, while it is directly above the basket), a violation known as goaltending. If a defensive player goaltends, the attempted shot is considered to have been successful. If a teammate of the shooter goaltends, the basket is cancelled and play continues with the defensive team being given possession.

Equipment

Traditional eight-panel basketball

The only essential equipment in basketball is the basketball and the court: a flat, rectangular surface with baskets at opposite ends. Competitive levels require the use of more equipment such as clocks, scoresheets, scoreboard(s), alternating possession arrows, and whistle-operated stop-clock systems.

A regulation basketball court in international games is 28 by 15 meters (approx. 92 by 49 ft) and in the NBA is 94 by 50 feet (29 by 15 m). Most courts are made of wood. A steel basket with net and backboard hang over each end of the court. At almost all levels of competition, the top of the rim is exactly 10 feet (3.05 m) above the court and 4 feet (1.2 m) inside the baseline. While variation is possible in the dimensions of the court and backboard, it is considered important for the basket to be of the correct height; a rim that is off by but a few inches can have an adverse effect on shooting.

There are also regulations on the size a basketball should be. If women are playing, the official basketball size is 28.5" in circumference (size 6) and a weight of 20 oz. For men, the official ball is 29.5" in circumference (size 7) and weighs 22 oz.

Playing regulations

Games are played in four quarters of 10 (international) or 12 minutes (NBA). College games use two 20 minute halves while most high school games use eight minute quarters. Fifteen minutes are allowed for a half-time break, and two minutes are allowed at the other breaks. Overtime periods are five minutes long. Teams exchange baskets for the second half. The time allowed is actual playing time; the clock is stopped while the play is not active. Therefore, games generally take much longer to complete than the allotted game time, typically about two hours.

Five players from each team (out of a twelve player roster) may be on the court at one time. Substitutions are unlimited but can only be done when play is stopped. Teams also have a coach, who oversees the development and strategies of the team, and other team personnel such as assistant coaches, managers, statisticians, doctors and trainers.

For both men's and women's teams, a standard uniform consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey with a clearly visible number, unique within the team, printed on both the front and back. Players wear high-top sneakers that provide extra ankle support. Typically, team names, players' names and, outside of North America, sponsors are printed on the uniforms.

A limited number of time-outs, clock stoppages requested by a coach for a short meeting with the players, are allowed. They generally last no longer than one minute unless, for televised games, a commercial break is needed.

The game is controlled by the officials consisting of the referee ("crew chief" in men's college and the NBA), one or two umpires ("referees" in men's college and the NBA) and the table officials. For college, the NBA, and many high schools, there are a total of three referees on the court. The table officials are responsible for keeping track of each teams scoring, timekeeping, individual and team fouls, player substitutions, team possession arrow, and the shot clock.

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m) high hoop (the goal) under organized rules. Basketball is one of the most popular and widely viewed sports in the world.

Points are scored by shooting the ball through the basket above; the team with more points at the end of the game wins. The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it (dribbling) or passing it between teammates. Disruptive physical contact (fouls ) is not permitted and there are restrictions on how the ball can be handled (violations).

Through time, basketball has developed to involve common techniques of shooting, passing and dribbling, as well as players' positions, and offensive and defensive structures. Typically, the tallest members of a team will play center, the shortest member usually plays "point guard" while often the best ball handlers are guards. While competitive basketball is carefully regulated, numerous variations of basketball have developed for casual play. In some countries, basketball is also a popular spectator sport.

While competitive basketball is primarily an indoor sport, played on a basketball court, less regulated variations have become exceedingly popular as an outdoor sport among both inner city and rural groups.

Iran sends missile test warning

Iran has test-fired what it called a new version of the Shahab-3 missile, whose range puts it within reach of Israel, state media have said.

The missile, said to have a range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles), was one of nine launched from a remote desert site.

Iran has tested the Shahab-3 before, but the latest test comes amid rising tensions with the US and Israel over Iran's nuclear programme.

Worries about the stand-off have been one factor pushing up world oil prices.

