New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-30

house in which he was born. at Arezzo,
would have to earn his own living
When he turned artist in his youth Lis
dreams of fame were well tinctured with
practical aims. There are some more or
less romantic episodes 10 be noted IN the
opening stages Of his biography. Dur
ing one of the military collisions from
which Florence was so often suffering
some flying stones broke one of the arms
of Michael Angeles David" in the
Piazza. and Vasari liked 10 tell how he
and another boy rushed out amid all
those armed men" and rescued the
pieces. But that adventure, as research
has shown, was not actually as heroic as
he would have made il out 10 he, and in
fact. Mr.. Garden is disposed 70 hint in
kindly fashion that the little painter WIS
far from valorous. Late in life Giorgio
came across an acquaintance Of his N
Rome who needed to be disciplined. and
he thus described what he did: 81 have
had a little talk with Lottino. I pulled
his ears for him. so now l think he Is
convinced of the error Of his ways"
That was about as turbulent a transac-
ton as Vasari was ever involved In, and
we may be sure that if he went about
pulling ears he was terribly particular
about the ones he pulled. Imagination
boggles ut the idea of his attempting
such chastisement upon Cellini That
doughty bravo would have thrust his
Of action was the author Of the Lives"
He was a business man to the core Of
him. Il business man and a courtier.
As such he was an enormous success.
lie knew how 70 worm himself into the
good will Of a patron, and when haste
was required he was the very man 10
III an order. The moment he felt him
self in the saddle he drew innumerable
assistants to his side, and a commission
of his was nearly always certain to be
wound up in a jiffy. He himself has
told how he completed a big piece Of
work in exactly hundred days, TO the
surprise Of everybody save Michael An
gelo. who grimly remarked that ANY
one could have seen that" There were
Others who were ready with comments
even more tart. But while he had occa-
sional misgivings as 10 his facility, and
once, under the influence Of his venera-
ton for Michael Angelo, was even in
clined to estimate himself at his true
value, admitting that what he had
thought to be an elephant was nothing
larger than a rat" he never repined
overmuch because his contemporaries
were not all his admirers. When they
pressed him a little too hard he fell back
upon his natural complacency, and re-
torted with such words as those with
which he once abashed Iacone and some
other artisans in the street. Giorgio
wa on horseback and followed by his
servant when the vagabonds greeted him
with tests. He responded In this wise:
find myself exceedingly well. ] thank
YOU nv good Iacone / once was as poor
as you and your friends here are, but
now ! am worth three thousand crowns
and more: once you thought ! was fool,
] am q man OF worth; once / was your
servant, but now this man who rides be-
hind me waits on me hand and foot ana
takes charge Of this my horse: once |
wore the common cloth that all poverty
stricken painters have 10 wear, now | am
clad I'm velvet. once i was obliged 10 go
about on foot. now | go on horseback.
Therefore, you see, my good lacone, / find
myself very well indeed God bless you!
Nothing could keep a man Ike that
down. He had taken into his soul the
gospel Of getting on" and 1t was only
necessary for him 10 gain slight foot
ing at court in order TO obtain more and
more work. Under Alessandro de Medici
his fortunes waxed, and there seemed to
be no cloud upon his future. Then, with
the characteristic suddenness Of six
teenth century Italy, all his plans were
upset by the murder Of the Duke by the
latters cousin. Lorenzino, tragedy so