Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/211

Rh science, wisdom, the tongues, and the arts; seeing, too, that the Signor Duke is just as regards the laws, merciful, in harmony with the prevalent peace, valiant in arms, generous in the promotion of science, wise in the furtherance and introduction of the tongues and other knowledge, while he is also liberal to the arts, Tribolo designed that on the left hand of the entrance, and opposite to the statues of Justice, Mercy, Valour, Generosity, Wisdom, and Liberality, there should be placed those of Law, Peace, Arms, Science, Tongues, and Arts, as will be more clearly perceived below; seeing all this, I say, it was most appropriately arranged, that the above-named statues and similitude-s should be placed, as they would have been had all been completed according to the original design, above the rivers Arno and Mugnone, to signify that they also contribute to the honour and advantage of the city of Florence. Tribolo furthermore intended to place a bust, which should be the portrait of one of the house of Medici, on the summit of each of the niches wherein were to be erected the statues as above related: over the statue of Justice, for example, was to be placed the bust of his excellency the Duke Cosimo, justice being his peculiar quality; over Mercy was to stand the portrait of the illustrious Giuliano; over Generosity that of the elder Lorenzo; over Wisdom the likeness of either Cosimo the elder or Pope Clement VII.; and over Liberality the head of the Pontiff Leo X. It was likewise suggested that over the figures on the opposite side, other busts might be placed, representing either men from the house of Medici or other personages of the city connected with the same.

Now all these names may cause the description here given, to become somewhat confused; wherefore they are presented to the reader below, and in the following order, which is that wherein they were to have been placed.