Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza, 1462 |
Letter dated October 21, 1462 sent by Duke Francesco Sforza of Milan to
his resident ambassador in Florence, Nicodemo Tranchedini da Pontremoli. Original in
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Fonds Italien,
Cod. 1595, fol.291. Microfilm copy in The Ilardi Microfilm Collection:
Renaissance Diplomatic Documents ca. 1450-ca. 1500, Sterling Memorial
Library, Yale University, Reel No. 1762. Index to the Collection:
www.library.yale.edu/Ilardi/il-hom,e.htm
Because there are many who request of us eyeglasses that are made there in
Florence, since it is reputed that they are made more perfectly [there] than in
any other place in Italy, we wish and charge you to send us three dozens of the
aforesaid eyeglasses placed in cases so that they will not break; that is to
say, one dozen of those apt and suitable for distant vision, that is for the
young; another [dozen] that are suitable for near vision, that is for the
elderly; and the third [dozen] for normal vision. We inform you that we do not
want them for our use because, thank God, we do not need them, but we want them
in order to please this one or that one who asks us for them. Send them by the
post of our couriers directing them to our secretary Giovanni Simonetta. Inform
us of their cost so that we can send you the money. Given in Milan, 21 October
1462.
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