[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.

See too GREGOROVIUS, Geschichte der Stadi Rom, VIII (book XIV.  III, 2):  Die Luftschlosser furstlicher Grosse, wozu ihn der Papst hatte erheben wollen zerfielen.  Julian war der edelste aller damaligen Medici, ein Mensch von innerlicher Richtung, unbefriedigt durch das Leben, mitten im Sonnenglanz der Herrlichkeit Leo’s X. eine dunkle Gestalt die wie ein Schatten voruberzog. Giuliano lived in the Vatican, and it may be safely inferred from No. 1352 l. 2, and No. 1353 l. 4, that Leonardo did the same.

From the following unpublished notice in the Vatican archives, which M. Eug.  Muntz, librarian of the Ecole des Beaux arts, Paris, has done me the favour to communicate to me, we get a more accurate view of Leonardo’s relation to the often named GIORGIO TEDESCO: 

Nota delle provisione (sic) a da pagare per me in nome del nostro ill.  S. Bernardo Bini e chompa di Roma, e prima della illma sua chonsorte ogni mese d. 800.

A Ldo da Vinci per sua provisione d.  XXXIII, e piu d.  VII al detto per la provisione di Giorgio tedescho, che sono in tutto d. 40.

From this we learn, that seven ducats formed the German’s monthly wages, but according to No. 1353 l. 7 he pretended that eight ducats had been agreed upon.]

would acquire the Italian language.  He always promised, but would never do so.  And this I did also, because that Giovanni, the German who makes the mirrors, was there always in the workshop, and wanted to see and to know all that was being done there and made it known outside ... strongly criticising it; and because he dined with those of the Pope’s guard, and then they went out with guns killing birds among the ruins; and this went on from after dinner till the evening; and when I sent Lorenzo to urge him to work he said that he would not have so many masters over him, and that his work was for your Excellency’s Wardrobe; and thus two months passed and so it went on; and one day finding Gian Niccolo of the Wardrobe