inal Maffeo Barberini Pope; but how much greater is ours,
that the Cav. Bernini lives in our pontificate;_) and he immediately
charged him with the execution of those great works which have
immortalized both their names. Among the great works which he executed
in this pontificate are the Baldachin, or great altar of St. Peter's, in
bronze and gilt, under the centre of the great dome; the four colossal
statues which fill the niches under the pedatives; the pulpit and canopy
of St. Peter's; the Campanile; and the Barberini palace. For these
services, the Pope gave Bernini 10,000 crowns, besides his monthly
salary of 300, which he increased, and extended his favors to his
brothers--"a grand piece of fortune," truly.

EMULATION AND RIVALRY IN THE FINE ARTS.

Emulation carries with it neither envy nor unfair rivalry, but inspires
a man to surpass all others by superiority alone. Such was the emulation
and rivalry between Zeuxis and Parrhasius, which contributed to the
improvement of both; and similar thereto was that which inspired the
master-minds of Michael Angelo and Raffaelle; of Titian and Pordenone;
of Albert Durer and Lucas van Leyden; of Agostino and Annibale Caracci;
and we may add, in our own country, of Thomas Cole and Durand. The
emulation between the Caracci, though it tended to the improvement of
both, was more unfortunate in its result, as it finally engendered such
a bitter rivalry as to drive Agostino from the field, and it is said by
some that both the Caracci declined when their competition ceased.

The confraternity of the Chartreuse at Bologna proposed to the artists
of Italy to paint a picture for them in competition, and to send designs
for selection. The Caracci were among the competitors, and the design of
Agostino was preferred before all others; this, according to several
authors, first gave rise to the jealousy between the two brothers. The
picture which Agostino painted was his celebrated Communion of St.
Jerome which Napoleon placed in the Louvre, but is now in the gallery at
Bologna. It is esteemed the masterpiece of the artist. It represents the
venerable saint, carried to the church of Bethlehem on his approaching
dissolution, where he receives the last sacrament of the Roman Church,
the Viaticum, in the midst of his disciples, while a monk writes down
his pious exhortations. Soon after the completion of this sublime
picture, the two brothers commenced the celebrated Farnese Gallery