bove
the eight sides, and over the balusters a garland of candelabra, in
order, as it were, to crown the choir with lights according to the
seasons, as had always been the custom while the wooden model of
Brunelleschi was there.

[Illustration: RELIEFS FROM THE CHOIR SCREEN

(_After =Baccio Bandinelli=. Florence: Duomo_)

_Alinari_]

Pointing out all this to the Duke, Baccio said that his Excellency,
with the revenues of the Office of Works--namely, of S. Maria del
Fiore and of its Wardens--and with that which his liberality might
add, in a short time could adorn that temple and give great grandeur
and magnificence to the same, and consequently to the whole city, of
which it was the principal temple, and would leave an everlasting and
honourable memorial of himself in such a structure; and besides all
this, he said, his Excellency would be giving him an opportunity of
exerting his powers and of making many good and beautiful works, and
also, by displaying his ability, of acquiring for himself name and
fame with posterity, which should be pleasing to his Excellency, since
he was his servant and had been brought up by the house of the Medici.
With these designs and these words Baccio so moved the Duke, that,
consenting that such a structure should be erected, his Excellency
commissioned him to make a model of the whole choir. Departing from
the Duke, then, Baccio went to his architect, Giuliano di Baccio
d'Agnolo, and discussed the whole matter with him; and, after they had
gone to the place and examined everything with diligence, they
resolved not to depart from the form of Filippo's model, but to follow
it, adding only other ornaments in the shape of columns and
projections, and enriching it as much as they could while preserving
the original design and form. But it is not the number of parts and
ornaments that renders a fabric rich and beautiful, but their
excellence, however few they may be, provided also that they are set
in their proper places and arranged together with due proportion; it
is these that give pleasure and are admired, and, having been executed
with judgment by the craftsman, afterwards receive praise from all
others. This Giuliano and Baccio do not seem to have considered or
observed, for they chose a subject involving much labour and endless
pains, but wanting in grace, as experience has proved.

The design of Giuliano, as may be seen, was to place at the corners of
all the eight sides pilaste