been hung, obviously out of all chronology, immediately beneath that
head by Raphael so long known as the "Berrettino," and now said to be
the portrait of Cecco Ciulli.

The picture I speak of is a small one, and represents merely the
figure of a woman, clad to the hands and feet with a green and grey
raiment, chaste and early in its fashion, but exceedingly simple. She
is standing: her hands are held together lightly, and her eyes set
earnestly open.

The face and hands in this picture, though wrought with great
delicacy, have the appearance of being painted at once, in a single
sitting: the drapery is unfinished. As soon as I saw the figure, it
drew an awe upon me, like water in shadow. I shall not attempt to
describe it more than I have already done; for the most absorbing
wonder of it was its literality. You knew that figure, when painted,
had been seen; yet it was not a thing to be seen of men. This
language will appear ridiculous to such as have never looked on the
work; and it may be even to some among those who have. On examining
it closely, I perceived in one corner of the canvass the words _Manus
Animam pinxit_, and the date 1239.

I turned to my Catalogue, but that was useless, for the pictures were
all displaced. I then stepped up to the Cavaliere Ercoli, who was in
the room at the moment, and asked him regarding the subject of
authorship of the painting. He treated the matter, I thought,
somewhat slightingly, and said that he could show me the reference in
the Catalogue, which he had compiled. This, when found, was not of
much value, as it merely said, "Schizzo d'autore incerto," adding the
inscription.{4} I could willingly have prolonged my inquiry, in the
hope that it might somehow lead to some result; but I had disturbed
the curator from certain yards of Guido, and he was not
communicative. I went back therefore, and stood before the picture
till it grew dusk.

{4}I should here say, that in the catalogue for the year just over,
(owing, as in cases before mentioned, to the zeal and enthusiasm of
Dr. Aemmester) this, and several other pictures, have been more
competently entered. The work in question is now placed in the _Sala
Sessagona_, a room I did not see--under the number 161. It is
described as "Figura mistica di Chiaro dell' Erma," and there is a
brief notice of the author appended.

The next day I was there again; but this time a circle of students
was round the spot, all copying the "Berret