no more,) are well known, They liv'd in great Honour, and made a very confiderable Figure in their feveral Times, and Countreys.

ry

That the Generality of Good Painters have been Idle, and Sots, is a Vulgar Error, On the ContraI know not even One Inftance of This among those Great Masters who I have all along been speaking of, and who alone are confiderable in their Profeffion; tho' indeed Those that have given Occafion for This Scandal may poffibly have been the Beft whofe Works those People who have Thus thought have been acquainted with.

Another Miftake of This kind is, That the Painters how Excellent foever they may have been in their Art, have been Inconfiderable Creatures Otherwife: But (as I have obferv'd heretofore) a Valuable Man will remain tho' a Good Painter is deprived of his Eyes, and Hands When

When after a Brouillerie, between Pope Julius, and Michelangelo, upon account of Slight the Artist conceiv'd the Pontif had put upon him, (the Story is at large in Vafari) Michelangelo was introduced by a Bishop (who was a Stranger to him, but was deputed by Cardinal Soderini, who being Sick could not do it himself as was intended) this Bishop thinking to ferve Michelangelo by it made it an Argument that the Pope should be reconcil'd to him Because Men of his Profeffion were commonly Ignorant, and of no Confequence Otherwife; his Holiness enrag'd at the Bishop ftruck him with his Staff, and told Him 'twas He that was the Blockhead, and Affronted the Man Himself would not Offend: The Prelate was driven out of the Chamber, and Michelangelo had the Pope's Benediction accompanied with Prefents. This Bishop had fallen in

to

to this Vulgar Error, and was Rebuk'd accordingly.

What I have been saying puts me in mind of a Story which paffes very currantly of this Great Mafter, and that is that he had a Porter fix'd as to a Cross, and then stabb'd him that he might the better exprefs the Dying Agonies of our Lord in a Crucifix he was painting: I find no good Ground for this Slander. Perhaps 'tis a Copy of a like Story of Parrhafius, the truth of which is also much doubted of; 'tis faid he fasten'd a Slave he had bought to a Machine, and then tormented him to death, and whilft he was Dying painted the Prometheus he made for the Temple of Minerva at Athens.

Now that I am upon Particulars, there is one of a Different Sort relating to Titian, which I will take this Occafion to make more Publick than has yet been done:

'Tis a Letter written by Him to the Emperour Charles V. I find it in a Collection of Italian Letters Printed at Venice 1574. Ridolfi, nor any other Writer that I know of has This, tho' he has Another written to the Emperour, and one to Philip II. King of Spain, as he has also one or two Letters from that King to Titian.

Invittiffimo Principe, fe dolfe alla facra maestà uoftra la falfa nuoua della morte mia, a me è ftato di Confolatione d'effere percio fatto più certo che l'altezza uoftra della mia feruitù fi ricordi onde la uita m'è doppiamenta cara. Et humilmente prego N. S. Dio a conferuarmi (Se non più) tanto che finifcal opera della Cefarea Maeftà uoftra, la quale fi truoua in termine che a Settembre profimino potra comparire dinanzi altezza uoftra, alla quale fra quefto mezzo con ogni humilta

m'inchino,

m'inchino, & riuerentemente in fua gratia mi raccommando.

Titiano Vecellio.

Lomazzo in his Idea del Tempio della Pittura pag. 57. prettily cha

racterizes feveral of Thofe Great Masters I have been fpeaking of by Animals, and Famous Men, chiefly Philofophers. To Michelangelo he affigns a Dragon, and Socrates; to Gaudentio an Eagle, and Plato; To Polidoro a Horse, and Alcides; To Lionardo da Vinci a Lyon, and Prometheus; To Andrea Mantegna a Serpent, and Archimedes; To Titiano an Ox, and Ariftotle, To Rafaelle a Man, and Solomon. For the reft I refer you to the Books.

But what completes the History of Thefe Great Painters is their Works; of which a great Number, efpecially of Drawings, is preferved to Our times.

Here we fee their Be