f S. Catharine of the size of life; and after that the three
Graces, with four little boys, of marble, which were sent into
Flanders to the Grand Equerry of the Emperor Charles V, together with
another Ceres of the size of life.

[Illustration: EVE

(_After =Cristofano Solari=. Milan: Duomo_)

_Brogi_]

Having executed these works in six years, Guglielmo in the year 1537
made his way to Rome, where he was much recommended by his uncle
Giovan Jacomo to the painter Fra Sebastiano Viniziano, his friend, to
the end that he might recommend him, as he did, to Michelagnolo
Buonarroti. Which Michelagnolo, seeing Guglielmo to be spirited and
very assiduous in labouring, began to conceive an affection for him,
and, before any other thing, caused him to restore some antique things
in the Farnese Palace, in which he acquitted himself in such a manner,
that Michelagnolo put him into the service of the Pope. Another proof
of his powers had been seen already in a tomb that he had executed at
the Botteghe Scure, for the most part of metal, for Bishop Sulisse,
with many figures and scenes in low-relief--namely, the Cardinal
Virtues and others, wrought with much grace, and besides these the
figure of the Bishop himself, which afterwards went to Salamanca in
Spain. Now, while Guglielmo was engaged in restoring the statues,
which are now in the loggia that is before the upper hall in the
Farnese Palace, there took place in the year 1547 the death of Fra
Sebastiano Viniziano, who, as has been told, had administered the
office of the Piombo. Whereupon Guglielmo, with the favour of
Michelagnolo and of others, so wrought upon the Pope, that he obtained
the said office of the Piombo, with the charge of executing the tomb
of Pope Paul III, which was to be placed in S. Pietro. For this he
availed himself in the model, with better design, of the scenes and
figures of the Theological and Cardinal Virtues that he had made for
the above-named Bishop Sulisse, placing at the corners four children
in four partitions, and four cartouches, and making in addition a
bronze statue of the said Pontiff seated, giving the benediction;
which statue was seventeen palms high. But doubting, on account of the
size of the casting, lest the metal might grow cold and the work
therefore not succeed, he placed the metal in the vessel below, in
such a way that it might be gradually sucked upwards. And with this
unusual method that casting came out very well, and as c