stotile but also of
Vasari, and had given him a thousand crowns for having painted in
fresco, in a hundred days, the Hall of "Parco Majori" in the
Cancelleria. For these reasons, therefore, Perino intended to value that
prospect-view of Aristotile's at so little, that he would have to repent
of having done it. But Aristotile, having heard who were the men who had
to value his prospect-view, went to seek out Perino, and at the first
word, according to his custom, began to give him the "thou" to his face,
for he had been his friend in youth; whereupon Perino, who had already
an ill-will against him, flew into a rage and all but revealed, without
noticing, the malicious thing that he had it in his mind to do.
Aristotile having therefore told the whole story to Vasari, Giorgio told
him that he should have no anxiety and should be of good cheer, for no
wrong would be done to him.
Afterwards, Perino and Giorgio coming together to settle that affair,
Perino, as the older man, began to speak, and set himself to censure
that prospect-scene and to say that it was a work of a few halfpence,
and that Aristotile, having received money on account and having been
paid for those who had assisted him, had been overpaid, adding: "If I
had been commissioned to do it, I would have done it in another manner,
and with different scenes and ornaments from those used by that fellow;
but the Cardinal always chooses to favour some person who does him
little honour." From these words and others Giorgio recognized that
Perino wished rather to avenge himself on Aristotile for the grievance
that he had against the Cardinal than to ensure with friendly affection
the remuneration of the talents and labours of a good craftsman; and he
spoke these soft words to Perino: "Although I have not as much
knowledge of such works as I might have, nevertheless, having seen some
by the hands of those who know how to do them, it appears to me that
this one is very well executed, and worthy to be valued at many crowns,
and not, as you say, at a few halfpence. And it does not seem to me
right that he who sits in his work-room drawing cartoons, in order
afterwards to reproduce in great works such a variety of things in
perspective, should be paid for the labour of his nights--and perhaps
for the work of many weeks into the bargain--on the same scale as are
paid the days of those who have to undergo no fatigue of the mind and
hand, and little of the body, it being enou
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