t one sees the fierce heat of
the sun burning the wretched youth's wings, the flaming fire gives out
smoke, and one almost hears the crackling of the burning plumes, while
death may be seen carved in the face of Icarus, and in that of Daedalus
the most bitter sorrow and agony. In our book of drawings by various
painters is the original design of this very beautiful scene, by the
hand of Giulio himself, who executed in the same place the stories of
the twelve months of the year, showing all that is done in each of them
in the arts most practised by mankind--paintings which are notable no
less for their fantastic and delightful character and their beauty of
invention than for the judgment and diligence with which they were
executed.

After passing the great loggia, which is adorned with stucco-work and
with many arms and various other bizarre ornaments, one comes to some
rooms filled with such a variety of fantasies, that the brain reels at
the thought of them. For Giulio, who was very fanciful and ingenious,
wishing to demonstrate his worth, resolved to make, at an angle of the
palace which formed a corner similar to that of the room of Psyche
described above, an apartment the masonry of which should be in keeping
with the painting, in order to deceive as much as possible all who might
see it. He therefore had double foundations of great depth sunk at that
corner, which was in a marshy place, and over that angle he constructed
a large round room, with very thick walls, to the end that the four
external angles of the masonry might be strong enough to be able to
support a double vault, round after the manner of an oven. This done, he
caused to be built at the corners right round the room, in the proper
places, the doors, windows, and fireplace, all of rustic stones
rough-hewn as if by chance, and, as it were, disjointed and awry,
insomuch that they appeared to be really hanging over to one side and
falling down. Having built this room in such strange fashion, he set
himself to paint in it the most fantastic composition that he was able
to invent--namely, Jove hurling his thunderbolts against the Giants. And
so, depicting Heaven on the highest part of the vaulting, he placed
there the throne of Jove, representing it as seen in foreshortening from
below and from the front, within a round temple, supported by open
columns of the Ionic Order, with his canopy over the centre of the
throne, and with his eagle; and all was poised