OF FLORENCE.




THE FIRST BOOKE


Forasmuch as I beleve that after death, al men maie be praised without
charge, al occasion and suspecte of flatterie beyng taken awaie, I shal
not doubte to praise our Cosimo Ruchellay, whose name was never
remembred of me without teares, havyng knowen in him those condicions,
the whiche in a good frende or in a citezien, might of his freendes, or
of his countrie, be desired: for that I doe not knowe what thyng was so
muche his, not excepting any thing (saving his soule) which for his
frendes willingly of him should not have been spent: I knowe not what
enterprise should have made him afraide, where the same should have ben
knowen to have been for the benefite of his countrie. And I doe painly
confesse, not to have mette emongest so many men, as I have knowen, and
practised withal, a man, whose minde was more inflamed then his, unto
great and magnificent thynges. Nor he lamented not with his frendes of
any thyng at his death, but because he was borne to die a yong manne
within his owne house, before he had gotten honour, and accordynge to
his desire, holpen any manne: for that he knewe, that of him coulde not
be spoken other, savyng that there should be dead a good freende. Yet it
resteth not for this, that we, and what so ever other that as we did
know him, are not able to testifie (seeyng his woorkes doe not appere)
of his lawdable qualities. True it is, that fortune was not for al this,
so muche his enemie, that it left not some brief record of the
readinesse of his witte, as doeth declare certaine of his writinges, and