"We are ready to defend the integrity of the Iranian nation," said the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' air force, Brigadier General Hoseyn Salami.

Two other types of missile with shorter ranges were also fired as part of the Great Prophet III war games being staged by the Guards.

"Our missiles are ready for shooting at any place and any time, quickly and with accuracy," Gen Salami added. "The enemy must not repeat its mistakes. The enemy targets are under surveillance."

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran says this is a clear warning from Iran.

It is a response to a recent military exercise by Israel, which was seen as a rehearsal for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, he says.

Earlier, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader said it would respond to any military attack by hitting the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

Other commanders have threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large part of the world's oil flows, and to target the US and its allies around the world if Iran comes under attack.

The missile test came shortly after the US Treasury announced new financial sanctions on Iranian officials it suspected of involvement in the country's nuclear programme.

Among those targeted were a senior scientist at the defence ministry, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi, and three companies believed to be related to the arms industry.

Western powers suspect Tehran of seeking to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran says its nuclear programme is peaceful.

The US also signed on Tuesday an agreement with the Czech Republic to build a radar station near Prague as part of a defence shield to shoot down incoming missiles from what Washington calls "rogue states" such as Iran.

The move drew immediate criticism from Russia, which warned that it would proceed with its own military deployments.

GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE Cathedral

Cathedral, Paris









Cathedral, Reims








Cathedral, Laon






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ROSWELL PETTIBONE FLOWER

Born August 7, 1835, at Theresa, Jefferson county, N. Y., the fourth son and sixth child of Nathan Monroe and Mary Ann (Boyle) Flower. The father, who died when Roswell was in his eighth year, was born at Oak Hill, Greene county, N. Y., and learned the cloth dressing and wool carding trade in his father’s mill. Upon reaching his majority he established himself in business at Cooperstown, Otsego county, N. Y. Here he remained for some time, and married in the neighboring village of Cherry Valley. Soon after he removed to Theresa, then in the midst of the “northern wilderness,” and established a woolen mill, but died in 1843, leaving the faithful, Industrious mother to care for their nine children, and to manage the business. The family owned a farm of about thirty acres near the village and another of some two hundred acres eight miles out, and each child worked on these farms, raising general crops and cutting wood. Young Roswell picked wool in the woolen mill and worked industriously on these farms; but his mother was not a woman to neglect the mental training of her children, and he was sent to school with regularity. He had three elder brothers and it was therefore not his good fortune to have a new suit of clothes until he was able to earn them himself. Cut-down clothes were invariably his portion and stories are still told of the depression and mental anguish which this caused him.

One of his elder sisters had married a merchant of Theresa (Silas L. George), and he was given employment as a chore boy in the store at a salary of five dollars per month and board. During the sessions of the Theresa High School he found time to attend and was graduated at the early age of sixteen. Many anecdotes have been related of how young Flower earned extra spending money. He cut wood for the professional men of the little village, worked on the farms in haying time, and in a brick yard, receiving $1.50 a week for driving a yoke of stags around a clay vat (treading).

There is no employment so well calculated to develop earnest character and self-reliance as school teaching, and many a successful man has gained a valuable experience as a country teacher. Roswell P. Flower is one of these; he made a good school teacher and therefore a successful man. Perhaps the following anecdote, which has frequently been published, will give a better idea than other description of the qualities which secured his success in this field, harder then than now, for the master often had to be the physical as well as mental superior of the whole school: “At the noon intermission of his first day in school, the biggest boy came to him for a ‘square-hold wrestle.’ Mr. Flower accepted the challenge and easily threw the lad. After he had thrown all the larger boys, he found them all, with one exception, ready to recognize his authority. One day in the spelling class this boy refused to pronounce his syllables and only did so after a tussle. Mr. Flower then gave notice that a spelling school would be held that evening and stated that he desired only those of the scholars to come who would be willing to do their best, and during the intermission the young man in question was heard to remark that he would attend the school but would not spell. Roswell was boarding at this time with the family of Edward Cooper, with whom lived a young man of twenty-two named James Casey. The young teacher talked over the expected trouble and arranged that Casey should choose one side of the school and if the obstreperous young fellow should make his appearance, Casey should elect him to his side, and if he made any fuss in spelling, the two should join forces and put him out. The evening school had not been opened more than ten minutes before the young man came in and sat down behind one of the old fashioned desks. He was immediately chosen but said he would not spell, and at this young Flower told him he must either spell or leave the school. He replied that he would be

