e Christ,
half length, and a St Peter and a St Paul, in a very graceful style.
Under these works may be seen his name written in large letters. He
also designed very fairly, as may be seen in our book, and he
afterwards taught the art to M. Galante da Bologna, who afterwards
designed much better than he, as may be seen in the same book in a
portrait of a figure dressed in a short coat with wide open sleeves.

Don Lorenzo, Monk of the Angeli of Florence, Painter.

I believe that it is a great joy to a good and religious person to
find some honourable employment for their hands whether it be
letters, music, painting or other liberal and mechanical arts which
involve no reproach but are on the contrary useful and helpful to
other men, for after the divine offices the time may be passed with
the pleasure taken in the easy labours of peaceful exercises. To
these advantages we may add that not only is such a monk esteemed and
valued by others during his life-time, except by such as are envious
and malignant, but he is honoured by all men after his death, for his
works and the good name which he has left behind him. Indeed whoever
spends his time in this manner, lives in quiet contemplation without
any danger from those ambitious stirrings which are almost always to
be seen among the idle and slothful, who are usually ignorant, to
their shame and hurt. If it should happen that a man of ability
acting thus is slandered by the malicious, the power of virtue is
such that time will reestablish his reputation and bury the malignity
of the evil disposed, while the man of ability will remain
distinguished and illustrious in the centuries which succeed. Thus
Don Lorenzo, painter of Florence, being a monk of the order of the
Camaldolines in the monastery of the Angeli (founded in 1294 by Fra
Giuttone of Arezzo of the order of the Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ,
or of the Rejoicing friars as the monks of that order were commonly
called), devoted so much time in his early years to design and to
painting, that he was afterwards deservedly numbered among the best
men of his age in that profession. The first works of this painter
monk, who adopted the style of Taddeo Gaddi and his school, were in
the monastery of the Angeli, where besides many of the things he
painted the high altar picture, which may still be seen in their
church. When completed it was placed there in the year 1413 as may be
seen by the letters written at the bot