Dear Messer Francesco.  I am sending thither Salai to learn from His Magnificence the President to what end the regulation of the water has come since, at my departure this regulation of the outlets of the canal had been ordered, because His Magnificence the President promised me that as soon as this was done I should be satisfied.  It is now some time since I heard that the canal was in order, as also its outlets, and I immediately wrote to the President and to you, and then I repeated it, and never had an answer.  So you will have the goodness to answer me as to that which happened, and as I am not to hurry the matter, would you take the trouble, for the love of me, to urge the President a little, and also Messer Girolamo Cusano, to whom you will commend me and offer my duty to his Magnificence.

[Footnote:  1350. 28-36.  Draft of a letter to Francesco Melzi, born l493—­a youth therefore of about 17 in 1510.  Leonardo addresses his young friend as “Messer”, as being the son of a noble house.  Melzi practised art under Leonardo as a dilettante and not as a pupil, like Cesare da Sesto and others (See LERMOLIEFF, Die Galerien &c., p. 476).]

Drafts of a letter to Giuliano de’ Medici (1351-1352).

135l.

[Most illustrious Lord.  I greatly rejoice most Illustrious Lord at your...]

I was so greatly rejoiced, most illustrious Lord, by the desired restoration of your health, that it almost had the effect that [my own health recovered]—­[I have got through my illness]—­my own illness left me—­ —­of your Excellency’s almost restored health.  But I am extremely vexed that I have not been able completely to satisfy the wishes of your Excellency, by reason of the wickedness of that deceiver, for whom I left nothing undone which could be done for him by me and by which I might be of use to him; and in the first place his allowances were paid to him before the time, which I believe he would willingly deny, if I had not the writing signed by myself and the interpreter.  And I, seeing that he did not work for me unless he had no work to do for others, which he was very careful in solliciting, invited him to dine with me, and to work afterwards near me, because, besides the saving of expense, he

[Footnote 1351. 1353:  It is clear from the contents of this notes that they refer to Leonardo’s residence in Rome in 1513-1515.  Nor can there be any doubt that they were addressed to Leonardo’s patron at the time:  Giuliano de’ Medici, third son of Lorenzo the Magnificent and brother of Pope Leo X (born 1478).  In 1512 he became the head of the Florentine Republic.  The Pope invited him to Rome, where he settled; in 1513 he was named patrician with much splendid ceremonial.  The medal struck in honour of the event bears the words MAG.  IVLIAN.  MEDICES.  Leonardo too uses the style “Magnifico”, in his letter.  Compare also No. 1377.

GlNO CAPPONI (Storia della Repubblica di Firenze, Vol.  III, p. 139) thus describes the character of Giuliano de’ Medici, who died in 1516:  Era il migliore della famiglia, di vita placida, grande spenditore, tenendo intorno a se uomini ingegnosi, ed ogni nuova cosa voleva provare.