Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici, called "the Elder" and posthumously "Father of the Fatherland" , was an Italian banker and politician, the first member of the Medici family that de facto ruled Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. Despite his influence, his power was not absolute; Florence's legislative councils at times resisted his proposals throughout his life, and he was always viewed as primus inter pares rather than an autocrat. His power derived from his wealth as a banker, and he was a great patron of learning, the arts and architecture. Wikipedia
Attributed to Cosimo de' Medici, Duke of Florence, in Apothegms by Francis Bacon, (1624) No. 206
Attributed to Cosimo de' Medici by Salviati; as cited in Taylor, F.H. (1948). The taste of angels, a history of art collecting from Rameses to Napoleon. Boston: Little, Brown. pp. 65–66.
Attributed to Cosimo de' Medici in: Jean Lucas-Dubreton (1961). Daily Life in Florence in the Time of the Medici. p. 58
