erefore, a shoemaker, who had to bring a pair of new shoes
at the commission of the above-named Jew to Cristofano, arriving at
the monastery, said to Cristofano himself, who was standing at the
gate looking on at the distribution of alms, "Sir, could you show me
the rooms of those two Jew painters who are working in there?" "Jews
or no Jews," said Cristofano, "what have you to do with them?" "I have
to give these shoes," he answered, "to one of them called Cristofano."
"I am he," replied Cristofano, "an honest man and a better Christian
than you are." "You may be what you please," answered the shoemaker.
"I called you Jews, because, besides that you are held and known as
Jews by everyone, that look of yours, which is not of our country,
convinced me of it." "Enough," said Cristofano, "you shall see that we
do the work of Christians."

[Illustration: THE SUPPER OF S. GREGORY THE GREAT

(_After the panel by =Giorgio Vasari=, with details by =Cristofano
Gherardi [Doceno]=. Bologna: Accademia, 198_)

_Poppi_]

But to return to the work: Vasari having arrived in Bologna, not a
month had passed before, Giorgio designing, and Cristofano and
Battista laying in the panels in colour, all three were completely
laid in, with great credit to Cristofano, who acquitted himself in
this excellently well. The laying in of the panels being finished,
work was begun on the frieze, in which Cristofano had a companion,
although he was to have executed it all by himself; for there came
from Camaldoli to Bologna the cousin of Vasari, Stefano Veltroni of
Monte Sansovino, who had laid in the panel-picture of the Deposition,
and the two executed that work together, and that so well, that it
proved a marvel. Cristofano painted grotesques so well, that there was
nothing better to be seen, but he did not give them that particular
finish that would have made them perfect; and Stefano, on the
contrary, was wanting in resolution and grace, for the reason that his
brush-strokes did not fix his subjects in their places at one sweep,
but, since he was very patient, in the end, although he endured
greater labour, he used to execute his grotesques with more neatness
and delicacy. Labouring in competition, then, at the work of this
frieze, these two took such pains, both the one and the other, that
Cristofano learned to finish from Stefano, and Stefano learned from
Cristofano to be more resolute and to work like a master.

Work being then begun on the b