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