The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Complete
[Footnote 11: See No. 723, where this passage is repeated.] Of the
horse I will say nothing because I know the times [are bad] to your
Lordship how I had still to receive two years' salary of the ...
with the two skilled workmen who are constantly in my pay and at my
cost that at last I found myself advanced the said sum about 15 lire
... works of fame by which I could show to those who shall see it
that I have been everywhere, but I do not know where I could bestow
my work [more] ...
[Footnote 17: See No. 1344 l. 12.] I, having been working to gain my
living ...
I not having been informed what it is, I find myself ...
[Footnote 19: In April, 1498, Leonardo was engaged in painting the
Saletta Nigra of the Castello at Milan. (See G. MONGERI, _l'Arte in
Milano_, 1872, p. 417.)] remember the commission to paint the rooms
...
I conveyed to your Lordship only requesting you ...
Draft of letter to be sent to Piacenza (1346. 1347).
1346.
Magnificent Commissioners of Buildings I, understanding that your
Magnificencies have made up your minds to make certain great works
in bronze, will remind you of certain things: first that you should
not be so hasty or so quick to give the commission, lest by this
haste it should become impossible to select a good model and a good
master; and some man of small merit may be chosen, who by his
insufficiency may cause you to
**[Footnote: **1346. 1347. Piacenza belonged to Milan. The Lord
spoken of in this letter, is no doubt Lodovico il Moro. One may
infer from the concluding sentence (No. 1346, l. 33. 34 and No.
1347), that Leonardo, who no doubt compiled this letter, did not
forward it to Piacenza himself, but gave it to some influential
patron, under whose name and signature a copy of it was sent to the
Commission.] be abused by your descendants, judging that this age
was but ill supplied with men of good counsel and with good masters;
seeing that other cities, and chiefly the city of the Florentines,
has been as it were in these very days, endowed with beautiful and
grand works in bronze; among which are the doors of their
Baptistery. And this town of Florence, like Piacenza, is a place of
intercourse, through which many foreigners pass; who, seeing that
the works are fine and of good quality, carry away a good
impression, and will say that that city is well filled with worthy
inhabitants, seeing the works which bear witness to their opinion;
and on the other hand, I say seeing so much metal expended and so
badly wrought, it were less shame to the city if the doors had been
of plain wood; because, the material, costing so little, would not
seem to merit any great outlay of skill...
Now the principal parts which are sought for in cities are their
cathedrals, and of these the first things which strike the eye are
the doors, by which one passes into these churches.
Beware, gentlemen of the Commission, lest too great speed in your
determination, and so much haste to expedite the entrusting of so
great a work as that which I hear you have ordered, be the cause
that that which was intended for the honour of God and of men should
be turned to great dishonour of your judgments, and of your city,
which, being a place of mark, is the resort and gathering-place of
innumerable foreigners. And this dishonour would result if by your
lack of diligence you were to put your trust in some vaunter, who by
his tricks or by favour shown to him here should obtain such work
from you, by which lasting and very great shame would result to him
and to you. Thus I cannot help being angry when I consider what men
those are who have conferred with you as wishing to undertake this
great work without thinking of their sufficiency for it, not to say
more. This one is a potter, that one a maker of cuirasses, this one
is a bell-founder, another a bell ringer, and one is even a
bombardier; and among them one in his Lordship's service, who
boasted that he was the gossip of Messer Ambrosio Ferrere [Footnote
26: Messer Ambrogio Ferrere was Farmer of the Customs under the
Duke. Piacenza at that time belonged to Milan.], who has some power
and who has made him some promises; and if this were not enough he
would mount on horseback, and go to his Lord and obtain such letters
that you could never refuse [to give] him the work. But consider
where masters of real talent and fit for such work are brought when
they have to compete with such men as these. Open your eyes and look
carefully lest your money should be spent in buying your own
disgrace. I can declare to you that from that place you will procure
none but average works of inferior and coarse masters. There is no
capable man,--[33] and you may believe me,--except Leonardo the
Florentine, who is making the equestrian statue in bronze of the
Duke Francesco and who has no need to bring himself into notice,
because he has work for all his life time; and I doubt, whether
being so great a work, he will ever finish it [34].
The miserable painstakers ... with what hope may they expect a
reward of their merit?
1347.
There is one whom his Lordship invited from Florence to do this work
and who is a worthy master, but with so very much business he will
never finish it; and you may imagine that a difference there is to
be seen between a beautiful object and an ugly one. Quote Pliny.
Letter to the Cardinal Ippolito d' Este.
1348.
Most Illustrious and most Reverend Lord. The Lord Ippolito, Cardinal
of Este at Ferrare.
Most Illustrious and most Reverend Lord.
I arrived from Milan but a few days since and finding that my elder
brother refuses to
**[Footnote: This letter addressed to the Cardinal Ippolito d'Este
is here given from Marchese G. CAMPORI'S publication: _Nuovi
documenti per la Vita di Leonardo da Vinci. Atti e Memorie delle R.
