To the Most Illustrious and Excellent Cosimo de' Medici, Duke of Florence

My most honoured Lord,

My dear Lord,

Seeing that your Excellency, following in this the footsteps of your most Illustrious ancestors, and incited and urged by your own natural magnanimity, ceases not to favour and to exalt every kind of talent, wheresoever it may be found, and shows particular favour to the arts of design, fondness for their craftsmen,¹ and understanding and delight in their beautiful and rare works; I think that you cannot but take pleasure in this labour which I have undertaken, of writing down the lives, the works, the manners, and the circumstances of all those who, finding the arts already dead, first revived them, then step by step nourished and adorned them, and finally brought them to that height of beauty and majesty whereon they stand at the present day. And because these masters have been almost all Tuscans, and most of these Florentines, of whom many have been incited and aided by your most Illustrious ancestors with every kind of reward and honour to put themselves to work, it may be said that in your state, nay, in your most blessed house the arts were born anew, and that through the generosity of your ancestors the world has recovered these most beautiful arts, through which it has been ennobled and embellished.

Your Excellency follows in the footsteps of your most illustrious ancestors and is guided by your own natural generosity. You never cease to encourage and honor talent wherever it is found. You particularly favor the arts of design, care for their artists,¹ and understand and delight in their beautiful and rare works. I therefore believe you will take pleasure in the work I have undertaken. I am recording the lives, works, manners, and circumstances of all those who found the arts already dead and first revived them. Step by step, they nurtured and enriched the arts, finally bringing them to their present height of beauty and majesty. Almost all these masters were Tuscans, and most of them were Florentines. Your most illustrious ancestors encouraged and helped many of them to work, offering them every kind of reward and honor. It may therefore be said that the arts were born anew in your state, indeed, in your most blessed house. Through your ancestors' generosity, the world has recovered these most beautiful arts, which have ennobled and enriched it.

Wherefore, through the debt which this age, these arts, and these craftsmen owe to your ancestors, and to you as the heir of their virtue and of their patronage of these professions, and through that debt which I, above all, owe them, seeing that I was taught by them, that I was their subject and their devoted servant, that I was brought up under Cardinal Ippolito de' Medici, and under Alessandro, your predecessor, and that, finally, I am infinitely attached to the blessed memory of the Magnificent Ottaviano de' Medici, by whom I was supported, loved and protected while he lived; for all these reasons, I say, and because from the greatness of your worth and of your fortunes there will come much favour for this work, and from your understanding of its subject there will come a better appreciation than from any other for its usefulness and for the labour and the diligence that I have given to its execution, it has seemed to me that to your Excellency alone could it be fittingly dedicated, and it is under your most honoured name that I have wished it to come to the hands of men.

This age, the arts, and their practitioners owe a debt to your ancestors. They also owe a debt to you, as the heir to your ancestors’ virtue and patronage of these professions. Above all, I owe your ancestors a debt myself. They taught me, and I was their subject and devoted servant. I was brought up under Cardinal Ippolito de' Medici and under Alessandro, your predecessor. Finally, I remain deeply attached to the blessed memory of the Magnificent Ottaviano de' Medici. While he lived, he supported, loved, and protected me. For all these reasons, it seemed fitting to dedicate this work to your Excellency alone. The greatness of your worth and good fortune will also bring the work much favor. And your understanding of its subject will allow you to appreciate its usefulness better than anyone else. You will also better appreciate the labor and care I have given to it. So I have wished to send it out into the world under your most honored name.

