Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/500

492 to set the fortress of that place in order, and having heard the fame of Giuliano, sent to Florence inviting him to repair to Ostia. There the Castellan detained him two years, making him a very ample provision, and causing him to do everything which his art could accomplish for the improvement of the place. But to the end that the model which he was preparing for the Duke of Calabria might not be neglected, but might be finished within reasonable time, Giuliano confided it to his brother Antonio, with directions for completing it; which Antonio accordingly did with great care, he being no less competent in the art than Giuliano himself. When this was done, Lorenzo the elder advised our architect to be the bearer of his own work to Naples, in order that he might point out the peculiarities of the construction, and the difficulties which had been overcome. Giuliano repaired to Naples accordingly, and having presented his model, was received very honourably, the courtly manner in which the magnificent Lorenzo had sent him, exciting much admiration, as did also the masterly construction of the model, which gave such entire satisfaction that the work was instantly commenced in the vicinity of the Gastello Nuovo.

After Giuliano had remained for some time in Naples he requested permission from the Duke to return to Florence, when the king of Naples sent him a present consisting of horses, vestments, and a silver goblet, containing some hundreds of ducats; these last Giuliano would not accept, declaring that he served a master who had no need of gold nor silver, but that if the king desired to confer on him any gift or token of approbation, in sign of his having been in that city, he might bestow on him some of the antiquities in his possession, at his own choice. This the king most liberally granted, for the love he bore to the magnificent Lorenzo, and because of the admiration which that monarch felt for the talents of Giuliano himself: the gifts thus conferred being a head of the Emperor Adrian, now placed above the door of the garden belonging to the Medici palace, a nude female figure of colossal size, and a Sleeping Cupid in marble, executed in full relief. These Giuliano despatched to the magnificent Lorenzo, who received them with great delight, and could never sufficiently eulogize the liberal pro-