e dearth of copper
engravings was changed into that abundance that we see at the
present day. Thereupon Ugo da Carpi, having a brain inclined to
ingenious and fanciful things, and showing beautiful invention,
discovered the method of wood-engraving, whereby, with three blocks,
giving the middle values, the lights, and the shadows, it is
possible to imitate drawings in chiaroscuro, which was certainly a
thing of beautiful and fanciful invention; and from this, also,
there afterwards came an abundance of prints, as will be related
with greater detail in the Life of Marc' Antonio Bolognese.

Raffaello then painted for the Monastery of the Monks of Monte
Oliveto, called S. Maria dello Spasmo, at Palermo, a panel-picture
of Christ bearing the Cross, which is held to be a marvellous work.
In this may be seen the impious ministers of the Crucifixion,
leading Him with wrath and fury to His death on Mount Calvary; and
Christ, broken with agony at the near approach of death, has fallen
to the ground under the weight of the Tree of the Cross, and, bathed
with sweat and blood, turns towards the Maries, who are in a storm
of weeping. Moreover, there is seen among them Veronica, who
stretches out her arms and offers Him a cloth, with an expression of
the tenderest love, not to mention that the work is full of
men-at-arms both on horseback and on foot, who are pouring forth
from the gate of Jerusalem with the standards of justice in their
hands, in various most beautiful attitudes. This panel, when
completely finished, but not yet brought to its resting-place, was
very near coming to an evil end, for the story goes that after it
had been put on shipboard, in order that it might be carried to
Palermo, a terrible storm dashed against a rock the ship that was
carrying it, in such a manner that the timbers broke asunder, and
all the men were lost, together with the merchandise, save only the
panel, which, safely packed in its case, was washed by the sea on to
the shore of Genoa. There, having been fished up and drawn to land,
it was found to be a thing divine, and was put into safe keeping;
for it had remained undamaged and without any hurt or blemish, since
even the fury of the winds and the waves of the sea had respect for
the beauty of such a work. The news of this being then bruited
abroad, the monks took measures to recover it, and no sooner had it
been restored to them, by the favour of the Pope, than they gave
satisfaction, and t