marvel,
considering that he had not yet reached the age of seventeen, and had
made in five years of study that proficience in art which others do
not achieve save after length of life and great experience of many
things.

At this time Tribolo, having undertaken the office of superintendent
of the drains in the city of Florence, ordained in that capacity that
the drain in the old Piazza di S. Maria Novella should be raised from
the ground, in such a way that, becoming more capacious, it might be
better able to receive all the waters that ran into it from various
quarters. For this work, then, he commissioned Vinci to make the model
of a great mask of three braccia, which with its open mouth might
swallow all the rain-water. Afterwards, by order of the Ufficiali
della Torre, the work was allotted to Vinci, who, in order to execute
it more quickly, summoned to his aid the sculptor Lorenzo Marignolli.
In company with this master he finished it, making it from a block of
hard-stone; and the work is such that it adorns the whole Piazza, with
no small advantage to the city.

It now appeared to Vinci that he had made such proficience in art,
that it would be a great benefit to him to see the principal works in
Rome, and to associate with the most excellent craftsmen living there;
wherefore, an occasion to go there presenting itself, he seized it
readily. There had arrived from Rome an intimate friend of
Michelagnolo Buonarroti, Francesco Bandini, who, having come to know
Vinci by means of Luca Martini, and having praised him highly, caused
him to make a model of wax for a tomb of marble that he wished to
erect in his chapel in S. Croce; and shortly afterwards, on returning
to Rome, Vinci having spoken his mind to Luca Martini, Bandini took
him in his company. There Vinci remained a year, studying all the
time, and executed some works worthy of remembrance. The first was a
Christ on the Cross in low-relief, rendering up His spirit to His
Father, which was copied from a design done by Michelagnolo. For
Cardinal Ridolfi he added to an antique head a breast in bronze, and
made a Venus of marble in low-relief, which was much extolled. For
Francesco Bandini he restored an ancient horse, of which many pieces
were wanting, and made it complete. And in order to give some proof of
gratitude, where he could, to Luca Martini, who was writing to him by
every courier, and continually recommending him to Bandini, it seemed
good to Vinci t