Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/248

240 ROW in the possession of the Florentine noble, Messer Fabio Segni. The subject of this work is the Calumny of Apelles, and nothing more perfectly depicted could be imagined. Beneath this picture, which was presented by Sandro himself to Antonio Segni, his most intimate friend, are now to be read the following verses, written by the above-named Messer Fabio: — Indicio quemquam ne falsa laetere tentent
 * Terrarum reges, parva tabella monet

Huic similem Aegypti regi donavit Apelles:
 * Rex fuit et dignus munere, manus eo.

The Florentine sculptor, Benedetto da Maiano, was a carver in wood in his first youth, and was considered to be the best master in that calling who then took tool in hand: he was more especially excellent in the process which, as we have elsewhere related, was introduced at the time of Filippo Brunelleschi and Paolo Uccello, that, namely, of conjoining woods, tinted of different colours, and representing with these, buildings in perspective, foliage, and various fantasies of different kinds. In this branch of art Benedetto da Maiano was, in his youth, as we have before said, the best master that could be found, and this we see clearly proved by the many works from his hand still to be seen in different parts of Florence. Among these are more particularly to be mentioned the Presses in the sacristy of Santa Maria del Fiore, all by him, and finished, for the most part,