•until he had first fulfilled the promise which he had given to the Duke Cosimo, and had completed the engagement which he had made with that Signore.
While these matters were in discussion, the Frate had got rapidly forward with the Tomb of Sannazzaro, and having also sketched for Duke Cosimo the Hercules in marble, he then proceeded with it to Florence, where, with much promptitude and diligence, he conducted it to such a degree of forwardness that little more was required for the entire completion of the figure, which would indeed have been presently finished had Griovann’ Agnolo continued to work at it. But a rumour had got abroad, to the effect that the marble statue was not by very much so beautiful as the model had given cause to expect that it would be, and that the Frate would find infinite difficulty in fixing the legs of the Hercules to the trunk, seeing that they were not adapted to the torso which he had prepared for them. This went so far, that Messer Pier-Francesco Eiccio, the Majordomo,[1] from whom Giovaii’ Agnolo was accustomed to receive his stipend, permitting himself to be influenced more readily than a grave man should do, became very backward in his payments to the Frate, listening too credulously to Bandinelli, who left nothing undone that could injure the Monk, by way of avenging himself for the wrong which, as it appeared to him, he had received from Giovann’ Agnolo in the promise which the latter had given to finish the Statue of Prince Doria, so soon as he should have fulfilled his engagement with the Duke.[2]
There was also an opinion prevailing that the favour enjoyed by Tribolo, who was executing the decorations for the Castello, was in no way serviceable to the Frate; however this may have been, Giovann’ Agnolo, a proud and choleric man, perceiving himself to be maltreated by Eiccio, set off at once for Genoa, where he was instantly commissioned by the Cardinal and the Prince to execute the Statue of the latter, which was to be placed on the Palazzo Doria. He
