His Excellency is prepared to spend both substance and labour on the task, in order to honour you.

Pray then, albeit age is irksome, endeavour to aid him by unfolding your views; for, in doing so, you will confer benefits on countless persons, and will be the cause of raising all these men of parts to higher excellence, each one of whom has learned what he already knows in the sacristy, or rather let me say our school." This eloquent despatch informs us very clearly that the walls of the sacristy, above the tall Corinthian order which, encloses the part devoted to sculpture, were intended to be covered with stucco and fresco paintings, completing the polychromatic decoration begun by Giovanni da Udine in the cupola.

Twelve statues had been designed for the niches in the marble panelling; and one word used by Vasari, _facciate_, leaves the impression that the blank walls round and opposite the altar were also to be adorned with pictures.

We remain uncertain how Michelangelo originally meant to dispose of the colossal Madonna with SS.

Damian and Cosimo.
Unhappily, nothing came of the Duke's project.