must make the work as light as he is able. A passage must
be made on the outside above the windows, forming a gallery below, with
an open parapet two braccia in height, proportionately to those of the
little tribunes below; or rather, two passages, one above the other,
resting on a richly adorned cornice, with the upper passage uncovered.
The rain water must flow from the cupola into a gutter of marble, a
third of a braccio wide, and must run off through outlets made of
hard-stone below the gutter. Eight ribs of marble must be made at the
angles in the outer surface of the cupola, of such thickness as may be
required, rising one braccio above the cupola, with a cornice above by
way of roof, two braccia wide, to serve as gable and eaves to the whole;
and these ribs must rise pyramidically from their base up to the summit.
The two vaults of the cupola must be built in the manner described
above, without framework, up to the height of thirty braccia, and from
that point upwards in the manner recommended by those masters who will
have the building of them, since practice teaches us what course to
pursue."

Filippo, having finished writing all that is above, went in the morning
to the tribunal and gave them that paper, which they studied from end to
end. And although they could not grasp it all, yet, seeing the readiness
of Filippo's mind, and perceiving that not one of the other architects
had better ground to stand on--for he showed a manifest confidence in
his speech, ever repeating the same thing in such wise that it appeared
certain that he had raised ten cupolas--the Consuls, drawing aside, were
minded to give him the work, saying only that they would have liked to
see something to show how this cupola could be raised without framework,
for they approved of everything else. To this desire fortune was
favourable, for Bartolommeo Barbadori having previously resolved to have
a chapel built in S. Felicita and having spoken of this to Filippo, the
latter had put his hand to the work and had caused that chapel to be
vaulted without framework, at the right hand of the entrance into the
church, where the holy-water basin is, also made by his hand. In those
days, likewise, he caused another to be vaulted beside the Chapel of the
High Altar in S. Jacopo sopra Arno, for Stiatta Ridolfi; and these works
were the means of bringing him more credit than his words. And so the
Consuls and the Wardens of Works, being assured by the writi