consumed, the which are sone at an ende in
sight of greate men, who to honorable studies have their mindes set, the
daie beyng longe, and the heate muche, Cosimo judged for to content
better his desire, that it wer well doen, takyng occasion to avoide the
heate, to bring him into the moste secret, and shadowest place of his
garden. Where thei beyng come, and caused to sit, some upon herbes, some
in the coldest places, other upon litle seates which there was ordeined,
under the shadow of moste high trees, Fabricio praiseth the place, to be
delectable, and particularly consideryng the trees, and not knowyng some
of them, he did stande musinge in his minde, whereof Cosimo beeyng a
ware saied, you have not peradventure ben acquainted with some of these
sortes of trees: But doe not marvell at it, for as muche as there bee
some, that were more estemed of the antiquitie, then thei are commonly
now a daies: and he tolde him the names of them, and how Barnardo his
graundfather did travaile in suche kinde of plantyng: Fabricio replied,
I thought it shuld be the same you saie, and this place, and this
studie, made me to remember certaine Princes of the Kyngdome of Naples,
whiche of these anncient tillage and shadow doe delight. And staiyng
upon this talke, and somewhat standyng in a studdie, saied moreover, if
I thought I should not offende, I woud tell my opinion, but I beleeve I
shall not, commonyng with friendes, and to dispute of thynges, and not
to condemne them. How much better thei should have doen (be it spoken
without displeasure to any man) to have sought to been like the
antiquitie in thinges strong, and sharpe, not in the delicate and softe:
and in those that thei did in the Sunne, not in the shadowe: and to take
the true and perfecte maners of the antiquitie: not those that are false
and corrupted: for that when these studies pleased my Romaines, my
countrie fell into ruin. Unto which Cosimo answered. But to avoide the
tediousnesse to repeate so many times he saied, and the other answered,
there shall be onely noted the names of those that speakes, without
rehersing other.

Then COSIMO saied, you have opened the waie of a reasoning, which I have
desired, and I praie you that you will speake withoute respecte, for
that that I without respecte will aske you, and if I demaundyng, or
repliyng shall excuse, or accuse any, it shal not be to excuse, or
accuse, but to understande of you the truth.

FABRICIO. And I shall be