use, as he also did in
many other works, of the young strangers who are always to be found in
Rome, and who go about working by the day in order to learn and to gain
their bread; but none the less for the time being he did not finish it
completely. The same master painted in fresco in the Pope's Palace, in
the time of Paul IV, some rooms where Cardinal Caraffa lived, in the
great tower above the Guard of Halberdiers; and two little pictures in
oils of the Nativity of Christ and the Virgin flying with Joseph into
Egypt, which were sent to Portugal by the Ambassador of that Kingdom.
The Cardinal of Mantua, wishing to have painted with the greatest
possible rapidity the whole interior of his Palace beside the Arco di
Portogallo, allotted that work to Taddeo for a proper price; and Taddeo,
beginning it with the help of a good number of men, in a short time
carried it to completion, showing that he had very great judgment in
being able to employ so many different brains harmoniously in so great
a work, and in managing the various manners in such a way, that the
work appears as if all by the same hand. In short, Taddeo satisfied in
that undertaking, with great profit to himself, the Cardinal and all who
saw it, disappointing the expectations of those who could not believe
that he was likely to succeed amid the perplexities of such a great
work.

In like manner, he painted some scenes with figures in fresco for M.
Alessandro Mattei in some recesses in the apartments of his Palace near
the Botteghe Scure, and some others he caused to be executed by his
brother Federigo, to the end that he might become accustomed to the
work. Which Federigo, having taken courage, afterwards executed by
himself a Mount Parnassus in the recess of a ceiling in the house of a
Roman gentleman called Stefano Margani, below the steps of the Araceli.
Whereupon Taddeo, seeing Federigo confident and working by himself from
his own designs, without being assisted more than was reasonable by
anyone, contrived to have a chapel allotted to him by the men of S.
Maria dell'Orto a Ripa, making it almost appear that he intended to do
it himself, for the reason that it would never have been given to
Federigo alone, who was still a mere lad. Taddeo, then, in order to
satisfy these men, painted there the Nativity of Christ, and Federigo
afterwards executed all the rest, acquitting himself in such a manner
that there could be seen the beginning of that excellence whi