Lives of the early Medici : $b As told in their correspondence
History
Lives of the early Medici : $b As told in their correspondence
Florence (Italy) -- History; Medici, Cosimo de', 1389-1464; Medici, House of; Medici, Lorenzo de', 1449-1492; Medici, Piero de', 1416-1469
Before supper the Commune of Colle made an offering to Madonna of
corn, marzipan, wine, sweetmeats, &c., presented by eloquent orators,
three out of the number. The substance was that as Lorenzo, whom
they had expected, had not come, they presented all to her as being
a second Lorenzo, with many excuses for the smallness of the gift
owing to their poverty, and begged her to commend them and the town to
Lorenzo. Madonna, by God, replied well and briefly, saying that they
were not friends as they declared, for had they been they would have
known that Lorenzo and herself would protect them without expecting
gifts, which were rather things pertaining to strangers than to good
friends. “On the one hand, you complain and ask me to represent to
Lorenzo the poverty and the needs of yourselves and of your town, and
then you spend money in these things. I take the will for the deed and
give all back to you; for if I kept them I should only give them to
the town for the love of God, so I bestow them on you who are poorer
than I.” There was a great ado because they steadfastly refused to
take the things away, alleging that there were plots against them,
&c. Ser Giovanni Antonio and I sent them back by some of our people,
keeping four flasks of wine and some marzipan to content them, and to
show we wished them well.
We slept right well, and though Pela broke our heads with his idle
chatter, I must say he received us with great courtesy and affection:
and, after all, a good heart is to be admired more than other things.
In the evening after supper there appeared a certain Messer Ricco,
an envoy from Siena, who remained with Madonna Clarice and Messer
Giovanni Antonio for half-an-hour, talking about the rising at Siena.
He said that Lorenzo had written that he was leaving Bagno with his
wife, but did not say where he was going, so he thought to find him
here. I know Ser Giovanni Antonio was satisfied with the report given
by the envoy so I say no more.
Before leaving in the morning Messer Giovanni Antonio and I paid a
visit to the Podestà. Then with a guide we came to Tavernelle and then
to Pasignano, where Donnino had preceded us; we reached there about
fifteen of the clock. After resting awhile we dined: liver and lights,
boiled kid, broad beans, curds and good wine, and then we visited
the whole house, the church, and the relics. Madonna Clarice was
more pleased than I can say with the house and with her room. There
we stayed all day seeing different things. Our supper was salad, an
excellent herb pie, fried curds, broad beans and cheese, &c.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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