as liberal with her gifts of
intellect and vivacity of mind as Fortune was niggardly with her
benefits. He, then, being a needy fellow, and having received some
affront from his nearest of kin in his own country, departed, in order
to come to Florence, from Arezzo, where--under the discipline of Maestro
Moccio, sculptor of Siena, who, as it has been said in another place,
wrought some works in Arezzo--he had applied himself to sculpture with
no little fruit, although the said Maestro Moccio was not very
excellent. And so, having arrived in Florence, Niccolo at first for many
months wrought whatsoever work came to his hand, both because poverty
and want were pressing him hard, and also out of rivalry with certain
young men, who, competing together honourably with much study and
labour, were occupying themselves with sculpture. Finally, after many
labours, Niccolo became a creditable sculptor, and was commissioned by
the Wardens of Works of S. Maria del Fiore to make two statues for the
Campanile; these statues, having been placed therein on the side facing
the Canon's house, stand one on either side of those that Donato
afterwards made; and since nothing better in full-relief had been seen,
they were held passing good.

Next, departing from Florence by reason of the plague of 1383, he went
to his own country. There he found that by reason of the said plague the
men of the Confraternity of S. Maria della Misericordia, whereof we have
spoken above, had acquired great wealth by means of bequests made by
diverse persons in the city through the devotion that they felt for
that holy place and for its brethren, who attend to the sick and bury
the dead in every pestilence, without fear of any peril; and that
therefore they wished to make a facade for that place, but in
grey-stone, for lack of a supply of marble. This work, which had been
begun before in the German style, he undertook to do; and assisted by
many stonecutters from Settignano, he brought it to perfect completion,
making with his own hand, in the lunette of the facade, a Madonna with
the Child in her arms, and certain angels who are holding open her
mantle, under which the people of that city appear to be taking shelter,
while S. Laurentino and S. Pergentino, kneeling below, are interceding
for them. Next, in two niches at the sides, he made two statues, each
three braccia high--namely, one of S. Gregory the Pope, and one of S.
Donatus the Bishop, Protector of that