holy house his habitation,
he set his hand to executing scenes with figures one braccio or less in
height round the choir, over the seats of the priests. In one scene he
painted the Birth of Jesus Christ, and in another the Magi adoring Him.
Next came the Presentation to Simeon, and after that the Baptism of
Christ by John in the Jordan. There was also the Woman taken in Adultery
being led before Christ, and all these were executed with much grace.
Two other scenes, likewise, did he paint there, with an abundance of
figures; one of David causing a sacrifice to be offered, and in the
other was the Archangel Michael in combat with Lucifer, after having
driven him out of Heaven.

These works finished, no long time had passed when, even as he had lived
like a good citizen and a true Christian, so he died, rendering up his
soul to God his Master. These last years of his life he found full of
happiness and serenity of mind, and, what is more, we cannot but believe
that they gave him the earnest of the blessings of eternal life; which
might not have happened to him if at the end of his life he had been
wrapped up too closely in the things of this world, which, pressing too
heavily on those who put their whole trust in them, prevent them from
ever raising their minds to the true riches and the supreme blessedness
and felicity of the other life.

[Illustration: RONDINELLO (NICCOLO RONDINELLI): MADONNA AND CHILD

(_Paris: Louvre, 1159. Panel_)]

There also flourished in Romagna at this time the excellent painter
Rondinello, of whom we made some slight mention in the Life of Giovanni
Bellini, whose disciple he was, assisting him much in his works. This
Rondinello, after leaving Giovanni Bellini, laboured at his art to such
purpose, that, being very diligent, he executed many works worthy of
praise; of which we have witness in the panel-picture of the high-altar
in the Duomo at Forli, showing Christ giving the Communion to the
Apostles, which he painted there with his own hand, executing it very
well. In the lunette above this picture he painted a Dead Christ, and in
the predella some scenes with little figures, finished with great
diligence, representing the actions of S. Helena, the mother of the
Emperor Constantine, in the finding of the Cross. He also painted a
single figure of S. Sebastian, which is very beautiful, in a picture in
the same church. For the altar of S. Maria Maddalena, in the Duomo of
Ravenna, he painted a