Santo, he painted many stories of
S. Bartholomew, S. Andrew, S. James, and S. John, the Apostles, in a
chapel in S. Francesco, which is the second from the principal chapel,
and perchance he would have remained longer at work in Pisa, since in
that city his works were known and rewarded; but seeing the city all in
confusion and uproar by reason of Messer Pietro Gambacorti having been
slain by the Lanfranchi, citizens of Pisa, he returned once again with
all his family, being now old, to Florence, where, in the one year and
no more that he stayed there, he made many stories of the lives and
deaths of S. Philip and S. James in the Chapel of the Macchiavelli in S.
Croce, dedicated to those Saints; and as for the panel for the said
chapel, being desirous to return to Arezzo, his native city, or, to
speak more exactly, held by him as his native city, he wrought it in
Arezzo, and from there sent it finished in the year 1400.

Having returned there, then, at the age of seventy-seven or more, he was
received lovingly by his relatives and friends, and was ever afterward
cherished and honoured up to the end of his life, which was at the age
of ninety-two. And although he was very old when he returned to Arezzo,
and, having ample means, could have done without working, yet, as one
who was ever used to working, he knew not how to take repose, and
undertook to make for the Company of S. Agnolo in that city certain
stories of S. Michael, which he sketched in red on the intonaco of the
wall, in that rough fashion wherein the old craftsmen used generally to
do it; and in one corner, for a pattern, he wrought and coloured
completely a single story, which gave satisfaction enough. Then, having
agreed on the price with those who had charge thereof, he finished the
whole wall of the high-altar, wherein he represented Lucifer fixing his
seat in the North; and he made there the Fall of the Angels, who are
being transformed into devils and raining down to earth; while in the
air is seen a S. Michael, who is doing combat with the ancient serpent
of seven heads and ten horns; and below, in the centre, there is a
Lucifer, already transformed into a most hideous beast. And Spinello
took so much pleasure in making him horrible and deformed, that it is
said (so great, sometimes, is the power of imagination) that the said
figure painted by him appeared to him in a dream, asking Spinello where
he had seen him so hideous, and why he had offered him suc