o do something for once.' Nor could
they obtain from him any other reply. When this became known, it caused
much discussion: great blame was thrown upon the undertaking, and many
adverse judgments were uttered. Some said that Filippo had taken to his
bed from grief, at finding that he had not power to accomplish the
erection of the Cupola, and that he was now repenting of having meddled
with the matter; but his friends defended him, declaring that his
vexation might arise from the wrong he had suffered in having Lorenzo
given to him as a colleague, but that his disorder was pleurisy,
brought on by his excessive labors for the work. In the midst of all
this tumult of tongues, the building was suspended, and almost all the
operations of the masons and stone-cutters came to a stand. These men
murmured against Lorenzo, and said, 'He is good enough at drawing the
salary, but when it comes to directing the manner in which we are to
proceed, he does nothing; if Filippo were not here, or if he should
remain long disabled, what can Lorenzo do? and if Filippo be ill, is
that his fault?' The wardens, perceiving the discredit that accrued to
them from this state of things, resolved to make Filippo a visit, and
having reached his house, they first condoled with him on his illness,
told him into what disorder the building had fallen, and described the
troubles which this malady had brought on them. Whereupon Filippo,
speaking with much heat, partly to keep up the feint of illness, but
also in part from his interest in the work, exclaimed, 'What! is not
Lorenzo there? why does not he do something? I cannot but wonder at your
complaints.' To this the wardens replied, 'He will not do anything
without you.' Whereunto Filippo made answer, 'But I could do it well
enough without him.' This acute and doubly significant reply sufficed to
the wardens, and they departed, having convinced themselves that Filippo
was sick of the desire to work alone; they therefore sent certain of his
friends to draw him from his bed, with the intention of removing
Lorenzo from the work. Filippo then returned to the building, but seeing
the power that Lorenzo possessed by means of the favor he enjoyed, and
that he desired to receive the salary without taking any share whatever
in the labor, he bethought himself of another method for disgracing him,
and making it publicly and fully evident that he had very little
knowledge of the matter in hand. He consequently made