rezzo; which
house had been formerly erected by M. Piero Geri, an excellent
astrologer, after the design of Andrea Sansovino, and had been sold by
his nephews. Setting to work, therefore, and beginning with the
chimney-piece, Simone placed it upon two pilasters, making two niches
in the thickness of the wall, in the direction of the fire, and laying
upon those pilasters architrave, frieze, and great cornice, and over
all a pediment with festoons and with the arms of that family. And
thus, proceeding with it, he executed it with carvings of such a kind
and so well varied, and with such subtle craftsmanship, that, although
that work was of grey sandstone, under his hands it became more
beautiful than if it had been of marble, and more astounding; which,
indeed, came to pass the more readily because that stone is not as
hard as marble and, if anything, rather sandy. Putting extraordinary
diligence, therefore, into the work, he executed on the pilasters
trophies in half-relief and low-relief, than which nothing more
bizarre or more beautiful could be done, with helmets, buskins,
shields, quivers, and various other arms; and he likewise made there
masks, sea monsters, and other graceful fantasies, all so well figured
and cut out that they have the appearance of silver. The frieze that
is between the architrave and the great cornice, he made with a most
beautiful turn of foliage, all pierced through and full of birds that
are executed so well, that they seem to be flying through the air; and
it is a marvellous thing to see their little legs, no larger than
life, and yet completely in the round and detached from the stone in
such a way as one cannot believe to be possible; and, in truth, the
work seems rather a miracle than a product of human art. Besides all
this, he made there in a festoon some leaves and fruits so well cut
out, and wrought with such delicacy and care, that in a certain sense
they surpass the reality. Lastly, the work is finished off by some
great masks and candelabra, which are truly most beautiful. Although
Simone need not have given such care to a work of that kind, for which
he was to be but poorly paid by those patrons, who could not afford
much, yet, drawn by the love that he bore to art and by the pleasure
that a man feels in working well, he chose to do so; but he did not do
the same with the water-basin for the same patrons, for he made it
beautiful enough, but simple.

At the same time he assisted