if he would spell and that he would be if he would leave the school. Mr. Flower insisted, which only called forth a repetition of the offensive remarks. The schoolmaster then called upon anybody present who desired to resent the insult to the school and the teacher to assist him in putting the offender out of doors; whereupon young Casey rose up and the young man was speedily ejected. But he was not conquered. He went over to the hotel a few rods distant and persuaded one of the trustees and a big chap by the name of William Waufell to come over and whip the teacher. Nothing daunted Roswell stated the case to his belligerant visitors and then said to the young man, ‘Now, sir, you must either spell or leave this school again.’ This conquered the youthful Sampson and he spelled without further trouble. After school was out the colossal Mr. Waufell remarked that if the young fellow had not spelled he would have whipped him himself.

In 1853 young Flower was offered a position in a general store at Philadelphia (N. Y.). The proprietor, a Mr. Woodford, failed shortly after, and being thrown out of employment he returned to his native village and finding no better employment, worked in the hay field, “keeping up his end in the mowing with eleven men.” In August of the same year he was offered a position in the hardware store of Howell, Cooper & Company of Watertown, but after a few months in this position bettered his condition by accepting a position as deputy postmaster at a salary of $50 a month and board. This position he held for five years under postmaster W. H. Sigourney. In the last year of his employment in the post.offlce he married Sarah M. Woodruff, a daughter of Norris M. Woodruff of Watertown, and of this union three children were born, only one of whom now survives, Emma Gertrude, wife of John B. Taylor of Watertown. Up to this time he had managed to save $1,000 and with this purchased an interest in a jewelry business at 1 Court street in Watertown, the firm name being Hitchcock & Flower. This store now stands and is still used to accommodate a jewelry business. Watertown people point it out to visitors with the remark “There Roswell P. Flower laid the foundation of his fortune.” Mr. Flower’s ability seems to have been purely mercantile, although he once absorbed a considerable knowledge of Blackstone and Kent with a view of entering the legal profession, and many believe that he would have gained a brilliant reputation as a business lawyer.

He obtained his first knowledge of large business affairs under the direction of Henry Keep, the well known capitalist, who had married Miss Anna Woodruff, a sister of Mrs. Flower. After Mr. Keep’s death he removed to New York city and took charge of the Henry Keep estate, then worth in the neighborhod of $1,000,000. This has increased under his careful and able management until it is now worth over $4,000,000. Much of the estate was in the West where Mr. Flower was a frequent visitor, gaining a personal knowledge of the vast resources of almost every section of the western country. It would be well perhaps to state here that Mr. Flower’s private fortune, which is estimated in the millions, was not made by speculation in Wall street, but by the shrewd purchasing of properties, which, by careful and prudent management, have developed and proved valuable investments.

In 1872, after Mr. Flower’s serious illness, the firm of Benedict, Flower & Co. was dissolved and Mr. Flower confined his attention to the conduct of the large estates which had been placed in h.is care. In connection with this work he soon found it necessary to establish a New York office at 84 Broadway, and at this time Anson R. Flower, a younger brother, was brought from Watertown in order to become acquainted with the business that he might take charge of it in Mr. Flower’s absence. However, it was difficult for a man of his great insight into the larger business enterprises of the day to readily withdraw, and without any attempt being made in this direction the firm soon found itself doing a large commission trade, and to further provide for these increased cares another brother was admitted (John D. Flower), together with a nephew (Frederick S. Flower). Mr. Flower did not, however, retire from active participation in the management until 1890, when he became a special partner.

