one of Verrocchio's pupils, with a gay little predella
underneath it, and a pretty "Holy Family" by Franciabigio. But Andrea
remains the king of the walls.

From this Sala a little room is gained which I advise all
tired visitors to the Uffizi to make their harbour of refuge and
recuperation; for it has only three or four pictures in it and three
or four pieces of sculpture and some pleasant maps and tapestry
on the walls, and from its windows you look across the brown-red
tiles to S. Miniato. The pictures, although so few, are peculiarly
attractive, being the work of two very rare hands, Piero della
Francesca (? 1398-1492) and Melozzo da Forli (1438-1494). Melozzo
has here a very charming Annunciation in two panels, the fascination
of which I cannot describe. That they are fascinating there is,
however, no doubt. We have symbolical figures by him in our National
Gallery--again hanging next to Piero della Francesca--but they are not
the equal of these in charm, although very charming. These grow more
attractive with every visit: the eager advancing angel with his lily,
and the timid little Virgin in her green dress, with folded hands.

The two Pieros are, of course, superb. Piero never painted anything
that was not distinguished and liquid, and here he gives us of
his best: portraits of Federigo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, and
Battista, his second Duchess, with classical scenes behind them. Piero
della Francesca has ever been one of my favourite painters, and here he
is wholly a joy. Of his works Florence has but few, since he was not
a Florentine, nor did he work here, being engaged chiefly at Urbino,
Ferrara, Arezzo, and Rome. His life ended sadly, for he became totally
blind. In addition to his painting he was a mathematician of much
repute. The Duke of Urbino here depicted is Federigo da Montefeltro,
who ruled from 1444 to 1482, and in 1459 married as his second wife
a daughter of Alessandro Sforza, of Pesaro, the wedding being the
occasion of Piero's pictures. The duke stands out among the many
Italian lords of that time as a humane and beneficent ruler and
collector, and eager to administer well. He was a born fighter, and it
was owing to the loss of his right eye and the fracture of his noble
old nose that he is seen here in such a determined profile against
the lovely light over the Umbrian hills. The symbolical chariots in
the landscape at the back represent respectively the Triumph of Fame
(the Duke's) a