hich had placed him in the situation he held. All the builders were now
engaged in the work, and waited only for directions, to commence the
part above the twelve braccia, to raise the vaults, and render all
secure. The closing in of the cupola towards the top having commenced,
it was necessary to provide the scaffolding, that the masons and
laborers might work without danger, seeing that the height was such as
to make the most steady head turn giddy, and the firmest spirit shrink,
merely to look down from it. The masons and other masters were therefore
waiting in expectation of directions as to the manner in which the
chains were to be applied, and the scaffoldings erected; but, finding
there was nothing determined on either by Lorenzo or Filippo, there
arose a murmur among the masons and other builders, at not seeing the
work pursued with the solicitude previously shown; and as the workmen
were poor persons who lived by the labor of their hands, and who now
believed that neither one nor the other of the architects had courage
enough to proceed further with the undertaking, they went about the
building employing themselves as best they could in looking over and
furbishing up all that had been already executed.

"But one morning, Filippo did not appear at the works: he tied up his
head, went to bed complaining bitterly, and causing plates and towels to
be heated with great haste and anxiety, pretending that he had an attack
of pleurisy. The builders who stood waiting directions to proceed with
their work, on hearing this, demanded orders of Lorenzo for what they
were to do; but he replied that the arrangement of the work belonged to
Filippo, and that they must wait for him. 'How?' said one of them, 'do
you not know what his intentions are?' 'Yes,' replied Lorenzo, 'but I
would not do anything without him.'" This he said by way of excusing
himself; for as he had not seen the model of Filippo, and had never
asked him what method he meant to pursue, that he might not appear
ignorant, so he now felt completely out of his depth, being thus
referred to his own judgment, and the more so as he knew that he was
employed in that undertaking against the will of Filippo. The illness of
the latter having already lasted more than two days, the purveyor of the
works, with many of the master-builders, went to see him, and repeatedly
asked him to tell them what they should do; but he constantly replied,
'You have Lorenzo, let him begin t