ot thinking what the result might be, gave authority
to the Clerks of the Chamber that they should have charge of the work,
as a thing pertaining to them; and then, without Michelagnolo hearing
another word about it, they gave it with all those materials, without
any conditions, to Nanni, who gave no attention to the reinforcements,
which were necessary for the refounding, but relieved the bridge of
some weight, in consequence of having seen a great quantity of
travertine wherewith it had been flanked and faced in ancient times,
the result of which was to give weight to the bridge and to make it
stouter, stronger, and more secure. In place of that he used gravel
and other materials cast with cement, in such a manner that no defect
could be seen in the inner part of the work, and on the outer side he
made parapets and other things, insomuch that to the eye it appeared
as if made altogether new; but it was made lighter all over and
weakened throughout. Five years afterwards, when the flood of the year
1557 came down, it happened that the bridge collapsed in such a manner
as to make known the little judgment of the Clerks of the Chamber and
the loss that Rome suffered by departing from the counsel of
Michelagnolo, who predicted the ruin of the bridge many times to me
and to his other friends. Thus I remember that he said to me, when we
were passing there together on horseback, "Giorgio, this bridge is
shaking under us; let us spur our horses, or it may fall while we are
upon it."

But to return to the narrative interrupted above; when the work of the
Montorio was finished, and that much to my satisfaction, I returned to
Florence to re-enter the service of Duke Cosimo, which was in the year
1554. The departure of Vasari grieved Michelagnolo, and likewise
Giorgio, for the reason that Michelagnolo's adversaries kept harassing
him every day, now in one way and now in another; wherefore they did
not fail to write to one another daily. And in April of the same year,
Vasari giving him the news that Leonardo, the nephew of Michelagnolo,
had had a male child, that they had accompanied him to baptism with an
honourable company of most noble ladies, and that they had revived the
name of Buonarroto, Michelagnolo answered in a letter to Vasari in
these words:

"DEAR FRIEND GIORGIO,

"I have had the greatest pleasure from your letter, seeing that you
still remember the poor old man, and even more because you were
present at the triu