Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/167

 A L B A N I.

s, I'Mtn little after theirVriendfhip for r"ch oilier broin to cool ; which was owin;; perhaps to the prii, . could nut hear to fee Guidd furpaft him, i.r t> ti.r j .' nfy otGuido at finding Albani make lo (wife a propnfs. Ttvy certainly auk- .voureci to cclipk- one nnothn ; :< ' had let up a beautiful ahar- piece, Albani would o; it 1 ' fome line pi^uiK- oi his : thus did they [> T iomc trm and yet fpake of each other with ftic hi^hed (-{k-eni. Al after having greatly improved riimfeU under the Caraci went to Rome, where he continued mnnv years, und man: in that city ; but his wife dying in chihibed, at th .ft requelt of his relations, he returned to Bologna, where lu entered ac r ain into the Uate of matrimony. His fecrr.'l vifc (I)oralicc) was well defcended, but had very littler fortui,, which he perfectly difregarded, fo ftiongly was he captivated with her beauty and good fenfe. Albani, befides the fjti-Ctc- tion of poiicHing an accompiilhed wife, reaped likeuifc the advantage of having a moft beautiful moor! ; fo that he had now no occafion to make ufe of any other woman to paint a Venus, the Graces, Nymph?, and other deities, whom he took a particular delight in representing. Mis wife anfwered this purpole admirably well ; for bcfidcs her bloom of youth, and the beauty of her perfon, he difcovercd in her fo much modefty, fo many graces and perfections, fo well adapted to painting, that it was impofuble for him to meet with a more iinifhed woman. She afterwards brought him fcve:al : , all extremfly beautiful and finely proportioned ; fo that llic and her children were iheoiiginals of his mcft agreeable and graceful competitions. Doralice was fo conformable to his intentions, that fhe took a p'eafure in fctiing the children in different attitudes, holding them naked, and fometimes fuf- pended by ftrings, when Albani would draw them in a t!i.>u-: ' iand different ways. It was fiom irum too, that the f.un,. fculptcrs Flair.and and Argaldi modelled their little Cupids. Albani was well verhd in feme bruir.-lus o. . te 1. -^ture, but old not understand Latin, much to his rej 61. endea- vourcd to fupply this defedt by carefully perilling t' :n tranflaticns of fuch books as could be fcrviccablc to him in his profeffion. He exccliud i.i all parts of paif it was particularly admired for his (hut 11 pieces; t! he himfelf was much difiatished thut hi* 1..'.'. pi CC8, many or which he painted for altars, were not equally applauded. I lo delighted much in drawing the f.iir fix, wli m he lus ie;re- fented with wop.dcrlul beauty; but has been rn.ko''vJ not, fo happy in his imitation .of men. Ik fometimcs repre 5'5- K -2. ;; ic