ome little drawing, to the end
that he might send it to His Holiness. Giotto, who was most courteous,
took a paper, and on that, with a brush dipped in red, holding his arm
fast against his side in order to make a compass, with a turn of the
hand he made a circle, so true in proportion and circumference that to
behold it was a marvel. This done, he smiled and said to the courtier:
"Here is your drawing." He, thinking he was being derided, said: "Am I
to have no other drawing but this?" "'Tis enough and to spare," answered
Giotto. "Send it, together with the others, and you will see if it will
be recognized." The envoy, seeing that he could get nothing else, left
him, very ill-satisfied and doubting that he had been fooled. All the
same, sending to the Pope the other drawings and the names of those who
had made them, he also sent that of Giotto, relating the method that he
had followed in making his circle without moving his arm and without
compasses. Wherefore the Pope and many courtiers that were versed in the
arts recognized by this how much Giotto surpassed in excellence all the
other painters of his time. This matter having afterwards spread abroad,
there was born from it the proverb that is still wont to be said to men
of gross wits: "Tu sei piu tondo che l' O di Giotto!" ("Thou art
rounder than Giotto's circle"). This proverb can be called beautiful not
only from the occasion that gave it birth, but also for its
significance, which consists in the double meaning; tondo being used, in
Tuscany, both for the perfect shape of a circle and for slowness and
grossness of understanding.

[Illustration: _Anderson_

THE RAISING OF LAZARUS

(_After the fresco by_ Giotto and his Pupils. _Assisi: Lower Church of
S. Francesco_)]

The aforesaid Pope then made him come to Rome, where, honouring him much
and appreciating his talents, he made him paint five scenes from the
life of Christ in the apse of S. Pietro, and the chief panel in the
sacristy, which were all executed by him with so great diligence that
there never issued from his hands any more finished work in distemper.
Wherefore he well deserved that the Pope, holding himself to have been
well served, should cause to be given to him six hundred ducats of gold,
besides granting him so many favours that they were talked of throughout
all Italy.

About this time--in order to withhold nothing worthy of remembrance in
connection with art--there was in Rome one Oderigi d'A