Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/95

Rh arranged fire-works, and other matters, to describe the whole of which would make too long a story.

The invention exhibited by Luigi Martelli also, when he, being Signore, gave his supper to the Company in the house of Giuliano Scali, at the Porta a Pinti, was also a very fine one, seeing that he there represented Mars, who, to denote his cruelty, was shown entirely covered with gore, in a room filled with the bleeding members of the human form; while in another chamber were seen Mars and Venus, whom Vulcan has covered with a net, and having done so, assembled all the Gods to make them witnesses of the affront offered to him by Mars and his wicked wife.

But, after this digression, which, for many causes, does not appear to me to be altogether out of place, although it may seem to many to be too long, it is time that I should return to the life of Giovan-Francesco Pustici.

In the year 1528, the Medici being driven from Florence, our artist no longer found his residence in that city to his liking, and having left the charge of all his affairs to Niccolò Buoni, he departed, with his disciple Lorenzo Naldini, called Guazzetto, to France, where, being made known to the king by Giovambattista della Palla, who was then in that country, and by the particular friend of Eustici, Francesco di Pellegrino, who had repaired thither but a short time previously, he was received most willingly by the sovereign, who instantly gave him a pension of five hundred crowns per annum, and for whom Eustici executed certain works, of which, however, we cannot obtain exact notices. He also received commission to cast a Horse in bronze, to be double the size of life, and on which the statue of King Francis was to be seated; to this work he set hand accordingly, producing various models which pleased tne monarch greatly: nay, continuing his labours, Giovan-Francesco > then prepared the great model for the figure, of* which he had made the mould, and was even ready for casting, the preparations for which had been made in a large palace, given to Giovan-Francesco for his accommodation by King Francis. But, whatever the cause may have been, the