R. Deputazioni di Storia patria per la provincie modenesi e par-
_menesi, Vol. III._ It is the only text throughout this work which I
have not myself examined and copied from the original. The learned
discoverer of this letter--the only letter from Leonardo hitherto
known as having been sent--adds these interesting remarks: _Codesto
Cardinale nato ad Ercole I. nel 1470, arcivescovo di Strigonia a
sette anni, poi d'Agra, aveva conseguito nel 1497 la pingue ed
ambita cattedra di Milano, la dove avra conosciuto il Vinci, sebbene
il poco amore ch'ei professava alle arti lasci credere che le
proteste di servitu di Leonardo piu che a gratitudine per favori
ricevuti e per opere a lui allogate, accennino a speranza per un
favore che si aspetta. Notabile e ancora in questo prezioso
documento la ripetuta signatura del grande artista 'che si scrive
Vincio e Vincius, non da Vinci come si tiene comunemente, sebbene
l'una e l'altra possano valere a significare cosi il casato come il
paese; restando a sapere se il nome del paese di Vinci fosse assunto
a cognome della famiglia di Leonardo nel qual supposto piu
propriamento avrebbe a chiamarsi Leonardo Vinci, o Vincio
(latinamente Vincius) com'egli stesso amo segnarsi in questa
lettera, e come scrissero parecchi contenporanei di lui, il Casio,
il Cesariano, Geoffrey Tory, il Gaurico, il Bandello, Raffaelle
Maffei, il Paciolo. Per ultimo non lascero d'avvertire come la
lettera del Vinci e assai ben conservata, di nitida e larga
scrittura in forma pienemente corrispondente a quella dei suoi
manoscritti, vergata all'uso comune da sinistra a destra, anziche
contrariamente come fu suo costume; ma indubbiamente autentica e
fornita della menzione e del suggello che fresca ancora conserva
l'impronta di una testa di profilo da un picciolo antico cammeo._
(Compare No. 1368, note.)]
carry into effect a will, made three years ago when my father
died--as also, and no less, because I would not fail in a matter I
esteem most important--I cannot forbear to crave of your most
Reverend Highness a letter of recommendation and favour to Ser
Raphaello Hieronymo, at present one of the illustrious members of
the Signoria before whom my cause is being argued; and more
particularly it has been laid by his Excellency the Gonfaloniere
into the hands of the said Ser Raphaello, that his Worship may have
to decide and end it before the festival of All Saints. And
therefore, my Lord, I entreat you, as urgently as I know how and am
able, that your Highness will write a letter to the said Ser
Raphaello in that admirable and pressing manner which your Highness
can use, recommending to him Leonardo Vincio, your most humble
servant as I am, and shall always be; requesting him and pressing
him not only to do me justice but to do so with despatch; and I have
not the least doubt, from many things that I hear, that Ser
Raphaello, being most affectionately devoted to your Highness, the
matter will issue _ad votum_. And this I shall attribute to your
most Reverend Highness' letter, to whom I once more humbly commend
myself. _Et bene valeat_.
Florence XVIIIa 7bris 1507. E. V. R. D.
your humble servant Leonardus Vincius, pictor.
Draft of Letter to the Governor of Milan.
1349.
I am afraid lest the small return I have made for the great
benefits, I have received from your Excellency, have not made you
somewhat angry with me, and that this is why to so many letters
which I have written to your Lordship I have never had an answer. I
now send Salai to explain to your Lordship that I am almost at an
end of the litigation I had with my brother; that I hope to find
myself with you this Easter, and to carry with me two pictures of
two Madonnas of different sizes. These were done for our most
Christian King, or for whomsoever your Lordship may please. I should
be very glad to know on my return thence where I may have to reside,
for I would not give any more trouble to your Lordship. Also, as I
have worked for the most Christian King, whether my salary is to
continue or not. I wrote to the President as to that water which the
king granted me, and which I was not put in possession of because at
that time there was a dearth in the canal by reason of the great
droughts and because [Footnote:Compare Nos. 1009 and 1010. Leonardo
has noted the payment of the pension from the king in 1505.] its
outlets were not regulated; but he certainly promised me that when
this was done I should be put in possession. Thus I pray your
Lordship that you will take so much trouble, now that these outlets
are regulated, as to remind the President of my matter; that is, to
give me possession of this water, because on my return I hope to
make there instruments and other things which will greatly please
our most Christian King. Nothing else occurs to me. I am always
yours to command. [Footnote:1349. Charles d'Amboise, Marechal de
Chaumont, was Governor of Milan under Louis XII. Leonardo was in
personal communication with him so early as in 1503. He was absent
from Milan in the autumn of 1506 and from October l5l0--when he
besieged Pope Julius II. in Bologna--till his death, which took
place at Correggio, February 11, 1511. Francesco Vinci, Leonardo's
uncle, died--as Amoretti tells us--in the winter of l5l0-11 (or
according to Uzielli in 1506?), and Leonardo remained in Florence
for business connected with his estate. The letter written with
reference to this affair, No. 1348, is undoubtedly earlier than the
letters Nos. 1349 and 1350. Amoretti tells us, _Memorie Storiche_,
ch. II, that the following note existed on the same leaf in MS. C.
A. I have not however succeeded in finding it. The passage runs
thus: _Jo sono quasi al fine del mio letizio che io o con mie
fratetgli ... Ancora ricordo a V. Excia la facenda che o cum Ser
Juliana mio Fratello capo delli altri fratelli ricordandoli come se
offerse di conciar le cose nostre fra noi fratelli del comune della
eredita de mio Zio, e quelli costringa alla expeditione, quale