Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/561

Rh by the hand of Raffaello da Urbino, placed between two others painted by myself, and representing SS. Cosimo and Damiano, to whom that chapel is dedicated.

In like manner the four upper rooms, appropriated to the Signora Duchess Leonora, are adorned with the actions of illustrious women, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Tuscan, each chamber exhibiting the life of a personage belonging to one of those nations; but I have spoken of these elsewhere, and shall mention them further in the Dialogue, which, as before said, will be soon published to the world, and to speak of all here would make the relation too long.

For these my labours, persistent, severe, and difficult as they were, I was richly rewarded by the liberality of the Duke, from whom I received handsome gifts in addition to my allotted stipend, seeing that he presented me with an excellent and commodious house in Florence as well as one in the country, to the end that I might devote myself the more easily to his service. In my native city of Arezzo, moreover, his Excellency has honoured me with the supreme magistracy of the Gonfaloniere and other offices, adding the privilege of permission to substitute a citizen to perform the active duties thereof in my place. To my brother Ser Pietro, also, the Duke has given profitable employments in Florence, and has bestowed important favours on my kinsmen in Arezzo, for which cause I shall never be satisfied with declaring the obligations I owe to that Signore for his many favours conferred on me.

Returning to my works, I proceed to say, that the illustrious Duke had resolved to put in execution a thought which he had long conceived, that namely of having the Great Hall adorned with paintings, an idea entirely worthy of his greatness and the extent of his genius. Of this work he spoke to me in a light and jesting manner. I know not whether because he thought that I should certainly make good despatch therewith, and that he would thus see it finished in his own days, or whether for some concealed and,