is, it has suffered
a little. Within the church, in the Chapel of the Sacrament--namely,
round the Tabernacle--he afterwards painted certain angels flying,
some of whom are sounding instruments, some singing, and others
burning incense before the Sacrament; together with a figure of
Jesus Christ, which he painted at the top as a finish to the
Tabernacle. Below there are other angels, who are supporting Him,
clothed in white garments reaching to their feet, and ending, as it
were, in clouds, which was an idea peculiar to Stefano in painting
figures of angels, whom he always made most gracious in countenance
and very beautiful in expression. In this same work are life-size
figures of S. Augustine and S. Jerome, one on either side; and these
are supporting with their hands the Church of God, as if to show
that both of them defend Holy Church from heretics with their
learning, and support her. On a pilaster of the principal chapel in
the same church he painted a S. Eufemia in fresco, with a beautiful
and gracious expression of countenance; and there he wrote his own
name in letters of gold, perchance since it appeared to him to be,
as in fact it is, one of the best pictures that he had made; and
according to his custom he painted there a very beautiful peacock,
and beside it two lion cubs, which are not very beautiful, because
at that time he could not see live ones, as he saw the peacock. He
also painted for the same place a panel containing, as was the
custom in those times, many half-length figures, such as S. Niccola
da Tolentino and others; and he filled the predella with scenes in
little figures from the life of that Saint. In S. Fermo, a church in
the same city belonging to the Friars of S. Francis, he painted, as
an ornament for a Deposition from the Cross on the wall opposite to
the side-door of entrance, twelve half-length prophets of the size
of life, with Adam and Eve lying below them, and his usual peacock,
which is almost the hall-mark of pictures executed by him.

In Mantua, at the Martello gate of the Church of S. Domenico, the
same Stefano painted a most beautiful Madonna; the head of which
Madonna, when they had need to build in that place, those fathers
placed with care in the tramezzo[8] of the church--that is, in the
Chapel of S. Orsola, which belongs to the Recuperati family, and
contains some pictures in fresco by the hand of the same man. And in
the Church of S. Francesco, on the right hand as one e