[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 ...

[Footnote:  The paper on which this is written is torn down the middle; about half of each line remains.]

Draft of letter to be sent to Piacenza (1346. 1347).

[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.]

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 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...