on of the infirmities that old age brings in its train, he
could no longer attend to his art, or even live, he rendered up his soul
to God.

At Parma, in times past, lived Marmita, who gave his attention for a
period to painting, and then turned to intaglio, in which he imitated
the ancients very closely. Many most beautiful works by his hand are to
be seen, and he taught the art to a son of his own, called Lodovico, who
lived for a long time in Rome with Cardinal Giovanni de' Salviati.
Lodovico executed for that Cardinal four ovals of crystal engraved with
figures of great excellence, which were placed on a very beautiful
casket of silver that was afterwards presented to the most illustrious
Signora Leonora of Toledo, Duchess of Florence. He made, among many
other works, a cameo with a most beautiful head of Socrates, and he was
a great master at counterfeiting ancient medals, from which he gained
extraordinary advantage.

There followed, in Florence, Domenico di Polo, a Florentine and an
excellent master of intaglio, who was the disciple of Giovanni delle
Corniole, of whom we have spoken. In our own day this Domenico executed
a divine portrait of Duke Alessandro de' Medici, from which he made dies
in steel and most beautiful medals, with a reverse containing a
Florence. He also made a portrait of Duke Cosimo in the first year after
his election to the government of Florence, with the sign of Capricorn
on the reverse; and many other little works in intaglio, of which there
is no need to make record. He died at the age of sixty-five.

[Illustration: MEDALS

(_London: British Museum_)

1. POPE JULIUS III
(_After_ Alessandro Cesati)

2. PIETRO BEMBO
3. POPE CLEMENT VII
(_After_ Benvenuto Cellini)]

[Illustration: MEDALS

(_London: British Museum_)

1. IPPOLITO D'ESTE
2. TITIAN
3. MARGARET, DUCHESS OF MANTUA
4. LUCREZIA DE' MEDICI
(_After_ Pastorino of Siena)

5. BENEDETTO VARCHI
6. COSIMO DE' MEDICI
(_After_ Domenico Poggini)]

Domenico, Valerio, Marmita, and Giovanni da Castel Bolognese being
dead, there remained many who have surpassed them by a great measure;
one in Venice, for example, being Luigi Anichini of Ferrara, who, with
the delicacy of his engraving and the sharpness of his finish, has
produced works that are marvellous. But far beyond all others in grace,
excellence, perfection, and versatility, has soared Alessandro Cesati,
surnamed Il Greco, who has executed ca