Therfore I saie, that Fabricio Collonna retournyng
out of Lombardie, where longe time greatly to his glorie,
he had served in the warres the catholike kyng, he
determined, passyng by Florence, to rest himself certain
daies in the same citee, to visite the Dukes excellencie,
and to see certaine gentilmen, whiche in times paste
he had been acquainted withal. For whiche cause,
unto Cosimo it was thought beste to bid him into his
orchard, not so muche to use his liberalitee, as to
have occasion to talke with him at leasure, and of
him to understande and to learne divers thinges, accordyng
as of suche a man maie bee hoped for, semyng to have
accasion to spende a daie in reasonyng of suche matters,
which to his minde should best satisfie him.
Then Fabricio came, accordyng to his desire, and was
received of Cosimo together, with certain of his trustie
frendes, emongest whome wer Zanoby Buondelmonti, Baptiste
Palla, and Luigi Allamanni, all young men loved of
him and of the very same studies moste ardente, whose
good qualities, for as muche as every daie, and at
every houre thei dooe praise themselves, we will omit.
Fabricio was then accordyng to the time and place
honoured, of all those honours, that thei could possible
devise: But the bankettyng pleasures beyng passed,
and the tabel taken up, and al preparacion of feastinges
consumed, the which are sone at an ende in sight of
greate men, who to honorable studies have their mindes
set, the daie beyng longe, and the heate muche, Cosimo
judged for to content better his desire, that it wer
well doen, takyng occasion to avoide the heate, to
bring him into the moste secret, and shadowest place
of his garden. Where thei beyng come, and caused
to sit, some upon herbes, some in the coldest places,
other upon litle seates which there was ordeined,
under the shadow of moste high trees, Fabricio praiseth
the place, to be delectable, and particularly consideryng
the trees, and not knowyng some of them, he did stande
musinge in his minde, whereof Cosimo beeyng a ware
saied, you have not peradventure ben acquainted with
some of these sortes of trees: But doe not marvell
at it, for as muche as there bee some, that were more
estemed of the antiquitie, then thei are commonly
now a daies: and he tolde him the names of them,
and how Barnardo his graundfather did travaile in
suche kinde of plantyng: Fabricio replied, I
thought it shuld be the same you saie, and this place,
and this studie, made me to remember certaine Princes
of the Kyngdome of Naples, whiche of these anncient
tillage and shadow doe delight. And staiyng upon
this talke, and somewhat standyng in a studdie, saied
moreover, if I thought I should not offende, I woud
tell my opinion, but I beleeve I shall not, commonyng
with friendes, and to dispute of thynges, and not
to condemne them. How much better thei should
have doen (be it spoken without displeasure to any
man) to have sought to been like the antiquitie in
thinges strong, and sharpe, not in the delicate and