Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/421

Rh are still in the possession of liis Excellency in Urbino. These things caused the fame of Bartolommeo to become widely extended, and while the latter was in Rome with the Duke, a request 'was preferred to that Prince by the Genoese, to the intent that he should permit Bartolommeo to assist them in some of their fortifications; but Guidobaldo would not comply with that prayer, either then or at a subsequent period, when the Genoese again endeavoured to obtain the aid of Genga, after the return of his master and himself to Urbino.

At length, and when Bartolommeo was near the close of his life, the Grand Master of Rhodes despatched two of the knights of St. John of Jerusalem to Pesaro, with an entreaty that his Excellency would be pleased to grant them the services of our artist, to the end that they might conduct him to the Island of Malta, where that Order was minded, not only to construct very extensive fortifications, for the defence of the place against the Turks, but also to found two cities, or rather to unite and draw together several villages, which were already there, into one or two cities or towns. Then the Duke, with whom these knights had been labouring vainly for two months, in respect to that matter of Bartolommeo, but yet could not succeed, although they had availed themselves of the assistance of the Duchess and others; the Duke, I say, did finally comply with their request; he permitted Genga, that is, to accompany them for a term fixed on, at the entreaty of a good Capuchin father, to whom Guidobaldo bore the warmest affection, and whom he never refused any favour that he desired. Nor was the method adopted by that holy man to obtain his purpose other than a most praiseworthy and commendable one, seeing that he made it a matter of conscience with the Duke, whom he assured that the works in question concerned the interest of the whole republic of Christendom, and that he ought consequently to comply with the Grand Master’s request.

On the 20th of January, in the year 1558, therefore, Bartolommeo departed, nor had he ever received a greater favour or higher honour than was this invitation;—he departed from Pesaro, I say, with the two knights above-mentioned, but being impeded by the fortune of the sea, and compelled