as, he painted
S. John the Baptist in the Desert, with landscapes and animals of
great beauty, and another like it he executed afterwards for the same
lord, for sending to King Philip; and a Pieta, which he painted with
the Madonna and many other figures, was presented by the same Farnese
to Pope Paul IV, who as long as he lived would always have it beside
him. And a scene in which David is cutting off the head of the giant
Goliath, was presented by the same Cardinal to Madama Margherita of
Austria, who sent it to King Philip, her brother, together with
another which that most illustrious lady caused Don Giulio to execute
as a companion to it, wherein was Judith severing the head of
Holofernes.

Many years ago Don Giulio stayed many months with Duke Cosimo, and
during that time executed some works for him, part of which were sent
to the Emperor and other lords, and part remained with his most
illustrious Excellency, who, among other things, caused him to copy a
little head of Christ from one of great antiquity that his Excellency
himself possesses, which once belonged to Godfrey of Bouillon, King of
Jerusalem; which head, they say, is more like the true image of the
Saviour than any other that there may be. Don Giulio painted for the
said Lord Duke a Christ on the Cross with the Magdalene at the foot,
which is a marvellous thing, and a little picture of a Pieta, of which
we have the design in our book together with another, also by the hand
of Don Giulio, of Our Lady standing with her Son in her arms, dressed
in the Jewish manner, with a choir of Angels about her, and many nude
souls in the act of commending themselves to her. But to return to the
Lord Duke; he has always loved dearly the excellence of Don Giulio,
and sought to obtain works by his hand; and if it had not been for the
regard that he felt for Farnese, he would not have let him go when he
stayed some months, as I have said, in his service in Florence. The
Duke, then, besides the works mentioned, has a little picture by the
hand of Don Giulio, wherein is Ganymede borne to Heaven by Jove
transformed into an Eagle, copied from the one that Michelagnolo once
drew, which is now in the possession of Tommaso de' Cavalieri, as has
been told elsewhere. In like manner, the Duke has in his study a S.
John the Baptist seated upon a rock, and some portraits by the same
hand, which are admirable.

Don Giulio once executed a picture of a Pieta, with the Maries and
oth