Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/189

Rh which was of an immense bulk, between two founding furnaces erected in a very convenient locality which he had obtained at Monte Cavallo. For a certain time the molten mass ran well into the mould, but the weight of metal suddenly bursting the body of the horse, the material gushed forth in all directions. This misfortune caused Daniello much grief in the first instance, but eventually finding means to remedy the disaster, he recovered his self-possession; at the end of two months, therefore, he prepared to cast his work for the second time; and on this occasion, his ability prevailing against the malice of Fortune, he completed the cast of the Horse (which is a full sixth larger than the Horse of Antoninus on the Capitol) in one unblemished mass. Perfectly equal and of similar thickness throughout, this vast work did not weigh more than 20,000 pounds, which is sufi^iciently remarkable, its size considered.

But the toils and discomforts which Daniello, who was of a somewhat feeble and melancholy temperament, had endured for this work, were shortly afterwards succeeded by a fearful catarrh; this harassed him cruelly, and whereas it might have been expected that he should now be content and happy, seeing that he had overcome incalculable difficulties, and had produced so extraordinary a work, he was, on the contrary, so much depressed that it appeared certain he could never rejoice any more, however perfectly his affairs might prosper; nay, at the end of two days this affection deprived him of life, an event which took place on the 4th of April, 1566. He had nevertheless had time to prepare for his death, and having confessed very devoutly, he requested to have all the other Sacraments of the Church, proper to his circumstances, administered to him; this being done, he made his will, desiring that his body should be buried in the new Church, which had been commenced at the Baths by Pius IV. for the Carthusian Monks, commanding likewise that the Statue which he had begun for the Grreat Gate, should be placed over his grave, and giving the care of these things to the Florentine, Michele degli” Alberti, and to Feliciano di San Vito of the Campagna of Rome, to whom he left the sum of two hundred scudi for that purpose.

Both of these persons then set themselves with the most affectionate assiduity to the fulfilment of his wishes, bestow-