an unknown monster having certain
characteristics of the horrid things he had about him. The hideous
creature was surrounded by fire, and was breathing out flames. When his
father saw it he ran away in a fright, and Leonardo was greatly pleased at
this. The countryman received an ordinary shield, and this _Rotello del
Fico_ (or shield of fig-tree wood) was sold to a merchant for one hundred
ducats, and again to the Duke of Milan for three times that sum. This
shield has now been lost for more than three centuries; but another
horror, the "Medusa's Head," is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, and is
a head surrounded by interlacing serpents, the eyes being glassy and
deathlike and the mouth most revolting in expression.

While in Florence Leonardo accomplished much, but was at times diverted
from his painting by his love of science, sometimes making studies in
astronomy and again in natural history and botany; he also went much into
society, and lived extravagantly. He had the power to remember faces that
he had seen accidentally, and could make fine portraits from memory; he
was also accustomed to invite to his house people from the lower classes;
he would amuse them while he sketched their faces, making good portraits
at times, and again ridiculous caricatures. He even went so far, for the
sake of his art, as to accompany criminals to the place of execution, in
order to study their expressions.

After a time Leonardo wished to secure some fixed income, and wrote to the
Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, called Il Moro, offering his services to
that prince. This resulted in his going to Milan, where he received a
generous salary, and became very popular with the Duke and all the court,
both as a painter and as a gentleman. The Duke governed as the regent for
his young nephew, and gathered about him talented men for the benefit of
the young prince. He also led a gay life, and his court was the scene of
constant festivities. Leonardo's varied talents were very useful to the
Duke; he could assist him in everything--by advice at his council, by
plans for adorning his city, by music and poetry in his leisure hours, and
by painting the portraits of his favorites. Some of these last are now
famous pictures--that of Lucrezia Crevelli is believed to be in the Louvre
at Paris, where it is called "La Belle Ferroniere."

The Duke conferred a great honor on Leonardo by choosing him to be the
founder and director of an academy which he