S FIERI VOLUIT DONATELLO, UTPOTE
HOMINI, QUI EI, QUOD JAMDIU OPTIMIS ARTIFICIBUS MULTISQUE SAECULIS
TUM NOBILITATIS TUM NOMINIS ACQUISITUM FUERAT, INJURIAVE TEMPOR.
PERDIDERAT IPSA, IPSE UNUS UNA VITA INFINITISQUE OPERIBUS CUMULATISS.
RESTITUERIT: ET PATRIAE BENEMERENTI HUJUS RESTITUTAE
VIRTUTIS PALMAM REPORTARIT.

EXCUDIT NEMO SPIRANTIA MOLLIUS AERA;
VERA CANO; CERNES MARMORA VIVA LOQUI.
GRAECORUM SILEAT PRISCA ADMIRABILIS AETAS
COMPEDIBUS STATUAS CONTINUISSE RHODON.
NECTERE NAMQUE MAGIS FUERANT HAEC VINCULA DIGNA
ISTIUS EGREGIAS ARTIFICIS STATUAS.

QUANTO CON DOTTA MANO ALLA SCULTURA
GIA FECER MOLTI, OR SOL DONATO HA FATTO;
RENDUTO HA VITA A' MARMI, AFFETTO, ED ATTO;
CHE PIU, SE NON PARLAR, PUO DAR NATURA?

The world remained so full of his works, that it may be affirmed right
truly that no craftsman ever worked more than he did. For, delighting in
every kind of work, he put his hand to anything, without considering
whether it was of little or of great value. Nevertheless it was
indispensable to sculpture, this vast activity of Donato in making
figures in every kind of relief, full, half, low, and the lowest;
because, whereas in the good times of the ancient Greeks and Romans it
was by means of many that it became perfect, he alone by the multitude
of his works brought it back to marvellous perfection in our own age.
Wherefore craftsmen should trace the greatness of this art rather to him
than to any man born in modern times, seeing that, besides rendering the
difficulties of the art easy, in the multitude of his works he combined
together invention, design, practice, judgment, and every other quality
that ever can or should be looked for in a divine genius. Donato was
very resolute and ready, executing all his works with consummate
facility, and he always accomplished much more than he had promised.

He left all his work to be completed by his pupil Bertoldo, and
particularly the bronze pulpits of S. Lorenzo, which were afterwards
finished in great part by him, and brought to the state in which they
are seen in the said church.

I will not forbear to say that the most learned and very reverend Don
Vincenzo Borghini, of whom mention has been made above with regard to
some other matter, has collected into a large book innumerable drawings
by excellent painters and sculptors, both ancient and modern; and on the
ornamental borders of two lea