brate the said obsequies in the Church of S. Lorenzo, a church
built by your ancestors, in which are so many beautiful works wrought
by his hand, both in architecture and in sculpture, and near which you
are minded to have erected a place that shall be as it were a nest and
an abiding school of architecture, sculpture, and painting, for the
above-named Academy and Company of Design. Secondly, they pray you
that you should consent to grant a commission to Messer Benedetto
Varchi that he shall not only compose the funeral oration, but also
deliver it with his own mouth, as he has promised most freely that he
would do, when besought by us, in the event of your most illustrious
Excellency consenting. In the third place, they entreat and pray you
that you should deign, in the same goodness and liberality of your
heart, to supply them with all that may be necessary for them in
celebrating the above-mentioned obsequies, over and above their own
resources, which are very small. All these matters, and each singly,
have been discussed and determined in the presence and with the
consent of the most Magnificent and Reverend Monsignor, Messer
Vincenzio Borghini, Prior of the Innocenti and Lieutenant of your most
illustrious Excellency in the aforesaid Academy and Company of Design,
which, etc."

To which letter of the Academy the Duke made this reply:

"WELL-BELOVED ACADEMICIANS,

"We are well content to give full satisfaction to your petitions, so
great is the affection that we have always borne to the rare genius of
Michelagnolo Buonarroti, and that we still bear to all your
profession; do not hesitate, therefore, to carry out all that you have
proposed to do in his obsequies, for we will not fail to supply
whatever you need. Meanwhile, we have written to Messer Benedetto
Varchi in the matter of the oration, and to the Director of the
Hospital with regard to anything more that may be necessary in this
undertaking. Fare you well.

"PISA."

The letter to Varchi was as follows:

"MESSER BENEDETTO, OUR WELL-BELOVED,

"The affection that we bear to the rare genius of Michelagnolo
Buonarroti makes us desire that his memory should be honoured and
celebrated in every possible way. It will be pleasing to us,
therefore, that you for love of us shall undertake the charge of
composing the oration that is to be delivered at his obsequies,
according to the arrangements made by t