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.

[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 parmenesi, 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