Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/319

Rh done down upon the vine. A piece of wood in the form of a cylinder was ordered to be prepared accordingly, and this Rosso fastened to the monkey with a chain which permitted him to leap about the house, but he could no longer get to the houses of the neighbours.

The monkey, thus condemned to bear his punishment, appeared to divine that he was indebted for it to the Intendant, he therefore exercised himself daily in the act of springing step by step with his feet, while he held the weight with his hands, until he became sufficiently expert to secure the success of his purpose. One day therefore, when he was left free to spring about the house, he got out on the roof, and, clambering in the manner described from one roof to another, he arrived at length on that which covered the chamber of the monk, which he reached at the time when the latter was absent at vespers; there he suffered the wooden weight to fall, and danced about with so much good-will, using his club also to such purpose for half an hour, that there was not a tile or lath left whole upon the roof. Having broken all, the animal then returned home. Three days after there came a deluge of rain, and I leave you to judge if the complaints of the Intendant made themselves heard.

Having completed his labours in Florence, Rosso set off for Rome with Battistino and the ape. Much expectation had been awakened respecting him in that city, and his works were earnestly sought for, some of the drawings made by him having already been seen and acknowledged to be most beautiful, as they doubtless were, seeing that Rosso drew to admiration. In the church of the Pace therefore, he painted a picture over those executed by Raffaello, than which he never depicted a worse in all his days. Nor can I conceive whence this has proceeded, unless we are to conclude that in his case, as in that of many others, we have an instance of a fact which appears to me to be a very extraordinary thing, and one of the secret wonders of nature, that many persons, namely, when they change their country and place, appear to change their character, talents, habits and modes of life also, insomuch that they sometimes no more appear like themselves, but like some others, nay, not unfrequently are as