Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/28

20 according to the measure of the masons, the canna used at Rome consists of ten palms.

For the labour he had given to this model of his and for various designs presented by him, Antonio was adjudged by the superintendents who were over the fabric of San Pietro to receive a sum of fifteen hundred scudi, and of these he was at once paid a thousand, but he never received the remainder, seeing that shortly after he had completed such model he passed to the other life. Antonio enlarged and increased the strength of the piers in the above-named church of San Pietro, to the intent that the weight of the tribune might repose securely thereon, he also filled in all the scattered parts of the foundations with solid material, and thereby rendered the whole so strong, that there is now no cause of fear lest the fabric should display further cracks, nor is there any chance of its being in danger of falling as was the case in the time of Bramante. And if this masterpiece of care and prudence were upon the earth instead of being hidden as it is beneath it, the work would cause the boldest genius to stand amazed, for which cause the name and fame of this admirable artist must ever retain a place among those most distinguished in the domain of art.

We find that even as early as the times of the ancient Romans, the dwellers in Terni and the men of Narni were ever at the bitterest enmity with each other, and so does it remain with those people to the present day; and the reason has been, that the lake of Marmora, sometimes becoming stagnant, frequently caused very great injury to one of the aforesaid communities; but when the people of Narni would fain have given outlet to the waters, the men of Terni could by no means be brought to consent thereto, for which reason there has ever been strife between them, whether Pontiffs or Emperors were ruling in Rome. We find that in the time of Cicero, that orator was despatched by the senate to compose these differences; but the quarrel remained unappeased nevertheless, In the year 1546 ambassadors were sent on the same