it he painted a battle with soldiers in furious combat,
while a terrible rain falls from Heaven; which work, wholly taken from
life, is held to be the best of all the scenes that are in that Hall,
and the most beautiful. And in the same Palace, at the foot of a
staircase, he painted a Madonna in fresco. Having made not long
afterwards for a gentleman of the Contarini family a picture of a
very beautiful Christ, who is seated at table with Cleophas and Luke,
it appeared to that gentleman that the work was worthy to be in a
public place, as in truth it is. Wherefore having made a present of
it, like a true lover of his country and of the commonwealth, to the
Signoria, it was kept a long time in the apartments of the Doge; but
at the present day it is in a public place, where it may be seen by
everyone, in the Salotta d'Oro in front of the Hall of the Council of
Ten, over the door. About the same time, also, he painted for the
Scuola of S. Maria della Carita Our Lady ascending the steps of the
Temple, with heads of every kind portrayed from nature; and for the
Scuola of S. Fantino, likewise, a little altar-piece of S. Jerome in
Penitence, which was much extolled by the craftsmen, but was consumed
by fire two years ago together with the whole church.

It is said that in the year 1530, the Emperor Charles V being in
Bologna, Tiziano was invited to that city by Cardinal Ippolito de'
Medici, through the agency of Pietro Aretino. There he made a most
beautiful portrait of his Majesty in full armour, which so pleased
him, that he caused a thousand crowns to be given to Tiziano; but of
these he was obliged afterwards to give the half to the sculptor
Alfonso Lombardi, who had made a model to be reproduced in marble, as
was related in his Life.

Having returned to Venice, Tiziano found that a number of gentlemen,
who had taken Pordenone into their favour, praising much the works
executed by him on the ceiling of the Sala de' Pregai and elsewhere,
had caused a little altar-piece to be allotted to him in the Church of
S. Giovanni Elemosinario, to the end that he might paint it in
competition with Tiziano, who for the same place had painted a short
time before the said S. Giovanni Elemosinario in the habit of a
Bishop. But, for all the diligence that Pordenone devoted to that
altar-piece, he was not able to equal or even by a great measure to
approach to the work of Tiziano. Next, Tiziano executed a most
beautiful altar-picture of a