led the Porta di S. Bastiano, through which the Emperor
was to enter.

In that work Battista, without having hitherto touched colours,
executed over the gate the arms of Pope Paul III and those of the
Emperor Charles, with a Romulus who was placing on the arms of the
Pontiff a Papal crown, and on those of the Emperor an Imperial crown;
which Romulus, a figure of five braccia, dressed in the ancient manner,
with a crown on the head, had on the right hand Numa Pompilius, and on
the left Tullus Hostilius, and above him these words--Quirinus Pater. In
one of the scenes that were on the faces of the towers standing on
either side of the gate, was the elder Scipio triumphing over Carthage,
which he had made tributary to the Roman people; and in the other, on
the right hand, was the triumph of the younger Scipio, who had ruined
and destroyed that same city. In one of the two pictures that were on
the exterior of the towers, on the front side, could be seen Hannibal
under the walls of Rome, driven back by the tempest, and in the other,
on the left, Flaccus entering by that gate to succour Rome against that
same Hannibal. All these scenes and pictures, being Battista's first
paintings, and in comparison with those of the others, were passing good
and much extolled. And, if Battista had begun from the first to paint
and from time to time to practise using colours and handling brushes,
there is no doubt that he would have surpassed many craftsmen; but his
obstinate adherence to a certain opinion that many others hold, who
persuade themselves that draughtsmanship is enough for him who wishes to
paint, did him no little harm. For all that, however, he acquitted
himself much better than did some of those who executed the scenes on
the arch of S. Marco, on which there were eight scenes, four on each
side, the best of which were painted partly by Francesco Salviati, and
partly by a certain Martino[8] and other young Germans, who had come to
Rome at that very time in order to learn. Nor will I omit to tell, in
this connection, that the above-named Martino, who was very able in
works in chiaroscuro, executed some battle scenes with such boldness and
such beautiful inventions in certain encounters and deeds of arms
between Christians and Turks, that nothing better could have been done.
And the marvellous thing was that Martino and his assistants executed
those canvases with such assiduity and rapidity, in order that the work
might be fini