Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/486

478 first desired, yet he offered no opposition to the opinions given, only such manifest sophistries and cavils that his evil intentions became obvious to every one. Wherefore Giorgio, well knowing the frightful consequences that might result from Lorenzo’s design, and certain that this was no other than a plan for the wilful slaughter of some three hundred persons, declared that he would very certainly describe the method to the Duke, when his Excellency might send to examine the matter and provide against the consequences to be expected. Hearing this, and fearing to be discovered, Lorenzo, after many words, gave Aristotile permission to follow the plan proposed by Giorgio, which was accordingly done.

These decorations were the most beautiful, not only of all that had ever before been prepared by Aristotile, but of all that had ever been executed by any one up to that time, since Bastiano there constructed wings or side scenes, with a magnificent arch of triumph at the extremity of the stage, which last was painted to represent marble, the whole adorned with historical delineations and statues, to say nothing of perspective views representing streets, &c. stretching far away into the distance, and of many other embellishments, all giving proof of the most incredible care and forethought.

When the Duke Alessandro was ultimately assassinated by the above-named Lorenzo, and when the Signor Cosimo, after being created Duke in the year 1539, was to celebrate his nuptials with the Signora, Donna Leonora di Toledo, a truly distinguished lady, and one of such great and incomparable excellence that she may be compared without dispute to all that have been most renowned and extolled in the ancient histories, nay, perchance, may well be placed before them; when this marriage, I say, which was solemnized on the 27th June, 1539, was to take place, Aristotile constructed another scenic representation in the great Court of the palace of the Medici, that namely wherein is the fountain. In this scene, which presented the city of Pisa, Bastiano surpassed himself, displaying a richer variety of invention and better execution than he had ever before done.

It would indeed not be possible to bring together a more admirably varied arrangement of windows and doors, more fanciful and remarkable fronts of palaces or streets, and