Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/308

294 whose portrait he placed in the picture, together with those of other citizens. This Niccolo built himself a palace close to the church of Santa Lucia, which was erected after the designs, and under the direction of Lorenzo; the same citizen commenced the construction of a magnificent highschool or college, between the convent of the Servi and that of St. Mark, on the spot where the Lions now stand. But this last-named and truly praiseworthy undertaking, rather that of a magnificent prince than of a private citizen, did not attain to its completion, because the money, which Niccolo left in immense sums, deposited in the “Monte” of Florence, for the building and endowment of this college, was consumed by the Florentines in their wars, and for the other necessities of their city. It is true that this evil of fortune can never obscure the memory, or do wrong to the greatness of soul and generosity, of Niccolo da IJzzano; but it cannot be denied, that the public interest received a serious injury from the hindrances opposed to the completion of this important work; wherefore, whoever shall desire in like manner to benefit the world, and leave an honourable memorial of his existence, let him perform his work himself, while he has life, and not confide the execution of it to posterity and his heirs, since it rarely happens that a matter thus left to be accomplished by a man’s successors, is completed at all points as he would have had it done himself.

But to return to Lorenzo: in addition to the works above enumerated, he painted a tabernacle in fresco on the bridge of Rubaconte, the subject chosen being a Virgin, with certain other saints, all tolerably well done. No long time after this, Ser Michele diFruosino, being appointed director of the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova, in Florence (an hospital that was founded by Folco Portinari, a citizen of Florence), and finding that the wealth of the hospital had increased, determined that its church, dedicated to Sant’ Egidio, which was then outside