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rgio, clad in his Doctor's robes according to the use of those times. [Illustration: TOMB OF CARLO MARSUPPINI (_After =Desiderio da Settignano=. Florence: S. Croce_) _Alinari_] If death had not snatched so prematurely from the world a spirit which worked so nobly, he would have done so much later on by means of experience and study, that he would have outstripped in art all those whom he had surpassed in grace. Death cut the thread of his life at the age of twenty-eight, which caused great grief to those who were looking forward to seeing so great an intellect attain to perfection in old age; and they were left in the deepest dismay at such a loss. He was followed by his relatives and by many friends to the Church of the Servi; and a vast number of epigrams and sonnets continued for a long time to be placed on his tomb, of which I have contented myself with including only the following: COME VIDE NATURA DAR DESIDERIO AI FREDDI MARMI VITA, E POTER LA SCULTURA AGGUAGLIAR SUA BELLEZZA ALMA E INFINITA, SI FERMO SBIGOTTITA E DISSE; OMAI SARA MIA GLORIA OSCURA. E PIENA D'ALTO SDEGNO TRONCO LA VITA A COSI BELL' INGEGNO. MA IN VAN; CHE SE COSTUI DIE VITA ETERNA AI MARMI, E I MARMI A LUI. The sculptures of Desiderio date about 1485. He left unfinished a figure of S. Mary Magdalene in Penitence, which was afterwards completed by Benedetto da Maiano, and is now in S. Trinita in Florence, on the right hand as one enters the church; and the beauty of this figure is beyond the power of words to express. In our book are certain very beautiful pen-drawings by Desiderio; and his portrait was obtained from some of his relatives in Settignano. MINO DA FIESOLE LIFE OF MINO DA FIESOLE [_MINO DI GIOVANNI_] SCULPTOR When our craftsmen seek to do no more in the works that they execute than to imitate the manner of their masters, or that of some other man of excellence whose method of working pleases them, either in the attitudes of the figures, or in the expressions of the heads, or in the folds of the draperies, and when they study these things only, they may with time and diligence come to make them exactly the same, but they cannot by these means alone attain to perfection in their art, seeing that it is clearly evident that one who ever walks behind rarely comes to the front, since the imitation of nature becomes fixed in the manner of a craftsman
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