when dried, from all danger from water, but also making the
colour so brilliant as to give it lustre by itself without varnish; and
what appeared most marvellous to him was this, that it could be blended
infinitely better than distemper. Rejoicing greatly over such a
discovery, as was only reasonable, Johann made a beginning with many
works and filled all those parts with them, with incredible pleasure for
others and very great profit for himself; and, assisted by experience
from day to day, he kept on ever making greater and better works.

No long time passed before the fame of his invention, spreading not only
throughout Flanders but through Italy and many other parts of the world,
awakened in all craftsmen a very great desire to know by what method he
gave so great a perfection to his works. These craftsmen, seeing his
works and not knowing what means he employed, were forced to extol him
and to give him immortal praise, and at the same time to envy him with a
blameless envy, the rather as he refused for some time to allow himself
to be seen at work by anyone, or to reveal his secret to any man. At
length, however, having grown old, he imparted it to Roger of Bruges,
his pupil, who passed it on to his disciple Ausse[11] and to the others
whom we have mentioned in speaking of colouring in oil with regard to
painting. But with all this, although merchants did a great business in
his pictures and sent them all over the world to Princes and other great
persons, to their own great profit, yet the knowledge did not spread
beyond Flanders; and although these pictures had a very pungent odour,
given to them by the mixture of colours and oils, particularly when they
were new, so that it seemed possible for the secret to be found out, yet
for many years it was not discovered. But certain Florentines, who
traded between Flanders and Naples, sent to King Alfonso I of Naples a
panel with many figures painted in oil by Johann, which became very dear
to that King both for the beauty of the figures and for the novel
invention shown in the colouring; and all the painters in that kingdom
flocked together to see it, and it was consummately extolled by all.

Now there was one Antonello da Messina, a person of good and lively
intelligence, of great sagacity, and skilled in his profession, who,
having studied design for many years in Rome, had first retired to
Palermo, where he had worked for many years, and finally to his native
place,