which he shrugged his shoulders and said these words,
"I value it no less than if it were by the hand of Raffaello--nay, even
more, for it is something out of the course of nature that a man of
excellence should imitate the manner of another so well, and should make
a copy so like. It is enough that it should be known that Andrea's
genius was as valiant in double harness as in single." Thus, then, by
the wise judgment of Messer Ottaviano, satisfaction was given to the
Duke without depriving Florence of so choice a work, which, having been
presented to him afterwards by Duke Alessandro, he kept in his
possession for many years; and finally he gave it to Duke Cosimo, who
has it in his guardaroba together with many other famous pictures.

While Andrea was making this copy, he also painted for the same Messer
Ottaviano a picture with only the head of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici,
who afterwards became Pope Clement; and this head, which was similar to
that by Raffaello, and very beautiful, was presented eventually by
Messer Ottaviano to old Bishop de' Marzi.

Not long after, Messer Baldo Magini of Prato desiring to have a most
beautiful panel-picture painted for the Madonna delle Carcere in his
native city, for which he had already caused a very handsome ornament of
marble to be made, one of the many painters proposed to him was Andrea.
Wherefore Messer Baldo, having more inclination for him than for any of
the others, although he had no great understanding in such a matter, had
almost given him to believe that he and no other should do the work,
when a certain Niccolo Soggi of Sansovino, who had some interest at
Prato, was suggested to Messer Baldo for the undertaking, and assisted
to such purpose by the assertion that there was not a better master to
be found, that the work was given to him. Meanwhile, Andrea's supporters
sending for him, he, holding it as settled that the work was to be his,
went off to Prato with Domenico Puligo and other painters who were his
friends. Arriving there, he found that Niccolo not only had persuaded
Messer Baldo to change his mind, but also was bold and shameless enough
to say to him in the presence of Messer Baldo that he would compete with
Andrea for a bet of any sum of money in painting something, the winner
to take the whole. Andrea, who knew what Niccolo was worth, answered,
although he was generally a man of little spirit, "Here is my assistant,
who has not been long in our art. If you w