n her knees, while He turns His head towards a
little S. John supported by an old S. Elizabeth, a figure so natural and
so well painted that she appears to be alive, even as every other thing
is wrought with incredible diligence, draughtsmanship, and art. Having
finished this picture, Andrea carried it to Messer Ottaviano; but since
that lord had something else to think about, Florence being then
besieged, he told Andrea, while thanking him profoundly and making his
excuses, to dispose of it as he thought best. To which Andrea made no
reply but this: "The labour was endured for you, and yours the work
shall always be." "Sell it," answered Messer Ottaviano, "and use the
money, for I know what I am talking about." Andrea then departed and
returned to his house, nor would he ever give the picture to anyone, for
all the offers that were made to him; but when the siege was raised and
the Medici back in Florence, he took it once more to Messer Ottaviano,
who accepted it right willingly, thanking him and paying him double. The
work is now in the apartment of his wife, Madonna Francesca, sister to
the very reverend Salviati, who holds the beautiful pictures left to her
by her magnificent consort in no less account than she does the duty of
retaining and honouring his friends.

For Giovanni Borgherini Andrea painted another picture almost exactly
like the one of Charity mentioned above, containing a Madonna, a little
S. John offering to Christ a globe that represents the world, and a very
beautiful head of S. Joseph.

There came to Paolo da Terrarossa, a friend to the whole body of
painters, who had seen the sketch for the aforesaid Abraham, a wish to
have some work by the hand of Andrea. Having therefore asked him for a
copy of that Abraham, Andrea willingly obliged him and made a copy of
such a kind, that in its minuteness it was by no means inferior to the
large original. Wherefore Paolo, well satisfied with it and wishing to
pay him, asked him the price, thinking that it would cost him what it
was certainly worth; but Andrea asked a mere song, and Paolo, almost
ashamed, shrugged his shoulders and gave him all that he claimed. The
picture was afterwards sent by him to Naples ...[7] and it is the most
beautiful and the most highly honoured painting in that place.

During the siege of Florence some captains had fled the city with the
pay-chests; on which account Andrea was asked to paint on the facade of
the Palace of the Pod