only without an equal for the casting of works in metal, but he was moreover a man of excellent life: of incomparable goodness to all men, he was more especially a most charitable friend of the poor; wherefore it is but just and by no means surprising, that he, in his need, should be assisted with the utmost liberality, when in want of money and all other things, by the above-named Signor Piero; for it is not to be questioned, being true above all other truth, that even in this life, the good that we do to our neighbour for the love of God, is often restored to us by twice a thousand fold.
Rustici designed most admirably, as may be seen, not only from the specimens in our own book, but also from those in the collection of the very reverend Don Vincenzio Borghini.
The above-named Lorenzo Naldini, called Guazzetta, who was the disciple of Rustici, has executed many works of sculpture in France,[1] and these are declared to be admirable; but I have not been able to ascertain the particulars of the same, any more than of those performed by his master, who cannot, as we must needs believe, always have remained idle during the many years of his abode in France, nor could, he even have been constantly occupied with the house of which we have made mention.
Now Lorenzo Naldini possessed some houses in that suburb which lies before the gate of San Gallo, in Florence; but these, together with other dwellings of the people, were ruined and demolished during the siege.[2] This grieved him so much, that when, on revisiting his country in the year 1540, he passed through that gate, Lorenzo covered his head with the cape of his cloak, when he came within a quarter of a mile of the place, and shut his eyes that he might not see the ruin and devastation of his home. The guards at the gate, seeing him thus muffled, inquired the cause, and being told wherefore he had so concealed his face, they laughed at him for his pains. After remaining in Florence some few months, Lorenzo, taking with him his mother, then returned to France, where he still lives, and is continuing his labours.
