Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/448

440 All this rejoiced San Michele exceedingly: he was in the highest degree delighted to see his own abilities out-stripped by his relative, and to find the art, which old age would prevent himself from carrying further, thus making progress in the person of Giovan-Girolamo.

Mow the latter, in addition to the excellent judgment which he displayed in selecting the site of his works, had also much industry and skill in representing the same, whether by drawings, or models in relief; insomuch that he laid before his lords the most unimportant particulars of all that he undertook, and sent them beautiful models in wood of the most minute parts of the fortifications, a care and diligence which pleased them infinitely, since, without once leaving their abodes in Venice, they could thus daily make themselves acquainted with the progress made, and see the works proceeding at the most distant parts of states. The models themselves were deposited, for the greater convenience, in the palace of the Doge; and, to the end that they might be the more readily examined, they were kept in a place where the Signori could go to consult them whenever it might suit them to do so. They took care, also, to encourage the continuance of Giovan-Girolamo in this mode of proceeding, not only by reimbursing the expenses which he incurred in the construction of these models, but also by showing him innumerable marks of favour.

Giovan-Girolamo might have entered the service of many princes and nobles, with very large emoluments, but he would never leave that of his own lords, the Signori of Venice; nay, pursuing the counsels of his father, and his kinsman San Michele, he took to wife a maiden of the noble family of the Fracastori, one of those dwelling in Verona, with the fixed intention of remaining in those parts. But he had lived only a few days with his beloved bride, who was called Madonna Ortcnsia, when he was summoned by the Signori to Venice, and thence despatched in great haste to Cyprus, there to inspect all the strong places of the island, orders having been forwarded to the officials, commanding them to provide him with whatever might be needful to him, of all kinds, and in every place.

Having arrived in Cyprus, Giovan-Girolamo employed three months in making the circle of the island; and after carefully inspecting all the fortresses, he put every thing that