into his house on this occasion, as he had done at
other times.

Finally, Francesco being about to set out for Rome, Giorgio, as his
friend, reminded him that, being rich, advanced in years, weak in
health, and little fitted for more fatigues, he should think of living
in peace and shun strife and contention, which he would have been able
to do with ease, having acquired honour and property in plenty, if he
had not been too avaricious and desirous of gain. He exhorted him, in
addition, to sell the greater part of the offices that he possessed and
to arrange his affairs in such a manner, that in any emergency or any
misfortune that might happen he might be able to remember his friends
and those who had given him faithful and loving service. Francesco
promised that he would do right both in word and deed, and confessed
that Giorgio had spoken the truth; but, as happens to most of the men
who think that time will last for ever, he did nothing more in the
matter. Having arrived in Rome, Francesco found that Cardinal Emulio had
distributed the scenes of the Hall, giving two of them to Taddeo
Zucchero of Sant' Agnolo, one to Livio da Forli, another to Orazio da
Bologna, yet another to Girolamo da Sermoneta, and the rest to others.
Which being reported by Francesco to Giorgio, whom he asked whether it
would be well for him to continue the work that he had begun, he
received the answer that it would be a good thing, after making so many
little designs and large cartoons, to finish at least one picture,
notwithstanding that the greater part of the work had been allotted to
so many others, all much inferior to him, and that he should make an
effort to approach as near as possible in his work to the pictures by
Buonarroti on the walls and vaulting of the Sistine Chapel, and to those
of the Pauline; for the reason that after his work was seen, the others
would be thrown to the ground, and all, to his great glory, would be
allotted to him. And Giorgio warned him to give no thought to profit or
money, or to any vexation that he might suffer from those in charge of
the work, telling him that the honour was much more important than any
other thing. Of all these letters and of the replies, the originals, as
well as copies, are among those that we ourselves treasure in memory of
so great a man, who was our dearest friend, and among those by our own
hand that must have been found among his possessions.

After these things Francesco was l