e gli pose in man lo stile."

In truth these sonnets and the mention of the artist in one of his
intimate letters in the fifth book, beginning _Non sum nescius_, have
given more fame to the poor life of Simone than all his own works
have done or ever will do, for a day will come when they will be no
more, whereas the writings of such a man as Petrarch endure for all
time.

Simone Memmi of Siena then was an excellent painter, remarkable in
his own day and much esteemed at the Pope's court, because, after the
death of his master Giotto, whom he had followed to Rome when he did
the _Navicella_ in mosaic, and other things, he had imitated his
master's style in making a Virgin Mary in the porch of St Peter's,
and a St Peter and a St Paul in that place near where the bronze pine
apple is, in a wall between the arches of the portico, on the
outside. For this style he was praised, especially as he had
introduced into the work a portrait of a sacristan of St Peter's
lighting some lamps, and has made his figures very vigorous. This led
to Simone being summoned very urgently to the Pope's court at
Avignon, where he executed so many pictures in fresco and on panels
that his works realised the fame which had preceded him thither.
Returning to Siena in great credit and high in favour, he was
employed by the Signoria to paint in fresco a Virgin Mary, with many
figures about her in a chamber in their palace. He completed this
with every perfection, to his great glory and advantage. In order to
show that he was no less skilful in painting on panels than in
fresco, he executed a panel in that palace, for which reason he was
afterwards commissioned to do two in the Duomo and a Madonna with
the child in her arms in a most beautiful attitude, above the door of
the opera of that building. In this picture some angels which are
holding up a standard in the air, are flying and looking down on
saints below them, who are surrounding Our Lady, forming a very
beautiful and decorative composition. That done, Simone was invited
to Florence by the general of St Augustine and did the chapter-house
in S. Spirito, showing remarkable invention and judgment in the
figures and horses, as may be believed on seeing the story of the
Passion of Christ, remarkable alike for the ingenuity, discretion,
and exquisite grace displayed by the artist. The thieves on the
cross are seen in the act of expiring, the soul of the good one being
carried with rejoicing to h