him too familiarly, it is said that Antonio kept him at a
distance, since Aristotile had never been able to accustom himself to
calling him "you," insomuch that he gave him the "thou" even if they
were before the Pope, to say nothing of a circle of nobles and
gentlemen, even as is still done by Florentines used to the ancient
fashions and to giving the "thou" to everyone, as if they were from
Norcia, without being able to accommodate themselves to modern ways of
life as others do, who march step by step with the times. And how
strange this circumstance appeared to Antonio, accustomed as he was to
be honoured by Cardinals and other great men, everyone may imagine for
himself. Having therefore grown weary of his stay at Castro, Aristotile
besought Antonio that he should enable him to return to Rome; in which
Antonio obliged him very readily, but said to him that he must behave
towards him in a different manner and with better breeding, particularly
whenever they were in the presence of great persons.

One year, at the time of the Carnival, when Ruberto Strozzi was giving a
banquet at Rome to certain lords, his friends, and a comedy was to be
performed at his house, Aristotile made for him in the great hall a
prospect-scene, which, considering the little space at his disposal, was
so pleasing, so graceful, and so beautiful, that Cardinal Farnese, among
others, not only was struck with astonishment at it, but caused him to
make one in his Palace of S. Giorgio, where is the Cancelleria, in one
of those mezzanine halls that look out on the garden; but in such a way
that it might remain there permanently, so that he might be able to make
use of it whenever he so wished or required. This work, then, was
carried out by Aristotile with all the study in his power and
knowledge, and in such a manner, that it gave the Cardinal and the men
of the arts infinite satisfaction. Now the Cardinal commissioned Messer
Curzio Frangipane to remunerate Aristotile; and he, as a man of
prudence, wishing to do what was right by him, but also not to overpay
him, asked Perino del Vaga and Giorgio Vasari to value the work. This
was very agreeable to Perino, because, feeling hatred for Aristotile,
and taking it ill that he had executed that prospect-scene, which he
thought should have fallen to him as the servant of the Cardinal, he was
living in apprehension and jealousy, and all the more because the
Cardinal had made use in those days not only of Ari