friar of the Angeli at Florence, called
Fra Nemesio, a good and courteous monk. Here he did the martyrs, when
they are condemned to death, being stripped naked and made to walk
bare-footed on thorns sown by the servants of the tyrants, whilst
they are on the way to be crucified, and higher up they are
represented on the cross in varied and extraordinary attitudes. In
this work, the largest which had ever been produced, everything is
done with great skill and design, according to the knowledge of the
time, being full of the expressions showing the divers ways of dying
of those who are put to death with violence. For this cause I am not
surprised that many men of ability have made use of some things found
in this picture. After this Lorenzo did many other figures in the
same church, and decorated two chapels in the screen. At the same
time he did the tabernacle on the side of the Cuculia, and the one in
the via de' Martelli on the wall of the houses, and over the knocker
door of S. Spirito he did a St Augustine in fresco, who is giving the
rule to his brethren. In S. Trinita in the chapel of Neri Capponi he
painted in fresco the life of St John Gualbert. In the principal
chapel of S. Lucia in the via de' Bardi he did some scenes in fresco
from the life of St Lucy for Niccolo da Uzzano, whose portrait he
introduced there from life together with those of some other
citizens. This Niccolo with the assistance and model of Lorenzo,
built his own palace near the church, and began a magnificent college
or studium between the convent of the Servites and that of S. Marco,
that is to say, where the lions now are. This truly magnificent work,
rather worthy of a prince than of a private citizen, was not
completed, because the immense sum of money which Niccolo left in his
bank at Florence for the building and endowment of it were expended
by the Florentines on war and other needs of the city. Although
Fortune can never obscure the memory and greatness of the spirit of
Niccolo da Uzzano, the community suffered a great loss by the
non-completion of the work. Therefore, let anyone who desires to help
the world in such a manner, and to leave an honourable memorial of
himself, do so himself in his life-time, and not trust to the
faithfulness of posterity and of his heirs, as it very rarely happens
that a thing is carried out where it is left to successors. But to
return to Lorenzo. Besides what has been already mentioned, he
painted a Mad