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