Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/493

Rh named decorations of Aristotile at so small a sum as should make him repent of having undertaken them.

But Aristotile, having heard who were the artists appointed to estimate his work, went to speak to Perino, and at the very first word he began, as was his custom, to cast his “thou ” at Perino’s beard, as speaking to one who had been well known to him, nay, was a friend of his in his youth. Thereupon Perino, already ill-disposed towards him, became so angry, that without being aware of what he was doing, he all but laid open the design which he had so maliciously formed; all which being related by Aristotile to Giorgio, the latter bade him not to have any anxiety, but to be of good cheer, since no wrong should be done him.

Shortly afterwards, Perino and Giorgio met by appointment to put an end to that affair, when Perino, speaking first, as being the older man, began to depreciate the work, and to declare that it was but an affair of a few baiocchi, adding, that since Aristotile had received money on account, and had besides been paid for all the assistants whom he had employed, so he was already more than handsomely remunerated for his labour: he further remarked, “Had I received the commission for this work I would have done it in a very different manner, and with another sort of stories and decorations than has been exhibited by this fellow, but the Cardinal is perpetually favouring somebody who does him. but little credit.”

From these words and others of similar kind, Vasari perceived clearly that Perino was better disposed to give evidence of his displeasure with the Cardinal, and avenge himself on Aristotile, than to guard with a friendly mind the interests of a good artist, and to see that he was properly repaid for his toils and cares; wherefore speaking in a very gentle manner, Vasari replied to Perino in these words:— “Although I do not pretend to more than ordinary knowledge of such works, yet have I seen such from the hands of those who knew perfectly how to do them, and it appears to me that this is an exceedingly well executed performance; not meriting, as you say, a few baiocchi only, but rather worthy to be estimated at many crowns. Neither does it appear to me fair or just that he who labours at his desk to