Deign, then, Excellency, to accept it, to favour it, and, if this may be granted to it by your exalted thoughts, sometimes to read it; having regard to the nature of the matter therein dealt with and to my pure intention, which has been, not to gain for myself praise as a writer, but as craftsman to praise the industry and to revive the memory of those who, having given life and adornment to these professions, do not deserve to have their names and their works wholly left, even as they were, the prey of death and of oblivion. Besides, at the same time, through the example of so many able men and through so many observations on so many works that I have gathered together in this book, I have thought to help not a little the masters of these exercises and to please all those who therein have taste and pleasure. This I have striven to do with that accuracy and with that good faith which are essential for the truth of history and of things written. But if my writing, being unpolished and as artless as my speech, be unworthy of your Excellency's ear and of the merits of so many most illustrious intellects; as for them, pardon me that the pen of a draughtsman, such as they too were, has no greater power to give them outline and shadow; and as for yourself, let it suffice me that your Excellency should deign to approve my simple labour, remembering that the necessity of gaining for myself the wherewithal to live has left me no time to exercise myself with any instrument but the brush. Nor even with that have I reached that goal to which I think to be able to attain, now that Fortune promises me so much favour, that, with greater ease and greater credit for myself and with greater satisfaction to others, I may perchance be able, as well with the pen as with the brush, to unfold my ideas to the world, whatsoever they may be. For besides the help and protection for which I must hope from your Excellency, as my liege lord and as the protector of poor followers of the arts, it has pleased the goodness of God to elect as His Vicar on earth the most holy and most blessed Julius III, Supreme Pontiff and a friend and patron of every kind of excellence and of these most excellent and most difficult arts in particular, from whose exalted liberality I expect recompense for many years spent and many labours expended, and up to now without fruit. And not only I, who have dedicated myself to the perpetual service of His Holiness, but all the gifted craftsmen of this age, must expect from him such honour and reward and opportunities for practising the arts so greatly, that already I rejoice to see these arts arriving in his time at the greatest height of their perfection, and Rome adorned by craftsmen so many and so noble that, counting them with those of Florence, whom your Excellency is calling every day into activity, I hope that someone after our time will have to write a fourth part to my book, enriching it with other masters and other masterpieces than those described by me; in which company I am striving with every effort not to be among the last.

Your Excellency, please accept and favor this book. If your exalted thoughts permit, please read it from time to time. Consider its subject and my sincere intention. I have not sought praise for myself as a writer. Rather, as a craftsman, I have sought to praise the industry and revive the memory of those who gave life and beauty to these professions. Their names and works do not deserve to remain wholly at the mercy of death and oblivion, as they have been. At the same time, I have hoped to give considerable help to masters of these arts. I have also hoped to please all those who appreciate and enjoy them. To that end, I have gathered in this book the examples of so many skilled men and observations on so many works. I have tried to do this with the accuracy and good faith essential to truthful history and writing. But my writing is unpolished and as artless as my speech. If it is unworthy of your Excellency’s ear and of the merits of so many brilliant minds, I ask their pardon. I am a draughtsman, as they were too, and my pen has no greater power to give them outline and shadow. As for your Excellency, I ask only that you approve my humble work. Please remember that earning my living has left me no time to practice with any instrument but the brush. Even with the brush, I have not yet reached the goal I think I can attain. Fortune now promises me so much favor that perhaps I may be able to make my ideas known to the world, whatever they may be. I may do so with both pen and brush, with greater ease and credit to myself, and greater satisfaction to others. For I must hope for help and protection from your Excellency, as my liege lord and protector of poor followers of the arts. In addition, God in his goodness has chosen the most holy and blessed Julius III as his Vicar on earth. The Supreme Pontiff is a friend and patron of excellence of every kind, especially these most excellent and difficult arts. From his great generosity, I expect recompense for many years and much labor spent without fruit until now. I have dedicated myself to the perpetual service of His Holiness. But I am not alone in expecting great honor, reward, and opportunities to practice our arts from him. All the gifted craftsmen of this age must expect the same. I already rejoice to see these arts reaching the greatest height of their perfection in his time. I rejoice, too, to see Rome adorned by so many noble craftsmen. Counting them with those of Florence, whom your Excellency calls into service every day, I hope someone after our time will have to write a fourth part to my book. That writer will enrich it with other masters and masterpieces besides those I have described. I am striving with all my might not to be among the least of their company.

Meanwhile, I am content if your Excellency has good hope of me and a better opinion than that which, by no fault of mine, you have perchance conceived of me; beseeching you not to let me be undone in your estimation by the malignant tales of other men, until at last my life and my works shall prove the contrary to what they say.

Meanwhile, I am content if your Excellency has good hopes for me and a better opinion of me than you may have formed through no fault of mine. I beg you not to let other men's malicious stories ruin your opinion of me. In time, my life and work will prove their stories wrong.

Now with that intent to which I hold, always to honour and to serve your Excellency, dedicating to you this my rough labour, as I have dedicated to you every other thing of mine and my own self, I implore you not to disdain to grant it your protection, or at least to appreciate the devotion of him who offers it to you; and recommending myself to your gracious goodness, most humbly do I kiss your hand.

I remain committed to honoring and serving Your Excellency. With that intention, I dedicate this rough work to you, as I have dedicated everything else I possess and myself. I beg you to grant it your protection, or at least to appreciate the devotion of the person offering it. I entrust myself to your gracious kindness and most humbly kiss your hand.