Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/505

Rh of Prato to them, and this they begged him very earnestly to do, although it was small and produced but a very little income. Hearing this, Donato, who showed good sense and rectitude in all that he did, replied thus, “I cannot content you in this matter, kinsmen, because I resolve—and it appears to me reasonable—to leave the farm to the countryman who has always tilled it, and who has bestowed great labour on it; not to you, who, without ever having done anything useful for it, or any other thing but thought of obtaining it, now come, with this visit of yours, desiring that I should leave it to you: Go! and the Lord be with you.” And of a truth such relations, who have no affection but to their own interests, and no motive of action but the hope of gain, should always be treated in that manner. Donato, therefore, having caused a notary to be summoned, left the said farm to the labourer who had always tilled it, and who had perhaps behaved better towards him in his need than those relations had done. His possessions connected with art were left to his disciples, who were Bertoldo, a Florentine sculptor, who imitated him pretty closely, as may be seen from a battle, in bronze, between men on horseback; a very beautiful work, now in the guardaroba of the signor duke Cosimo; Nanni d’Antonio di Banco, who died before him; Rossellino, Disiderio, and Vellano da Padua; but it may indeed be affirmed,