yone about
him when he was at work. But nevertheless, when he first began that
undertaking, almost doing violence to his nature and affecting an open
heart, with great cordiality he allowed Tasso and others of his friends,
who had done him some service, to stand and watch him at work, showing
them every courtesy that he was able. But when he had gained a footing
at Court, as the saying goes, and it seemed to him that he was in good
favour, returning to his choleric and biting nature, he paid them no
attention. Nay, what was worse, he used the most bitter words according
to his wont (which served as an excuse to his adversaries), censuring
and decrying the works of others, and praising himself and his own works
to the skies. These methods, which displeased most people and likewise
certain craftsmen, brought upon him such odium, that Tasso and many
others, who from being his friends had become his enemies, began to give
him cause for thought and for action. For, although they praised the
excellence of the art that was in him, and the facility and rapidity
with which he executed his works so well and with such unity, they were
not at a loss, on the other hand, for something to censure. And since,
if they had allowed him to gain a firm footing and to settle his
affairs, they would not have been able afterwards to hinder or hurt him,
they began in good time to give him trouble and to molest him. Whereupon
many of the craftsmen and others, banding themselves together and
forming a faction, began to disseminate among the people of importance a
rumour that Salviati's work was not succeeding, and that he was
labouring by mere skill of hand, and devoting no study to anything that
he did. In which, in truth, they accused him wrongly, for, although he
never toiled over the execution of his works, as they themselves did,
yet that did not mean that he did not study them and that his works had
not infinite grace and invention, or that they were not carried out
excellently well. Not being able to surpass his excellence with their
works, those adversaries wished to overwhelm it with such words and
reproaches; but in the end truth and excellence have too much force. At
first Francesco made light of such rumours, but later, perceiving that
they were growing beyond all reason, he complained of it many times to
the Duke. But, since it began to be seen that the Duke, to all
appearance, was not showing him such favours as he would have liked, a