loading, and discharging them with much timidity, he gave
his attention to this, and so contrived that from that time onwards
the artillery did harm to no one, whereas it had previously killed
many of them, since they had not had judgment and knowledge enough
to avoid suffering injury from the recoil. Having therefore taken
charge of the artillery, Giuliano showed great skill in discharging
it to the best possible advantage; and the Duke's forces so lost
heart by reason of this and other adverse circumstances, that they
were glad to make terms and depart from the town. In consequence of
this Giuliano won no little praise from Lorenzo in Florence, and was
looked upon with favour and affection ever afterwards.

Having meanwhile given his attention to architecture, he began the
first cloister of the Monastery of Cestello, and executed that part
of it that is seen to be of the Ionic Order; placing capitals on the
columns with volutes curving downwards to the collarino, where the
shaft of the column ends, and making, below the ovoli and the
fusarole, a frieze, one-third in height of the diameter of the
column. This capital was copied from a very ancient one of marble,
found at Fiesole by Messer Leonardo Salutati, Bishop of that place,
who kept it for some time, together with other antiquities, in a
house and garden that he occupied in the Via di S. Gallo, opposite
to S. Agata; and it is now in the possession of Messer Giovan
Battista da Ricasoli, Bishop of Pistoia, and is prized for its beauty
and variety, since among the ancient capitals there has not been
seen another like it. But that cloister remained unfinished, because
those monks were not then able to bear such an expense.

Meanwhile Giuliano had come into even greater credit with Lorenzo;
and the latter, who was intending to build a palace at Poggio a
Cajano, a place between Florence and Pistoia, and had caused several
models to be made for it by Francione and by others, commissioned
Giuliano, also, to make one of the sort of building that he proposed
to erect. And Giuliano made it so completely different in form from
the others, and so much to Lorenzo's fancy, that he began
straightway to have it carried into execution, as the best of all
the models; on which account he took Giuliano even more into his
favour, and ever afterwards gave him an allowance.

After this, Giuliano wishing to make a vaulted ceiling for the great
hall of that palace in the manner that we