e, these being saints whose bodies are
deposited in that very altar. The first three are Cantius, Cantianus,
and Cantianilla, who were nephews of the Emperor Diocletian, and the
others are Protus, Chrysogonus, and Anastasius, who suffered martyrdom
at Aquae Gradatae, near Aquileia; and all these figures are in miniature,
and very beautiful, for Girolamo was more able in that field of art than
any other master of his time in Lombardy and in the State of Venice.

Girolamo illuminated many books for the Monks of Montescaglioso in the
Kingdom of Naples, some for S. Giustina at Padua, and many others for
the Abbey of Praia in the territory of Padua; and also some at Candiana,
a very rich monastery of the Canons Regular of S. Salvatore, to which
place he went in person to work, although he would never go to any other
place. While he was living there, Don Giulio Clovio, who was a friar in
that place, learned the first rudiments of illumination; and he has
since become the greatest master of that art that is now alive in Italy.
Girolamo illuminated at Candiana a sheet with a Kyrie, which is an
exquisite work, and for the same monks the first leaf of a psalter for
the choir; with many things for S. Maria in Organo and for the Friars of
S. Giorgio, in Verona. He executed, likewise, some other very beautiful
illuminations for the Black Friars of S. Nazzaro at Verona. But that
which surpassed all the other works of this master, which were all
divine, was a sheet on which was depicted in miniature the Earthly
Paradise, with Adam and Eve driven forth by the Angel, who is behind
them with a sword in his hand. One would not be able to express how
great and how beautiful is the variety of the trees, fruits, flowers,
animals, birds, and all the other things that are in this amazing work,
which was executed at the commission of Don Giorgio Cacciamale of
Bergamo, then Prior of S. Giorgio in Verona, who, in addition to the
many other courtesies that he showed to Girolamo, gave him sixty crowns
of gold. This work was afterwards presented by that Father to a Roman
Cardinal, at that time Protector of his Order, who showed it to many
noblemen in Rome, and they all declared it to be the best example of
illumination that had ever been seen up to that day.

Girolamo painted flowers with such diligence, and made them so true, so
beautiful, and so natural, that they appeared to all who beheld them to
be real; and he counterfeited little cameos and o