esy,
seeing that in those parts he became in such wise contrary to that first
nature of his, that on his returning to Florence an infinite number of
those who bore him deadly hatred before his departure, received him on
his return with very great lovingness, and ever after loved him very
straitly, so thoroughly had he become gentle and courteous.

Gherardo was born in Florence in the year 1354, and growing up, as one
who had an intellect inclined by nature to design, he was placed with
Antonio Viniziano in order to learn to draw and to paint; and having in
the course of many years not only learnt drawing and the practice of
colouring, but also given proof of himself in certain works wrought with
beautiful manner, he took his leave of Antonio, and beginning to work
by himself he made in S. Croce, in the Chapel of the Castellani (which
was given him to paint by Michele di Vanni, an honoured citizen of that
family), many stories in fresco of S. Anthony the Abbot, and also some
of S. Nicholas the Bishop, with so great diligence and with so beautiful
a manner that they caused him to become known to certain Spaniards, who
were then staying in Florence on some business of their own, as an
excellent painter, and what is more, caused them to take him into Spain
to their King, who saw him and received him very willingly, and above
all because there was then a dearth of good painters in that land. Nor
was it a great labour to persuade him to leave his country, for the
reason that, having had rough words with certain people in Florence
after the affair of the Ciompi and after Michele di Lando had been made
Gonfalonier, he was rather in peril of his life than otherwise. Going,
then, to Spain, and executing many works for that King, he became, by
reason of the great rewards that he gained for his labours, as rich and
highly honoured as any man of his own rank; wherefore, being desirous to
make himself seen and known by his friends and relatives in that better
state, he returned to his country, and was there much cherished and
received lovingly by all the citizens.

Nor was it long before he was commissioned to paint the Chapel of S.
Girolamo in the Carmine, where, making many stories of that Saint, he
painted, in the story of Paola and Eustachio and Jerome, certain
costumes that the Spaniards wore at that time, with very characteristic
invention, and with an abundance of manners and conceptions in the
attitudes of the figures. Among