led by a
goat, until his father, having gone to Bologna, took as his second wife
a woman whose husband and children had died of plague; and she, with her
plague-infected milk, finished nursing Piero, who was now called
Pierino[27] (a pet name such as it is a general custom to give to little
children), and retained that name ever afterwards. He was then taken to
Florence by his father, who, on returning to France, left him with some
relatives; and they, either because they had not the means, or because
they would not accept the burdensome charge of maintaining him and
having him taught some ingenious vocation, placed him with the
apothecary of the Pinadoro, to the end that he might learn that calling.
But, not liking that profession, he was taken as shop-boy by the painter
Andrea de' Ceri, who was pleased with the air and the ways of Perino,
and thought that he saw in him a certain lively spirit of intelligence
from which it might be hoped that in time some good fruits would issue
from him. Andrea was no great painter; quite commonplace, indeed, and
one of those who stand openly and publicly in their workshops, executing
any kind of work, however mean; and he was wont to paint every year for
the festival of S. John certain wax tapers which were carried as
offerings, as they still are, together with the other tributes of the
city; for which reason he was called Andrea de' Ceri, and from that
name Perino was afterwards called for some time Perino de' Ceri.

Andrea, then, took care of Perino for some years, teaching him the
rudiments of art as well as he could; but when the boy had reached the
age of eleven, he was forced to seek for him some master better than
himself. And so, having a straight friendship with Ridolfo, the son of
Domenico Ghirlandajo, who, as will be related, was held to be able and
well practised in painting, Andrea de' Ceri placed Perino with him, to
the end that he might give his attention to design, and strive with all
the zeal and love at his command to make in that art the proficience of
which his great genius gave promise. Whereupon, pursuing his studies,
among the many young men whom Ridolfo had in his workshop, all engaged
in learning art, in a short time Perino came to surpass all the rest, so
great were his ardour and his eagerness. Among them was one named Toto
del Nunziata, who was to him as a spur to urge him on continually; which
Toto, likewise attaining in time to equality with the finest in