than all, as with the most bitter words (a thing which furnished his adversaries with an excuse for their enmity), he was accustomed to censure and decry the works of others; so he did not scruple to exalt himself by perpetual boastings, and to praise his own productions to the skies.
These unpopular modes of proceeding giving umbrage to many persons, but more especially to certain artists, attracted so much odium to Francesco, that Tasso and some others, who, from being his friends had become his enemies, began to give him no small cause for disquietude. It is true that they still continued to praise his excellence in art, which was not to be denied, and admitted the promptitude and facility with which he executed his works, doing them well no less than quickly; but they were still by no means at a loss for subjects of blame, and although they could not undo the good they had done him, and, having suffered him to gain a footing and make his way, could not remove or injure him, they yet soon began to give him trouble and offer him molestation in various ways.
Nay, there were eveif' many artists as well as others who were not ashamed to band themselves together and form a party against him, disseminating a report among the nobles and great people, to the effect that the work on which he was employed in the Hall would not prove to be a successful one, seeing that he proceeded by mere readiness of hand and did not bestow the due amount of care and study on what he was doing. But herein they accused him most wrongfully, since, although he did not linger over his compositions as it was their fashion to do, yet it could not truljr be affirmed that he did not study them, nor could any man rightfully declare that he had not rich powers of inventing as well as executing his pictures, which last he did with infinite grace. These his adversaries, however, not being able to eclipse the abilities of Francesco by the excellence of their works, did their best to overwhelm him by censure and reproaches such as we have described.
The truth and real power do nevertheless always prevail in the end. Francesco first of all did but make a jest of these rumours, but at a later period, and when they began to pass beyond what was reasonable, he complained, on more than one occasion, to the Duke: still his Excellency paid but little
