res
that are holding the devices of his Excellency, and over the door a
Ducal coat of arms, the six balls of which are upheld by some naked
little boys, who twine in and out between each other as they fly
through the air. And last of all, in the bases at the foot, beneath
all the scenes, the same Cristofano painted the device of M. Sforza;
that is, some obelisks, or rather triangular pyramids, which rest upon
three balls, with a motto around that reads--Immobilis.

This work, when finished, was vastly extolled by his Excellency and by
Messer Sforza himself, who, like the courteous gentleman that he was,
wished to reward with a considerable present the art and industry of
Cristofano; but he would have none of it, being contented and fully
repaid by the goodwill of that lord, who loved him ever afterwards
more than I could say. While the work was being executed, Vasari had
Cristofano with him, as he had always done in the past, in the house
of Signor Bernardetto de' Medici, who much delighted in painting;
which having perceived, Cristofano painted two scenes in chiaroscuro
in a corner of his garden. One was the Rape of Proserpine, and in the
other were Vertumnus and Pomona, the deities of agriculture; and
besides this Cristofano painted in this work some ornaments of
terminal figures and children of such variety and beauty, that there
is nothing better to be seen.

Meanwhile arrangements had been made for beginning to paint in the
Palace, and the first thing that was taken in hand was a hall in the
new apartments, which, being twenty braccia wide, and having a height,
according as Tasso had constructed it, of not more than nine braccia,
was raised three braccia with beautiful ingenuity by Vasari, that is,
to a total height of twelve braccia, without moving the roof, which
was half a pavilion roof.

But because in doing this, before it could become possible to paint,
much time had to be devoted to reconstructing the ceilings and to
other works in that apartment and in others, Vasari himself obtained
leave to go to Arezzo to spend two months there together with
Cristofano. However, he did not succeed in being able to rest during
that time, for the reason that he could not refuse to go in those days
to Cortona, where he painted in fresco the vaulting and the walls of
the Company of Jesus with the assistance of Cristofano, who acquitted
himself very well, and particularly in the twelve different sacrifices
from the Old Te