Note 101 — CHAP. III.

Mehus, on the authority of one Vespasiano di Filippo, says, that he was born of poor parents. The author of his life, in the Elogi degli Illustri uomini Toscani, maintains, on the contrary, that his family was graced with the honours of nobility; and he supports his position by very cogent arguments. These different statements may be reconciled by an hypothesis by no means devoid of probability, namely, that the father of Ambrogio was descended of noble blood, but that the fortunes of his house were fallen to decay.