ery time Cardinal
Domenico Grimani had given him to understand that Sansovino would have
been the man for the cupolas of S. Marco, their principal church,
which, because of age and of weak foundations, and also from their
being badly secured with chains, were all opening out and threatening
to fall; and so he had him summoned. After many courtesies and long
discussions, he said to Sansovino that he wished, or rather, prayed
him, that he should find a remedy for the ruin of those tribunes;
which Sansovino promised to do, and to put it right. And so, having
agreed to do the work, he caused it to be taken in hand; and, having
contrived all the scaffoldings in the interior and made supports of
beams after the manner of stars, he propped in the central hollow of
woodwork all the timbers that sustained the vault of each tribune, and
encircled them on the inner side with curtains of woodwork, going on
then to bind them on the outer side with chains of iron, to flank them
with new walls, and to make at the foot new foundations for the piers
that supported them, insomuch that he strengthened them vastly and
made them for ever secure. By doing which he caused all Venice to
marvel, and not only satisfied Gritti, but also--which was far
more--rendered his ability so clearly manifest to that most
illustrious Senate, that when the work was finished, the Protomaster
to the Lords Procurators of S. Mark being dead, which is the highest
office that those lords give to their architects and engineers, they
gave it to him with the usual house and a passing handsome salary.
Whereupon Sansovino, having accepted it most willingly and freed his
mind of all doubt, became the head of all their fabrics, with honour
and advantage for himself.

[Illustration: THE LIBRARY OF S. MARCO

(_After =Jacopo Sansovino=. Venice_)

_Alinari_]

First, then, he erected the public building of the Mint, which he
designed and distributed in the interior with so much order and
method, for the convenience and service of the many artificers, that
in no place is there a Treasury ordered so well or with greater
strength than that one, which he adorned altogether in the Rustic
Order, very beautifully; which method, not having been used before in
Venice, caused no little marvel in the men of that city. Wherefore,
having recognized that the genius of Sansovino was equal to their
every need in the service of the city, they caused him to attend for
many years to the fo