ourable manner
and with a good salary, they caused some of his friends to approach him,
but in vain, for the reason that, although he would have gone with the
greatest willingness, two things prevented him--the Cardinal would in no
way consent to his departure, and his wife, with her relatives and
friends, used every possible means to dissuade him. Neither of these two
reasons, perchance, would have prevailed with him, if he had not
happened to be in somewhat feeble health at that time; for, having
considered how much honour and profit he might secure for himself and
his children by accepting so handsome a proposal, he was already fully
disposed to make every effort not to be hindered in the matter by the
Cardinal, when his malady began to grow worse. However, since it had
been ordained on high that he should go no more to Rome, and that this
should be the end and conclusion of his life, in a few days, what with
his vexation and his malady, he died at Mantua, which city might well
have allowed him, even as he had embellished her, so also to honour and
adorn his native city of Rome.

Giulio died at the age of fifty-four, leaving only one male child, to
whom he had given the name of Raffaello out of regard for the memory of
his master. This young Raffaello had scarcely learned the first
rudiments of art, showing signs of being destined to become an able
master, when he also died, not many years after, together with his
mother, Giulio's wife; wherefore there remained no descendant of Giulio
save a daughter called Virginia, who still lives in Mantua, married to
Ercole Malatesta. Giulio, whose death was an infinite grief to all who
knew him, was given burial in S. Barnaba, where it was proposed that
some honourable memorial should be erected to him; but his wife and
children, postponing the matter from one day to another, themselves died
for the most part without doing anything. It is indeed a sad thing that
there has been no one who has treasured in any way the memory of a man
who did so much to adorn that city, save only those who availed
themselves of his services, who have often remembered him in their
necessities. But his own talent, which did him so much honour in his
lifetime, has secured for him after death, in the form of his own works,
an everlasting monument which time, with all its years, can never
destroy.

Giulio was neither tall nor short of stature, and rather stout than
slight in build. He had black hair,