Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/566

 530 Readings in European History 225. How Cos i mo, father of Lorenzo de' Medici, founded a library. (From Vespasiano ) the New Testament, and the Psalter,. . . with five apologet- ical books in defense of this Psalter, showing that in the Holy Scriptures there is not one syllable that does not contain the greatest of mysteries. It was Pope Nicholas' intention to found a library in St. Peter's, for the general use of the whole Roman curia, which would have been an admirable thing indeed, if he had been able to carry it out, but death prevented his bringing it to completion. He illumined the Holy Scriptures through innumerable books, which he caused to be translated ; and in the same way with the works of the pagans, including cer- tain works upon grammar, of use in learning Latin, the Orthography of Messer Giovanni Tortelle, who was of his Holiness' household and worked upon the library, a worthy book and useful to grammarians ; the Iliad of Homer ; Strabo's De situ orlris he caused to be translated by Guerrino, and gave him five hundred florins for each part, that is to say, Asia, Africa, and Europe ; that was in all fifteen hun- dred florins. Herodotus and Thucydides he had translated by Lorenzo Valla, and rewarded him liberally for his trouble ; Zenophon and Diodorus, by Messer Poggio ; Polybius, by Nicolo Perotto, whom, when he handed it to him, he gave five hundred brand-new papal ducats in a purse, and said to him that it was not what he deserved, but that in time he would take care to satisfy him. When Cosimo had finished the monastery [near Florence] and a good part of the church, he fell to thinking how he should have the place peopled with honest men of letters ; and in this way it occurred to him to found a fine library ; and one day when I happened to be present in his chamber, he said to me, " In what way would you furnish this library? " I replied that as for buying the books it would be impossible, for they were not to be had. Then he said, " How is it possible then to furnish it ? " I told him that it would be necessary to have the books copied. He asked in reply if I would be willing to undertake the task. I answered him, that I was willing. He told me to commence my work and