he Lord Prior of S. Matteo, and, in a word,
all the first lords and gentlemen of that city, in which he acquired
both fame and riches.

Having finished the works described above, Fra Giovanni Agnolo departed
from Genoa and went to Rome to visit Buonarroti, whom he had not seen
for many years past, and to try if he could by some means pick up again
the thread of his connection with the Duke of Florence and return to
complete the Hercules that he had left unfinished. But, after arriving
in Rome, where he bought himself the title of Chevalier of S. Pietro, he
heard by letters received from Florence that Bandinelli, pretending to
be in want of marble, and giving out that the above-named Hercules was a
piece of marble spoiled, had broken it up, with the leave of Riccio the
majordomo, and had used it to make cornices for the tomb of Signor
Giovanni, on which he was then at work; and at this he felt such
disdain, that for the time being he would not on any account return to
visit Florence, since it appeared to him that the presumption,
arrogance, and insolence of that man were too easily endured.

[Illustration: FOUNTAIN OF NEPTUNE

(_After =Fra Giovanni Agnolo Montorsoli=. Messina: Piazza del Duomo_)

_Brogi_]

While the Frate was thus passing his time in Rome, the people of
Messina, having determined to erect on the Piazza of their Duomo a
fountain with a very great enrichment of statues, had sent men to Rome
to seek out some excellent sculptor. These men had secured Raffaello da
Montelupo, but he fell ill at the very moment when he was about to
depart with them for Messina, so that they made another choice and took
the Frate, who had sought with all insistence, and even with some
interest, to obtain that work. Having therefore apprenticed as a
carpenter in Rome his nephew Agnolo, who had proved to be less gifted
than he had expected, he set out with Martino, and they arrived in
Messina in the month of September, 1547. There, having been provided
with rooms, he set his hand to making the conduit for the waters, which
come from a distance, and to having marble sent from Carrara; and with
great promptitude, assisted by many stone-cutters and carvers, he
finished that fountain, which is made in the following manner. The
fountain, I say, has eight sides--namely, four large, the principal
sides, and four smaller. The principal sides are divided, and two of
these, projecting outwards, form an angle in the middle, and two,
re