having engraved these, he made an agreement with Marc'
Antonio Bolognese that they should publish the sheets in company; and
thus, arriving in Venice, this work was the reason that marvellous
prints of the same kind were afterwards executed in Italy, as will be
related below.

While Francesco Francia was working at his painting in Bologna, there
was among his many disciples a young man called Marc' Antonio, who,
being more gifted than the others, was much brought forward by him, and,
from having been many years with Francia and greatly beloved by him,
acquired the surname of De' Franci. This Marc' Antonio, who was more
able in design than his master, handled the burin with facility and
grace, and executed in niello girdles and many other things much in
favour at that time, which were very beautiful, for the reason that he
was indeed most excellent in that profession. Having then been seized,
as happens to many, with a desire to go about the world and see new
things and the methods of other craftsmen, with the gracious leave of
Francia he went off to Venice, where he was well received by the
craftsmen of that city. About the same time there arrived in Venice some
Flemings with many copper-plate engravings and woodcuts by Albrecht
Duerer, which were seen by Marc' Antonio on the Piazza di S. Marco; and
he was so amazed at the manner and method of the work of Albrecht, that
he spent on those sheets almost all the money that he had brought from
Bologna. Among other things, he bought the Passion of Jesus Christ,
which had been engraved on thirty-six wood-blocks and printed not long
before on sheets of quarter-folio by the same Albrecht. This work began
with the Sin of Adam and the scene of the Angel expelling him from
Paradise, and continued down to the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

Marc' Antonio, having considered what honour and profit might be
acquired by one who should apply himself to that art in Italy, formed
the determination to give his attention to it with all possible
assiduity and diligence. He thus began to copy those engravings by
Albrecht Duerer, studying the manner of each stroke and every other
detail of the prints that he had bought, which were held in such
estimation on account of their novelty and their beauty, that everyone
sought to have some. Having then counterfeited on copper, with engraving
as strong as that of the woodcuts that Albrecht had executed, the whole
of the said Life and Passion of Christ