Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/113

Rh chanced that while the siege of Florence was still proceeding, a much honoured citizen, Messer Niccolo Capponi departed this life at Castel-Nuovo della Garfagnana, when on his return from Genoa, where he had been sojourning as ambassador from his Republic to the Emperor. Silvio Cosini was therefore sent for in great haste, to the end that he might take the model of his head, the portrait of which was afterwards to be executed in marble, according to that which had been formed with great success in wax.

Silvio Cosini dwelt for some time at Pisa with all his family, and while there he belonged to the company of the Misericordia, who in that city accompany such criminals as are condemned to execution by the decree of public justice to the place of their death. Cosini was sacristan also, and there came into his head the very strangest caprice that could be imagined. He one night drew the corpse of a man who had been hanged the day before, from his grave, and having first dissected it, in reference to the purposes of his art, he next fiayed the body, and being a person who believed in wizards, enchantments, and such follies, he prepared ’this skin according to the method which he had been taught, and from it he made himself a jerkin, which he wore for some time over his shirt, believing it to be possessed of some great virtue, but without suffering any one beside himself to be made acquainted with the matter. Ultimately, however Cosini confessed what he had done to a good Monk, when the confessor reproved him for his conduct; whereupon he drew his jerkin from his back and replaced it in the grave, as the good father had exhorted him to do. Many other things of similar kind might be related of this artist, but since they have no relation to our history, I pass them over in silence.

His first wife having died at Pisa, Cosini betook himself to Carrara, and here, being employed in the execution of certain works, he took another wife, with whom no long time afterwards he repaired to Genoa. In that city he entered the service of Prince Doria, and sculptured the arms of the Doria family, over the door of their palace, in a very beautiful manner. He also prepared numerous decorations in stucco for different parts of the palace, according to the directions