The sterling Democracy of Roswell P. Flower is too well known to need comment here. Some one paid him a just compliment in saying that “ His Democracy is ingrained not grafted.” He cast his first vote for Buchanan and from then on was a worker in the Democratic party. Even as a young man he showed himself to be possessed of the great gifts in organizing and handling men. He was chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic Committee for several years and helped to start the organization which became known throughout the State as one of the best equipped political organizations within its borders. In 1877 he was chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee when the party won the campaign notwithstanding the bolt against the ticket. It will be remembered that Levi P. Morton was elected to Congress from the Eleventh District by 4,000 majority, and held the seat until appointed minister to France. To fill the vacancy, William Waldorf Astor was nominated by the Republicans, while Mr. Flower was induced by his friends to accept the Democratic nomination after Orlando B. Potter had declined. He accepted it on the platform that he would not purchase a vote to secure his election, and took the seat with the surprising majority of 3,100.

In the Forty-seventh Congress he was a member of the Committee on Banking, and leaped at once into prominence as a financial legislator. He also during his first term made notable speeches on the reduction of taxes, the Chinese question and the River and Harbor bill. At the Democratic State Convention in 1382 General Slocum and Roswell P. Flower each received 134 votes for the gubernatorial nomination, and Grover Cleveland 61. But at this time it was thought better to nominate a man outside of New York city, and he withdrew in favor of Cleveland. In the same year he refused a renomination for Congress, although offered the unanimous support of both factions of the party, and in addition being assured that should he consent to run the Republicans would make no nomination. Orlando P. Potter, who was nominated and elected in his place, received Mr. Flower’s hearty support. In 1885 he declined the nomination for the lieutenant-governorship, and the honor fell to “Jones of Binghamton.” In 1882 he was made chairman of the Democratic Congressional Committee, and his management resulted in a majority of fifty in the House. In the presidential campaign of 1888 he was one of the four delegates at large, and in this same year, for purely unselfish and almost self-sacrificing motives, accepted the nomination for Congress from the Twelfth district. In the Fifty first Congress he was a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and also a member of the committee on the World’s Fair. Mr. Flower’s efforts to keep the fair in New York State will not be readily forgotten. As a legislator he was a success, primarily because he made it his business to master the details of the subject in hand. He often created surprise in the committee rooms through the remarkable knowledge which he possessed of the different sections of the country. His speech on the irrigation question attracted wide attention, as did the original and thoughtful position which he took on many of the important legislative problems of the times. In 1890 he was chosen to act as chairman of the Congressional Campaign Committee, and no student of politics who recollects the outcome of this campaign and the lines on which it was conducted, fails to give credit for this triumph, largely attained by his shrewd and capable management.

In 1891 the party which he had so faithfully served from early manhood honored him with the gubernatorial nomination, and he was elected to the highest office within the gift of the people of the Empire State, obtaining a plurality over J. Sloat Fassett of 47,937 votes. In the memorable campaign of 1896 he followed his convictions by taking a firm stand with the Gold Democrats.

In this brief synopsis of the life of Mr. Flower we can not presume to adequately write of his well known philanthropy. A gift which must appeal strongly to all was the St. Thomas House in New York city, for which he donated $50,000. The building contains rooms occupied by American, German and Chinese Sunday Schools, a diet kitchen, institution for the instruction of young girls in sewing and mending, a library and a boys’ club room. A slab of marble reads: “Erected to God by Roswell P. Flower and Sarah M. Flower, in memory of their son, Henry Keep Flower.” Other notable gifts are the Memorial Presbyterian Church at his boyhood home, the Flower Hospital in New York city, and the Trinity Church in Watertown (associated with his brother, Anson R. Flower). Mr. Flower has made his life a blessing to many, for he is a man of the noblest emotions. No one will ever be able to enumerate his private charities, and although he has always been an exacting business man and a strong partisan, his personal popularity is great. Even in his youth his character was strongly developed, and those who knew him then call to mind many instances which prove that he must have been a manly boy. He came of good Puritan stock, the family having settled near Hartford, Conn., in 1696.