and a son of the rarest master of our times. His heads have a gentler
and more suave air; but, we are inclined to think, less art.

"Il Perugino--a rare and singular artist, most excellent in
wall-painting. His faces have an air of the most angelic sweetness.

"Domenico de Grillandaio--a good master in panels and a better one in
wall-painting. His figures are good, and he is an industrious and active
master, who produces much work.

"All of these masters have given proof of their excellence in the Chapel
of Pope Sixtus, excepting Filippino, and also in the Spedaletto of the
Magnifico Laurentio, and their merit is almost equal."[63]

This intimation seems to have decided Lodovico to apply to Perugino,
whom Leonardo had known as his fellow-pupil in Verrocchio's atelier at
Florence, and who was supposed to be in Venice at the time. So his
secretary wrote to desire Guido Arcimboldo, the Archbishop of Milan, who
was then in Venice, to inquire for the Umbrian master, and see if he
could be induced to visit Milan. The archbishop, writing on the 14th of
June, replied that Maestro Pietro of Perugia had left Venice six months
ago and was back at Florence. Lodovico, however, did not lose sight of
the master, and in the following October, by his desire, the monks of
the Certosa of Pavia engaged this popular artist to paint an altar-piece
for one of their chapels. In the following year the duke returned to the
charge, and hearing that Perugino had returned to his native city, wrote
two pressing letters to one of the Baglioni, who was the chief
magistrate of Perugia, begging him, as a personal favour, to induce
Messer Pietro to come to Milan, and offering to pay the artist whatever
price he may ask, and to retain him permanently in his service or keep
him only for a fixed time, as he may think best. Perugino, however, was
then engaged in decorating the Sala del Cambio in his native town, and
had already more commissions than he could execute. He declined the Duke
of Milan's repeated invitations, and the Moro was obliged to fall back
upon Bramante and Leonardo to finish the works in the Castello.

But although the duke's passion for building new churches and palaces or
beautifying those which he had already built, was as ardent as ever, it
became more and more difficult to find the money to meet the vast
expenditure which his splendid schemes involved. The _fetes_ in honour
of Maximilian and the subsidies which had been granted for