Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/480

466 dinary talents. To me it appears, that from the time of the Greeks and Romans to the present, there has appeared no more excellent or more admirable genius than Filippo; and he is all the more worthy of praise, because in his time the German (Gothic) manner was in high favour through all Italy, being that in practice among all the elder artists, as may be seen in numerous edifices. It was Filippo who revived the use of the antique cornices, and who restored the Tuscan, Corinthian, Doric, and Ionic orders to their primitive forms. He had a disciple from Borgo a Buggiano, who was called II Buggiano; it was this artist who executed the lavatory of the sacristy of Santa Reparata, where there are figures of children, by whom the water is poured forth. He also executed the portrait of his master, taken from the life, in marble, and this, after the death of Brunellesco, was placed in Santa Maria del Fiore, at the door on the right hand as you enter the church; where there is still to be seen the following epitaph, placed there on the part of the public to do him honour, after his death, as he had done honour to his country during his life. “Quantum Philippus architectus arte Dcedalea valuerit, cum hujus celeberrimi templi mira testudo, turn plures alice divino ingenio ab eo adinventce machines documento esse possunt. Quapropter ab eximias sui animi dotes, singidaresque virtutes, xv Kal. Maias anno MCCCCXLVI ejus b. m. corpus in hac humo supposita grata patria sepeliri jussit.”