tellects,
departed from Florence and made his way with some Florentine merchants
to England, where he executed all his works, and was very richly
rewarded by the King of that country, whom he also served in
architecture, erecting, in particular, his principal palace. He and
Perino, then, working in emulation of one another, and pursuing the
studies of art with supreme diligence, after no long time became very
excellent. And Perino, drawing from the cartoon of Michelagnolo
Buonarroti in company with other young men, both Florentines and
strangers, won and held the first place among them all, insomuch that he
was regarded with that expectation which was afterwards fulfilled in the
beautiful works that he executed with so much excellence and art.

There came to Florence at that time the Florentine painter Vaga, a
master of no great excellence, who was executing commonplace works at
Toscanella in the province of Rome. Having a superabundance of work, he
was in need of assistance, and he desired to take back with him a
companion and also a young man who might help him in design, in which he
was wanting, and in the other matters of art. Now this painter, having
seen Perino drawing in the workshop of Ridolfo together with the other
young men, found him so superior to them all, that he was astonished;
and, what is more, he was pleased with his appearance and his ways, for
Perino was a very beautiful youth, most courteous, modest, and gentle,
and every part of his body was in keeping with the nobility of his mind;
wherefore Vaga was so charmed with him, that he asked him whether he
would go with him to Rome, saying that he would not fail to assist him
in his studies, and promising him such benefits and conditions as he
might demand. So great was the desire that Perino had to attain to
excellence in his profession, that, when he heard Rome mentioned,
through his eagerness to see that city, he was deeply moved; but he told
him that he must speak to Andrea de' Ceri, who had supported him up to
that time, so that he was loth to abandon him. And so Vaga, having
persuaded Ridolfo, Perino's master, and Andrea, who maintained him, so
contrived that in the end he took Perino, with the companion, to
Toscanella. There Perino began to work and to assist them, and they
finished not only the work that Vaga had undertaken, but also many that
they undertook afterwards. But Perino complained that the promise of
seeing Rome, by which he had been