Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/566

554 Tribune, or rather Cupola of the Madonna delF Umilta in Pisa, which is one of great importance. In all which, if I have produced anything that can be called good, I render thanks to God, without seeking to excuse my imperfections, which I know better than any one can tell them to me,—I give thanks to God, I say, from whom I hope to have furthermore so much assistance as shall enable me to complete that great undertaking of the walls of the great Hall, to the satisfaction of my Signor and Prince, who for thirteen years has afforded me so many good opportunities for the performance of honourable works to my credit as well as profit. If I can accomplish this, I shall then consider myself old, weary, and worn enough to retire to my repose.

And if from various causes my previous works have been executed with somewhat too much of haste, I hope to accomplish this one at my leisure, since the illustrious Duke does not wish me to proceed rapidly, but would have me do it at my ease, affording me all that rest and those recreations which I could myself desire to have. Last year, for example, being weary and exhausted with all the undertakings mentioned above, his Excellency gave me permission to amuse myself for some months; wherefore, I set off on my travels, and passed through little less than all Italy, revisiting a vast number of my old friends and signori, with the works of numerous masters, as I have related in another place. Lastly, I finished my visits with Rome, and being about to return to Florence, I went to kiss the feet of the most holy and blessed Pope Pius V., when His Holiness commanded me to paint him a picture so soon as I should have returned to Florence, and send it to his Convent and Church of the Bosco, which he was having built in his native place, near Alessandria della Paglia.

Having returned to Florence accordingly, and having received this command from His Holiness, whose many acts of favour I could not forget, I painted an Adoration of the Magi; and when he knew that it was finished, the Pontiff gave me to understand, that for his satisfaction, and because he desired to confer with me respecting certain of his plans, he would have me proceed myself to Rome with that picture, desiring most particularly to speak to me concerning the Fabric of San Pietro, which His Holiness proved himself to