works, and always insisted on having his
earnest-money. For this reason Lorenzo de' Medici called him Il
Caparra,[28] and he was known to many others by that name. He had a
sign fixed over his shop, wherein were books burning; wherefore,
when one asked for time to make his payment, he would say, "I cannot
give it, for my books are burning, and I can enter no more debtors
in them." He was commissioned by the honourable Captains of the
Guelph party to make a pair of andirons, which, when he had finished
them, were sent for several times. But he kept saying, "On this
anvil do I sweat and labour, and on it will I have my money paid
down." Whereupon they sent to him once more for the work, with a
message that he should come for his money, for he would straightway
be paid; but he, still obstinate, answered that they must first
bring the money. The provveditore, therefore, knowing that the
Captains wished to see the work, fell into a rage, and sent to him
saying that he had received half the money, and that when he
had dispatched the andirons, he would pay him the rest. On which
account Caparra, recognizing that this was true, gave one of the
andirons to the messenger, saying: "Take them this one, for it is
theirs; and if it pleases them, bring me the rest of the money, and
I will hand over the other; but at present it is mine." The
officials, seeing the marvellous work that he had put into it, sent
the money to his shop; and he sent them the other andiron. It is
related, also, that Lorenzo de' Medici resolved to have some pieces
of iron-work made, to be sent abroad as presents, in order that the
excellence of Caparra might be made known. He went, therefore, to
his shop, and happened to find him working at some things for
certain poor people, from whom he had received part of the price as
earnest-money. On Lorenzo making his request, Niccolo would in no
way promise to serve him before having satisfied the others, saying
that they had come to his shop before Lorenzo, and that he valued
their money as much as his. To the same master some young men of the
city brought a design, from which he was to make for them an iron
instrument for breaking and forcing open other irons by means of a
screw, but he absolutely refused to serve them; nay, he upbraided
them, and said: "Nothing will induce me to serve you in such a
matter; for these things are nothing but thieves' tools, or
instruments for abducting and dishonouring young girls. Su