ork he
painted a fire-scarred rock, to represent the centre of the earth,
from the fissures of which were issuing sulphurous flames; and in
Lucifer, whose scorched and burned limbs are painted with various
tints of flesh-colour, could be seen all the shades of anger that
his venomous and swollen pride calls up against Him who overbears
the greatness of him who is deprived of any kingdom where there
might be peace, and doomed to suffer perpetual punishment. The
opposite may be perceived in the S. Michael, clad in armour of iron
and gold, who, although he is painted with a celestial air, yet has
valour, force, and terror in his aspect, and has already thrown
Lucifer down and hurled him backwards with his spear. In a word,
this work was of such a kind that he won for it, and rightly, a most
honourable reward from that King. He made portraits of Beatrice of
Ferrara and other ladies, and in particular that of his own
mistress, with an endless number of others.

Raffaello was a very amorous person, delighting much in women, and
ever ready to serve them; which was the reason that, in the pursuit
of his carnal pleasures, he found his friends more complacent and
indulgent towards him than perchance was right. Wherefore, when his
dear friend Agostino Chigi commissioned him to paint the first
loggia in his palace, Raffaello was not able to give much attention
to his work, on account of the love that he had for his mistress; at
which Agostino fell into such despair, that he so contrived by means
of others, by himself, and in other ways, as to bring it about,
although only with difficulty, that this lady should come to live
continually with Raffaello in that part of the house where he was
working; and in this manner the work was brought to completion. For
this work he made all the cartoons, and he coloured many of the
figures in fresco with his own hand. And on the ceiling he made the
Council of the Gods in Heaven, wherein, in the forms of the Gods,
are seen many vestments and lineaments copied from the antique, and
executed with very beautiful grace and draughtsmanship. In like
manner he made the Marriage of Psyche, with ministers serving Jove,
and the Graces scattering flowers over the table. In the spandrels
of the vaulting he executed many scenes, in one of which is Mercury
with his flute, who, as he flies, has all the appearance of
descending from Heaven; and in another is Jove with an air of
celestial dignity, kissing Ganyme