uced a young girl, and become insupportable even to himself from the
general odium which he experienced, he embarked on board a ship; nor is
it known whither he fled, or how he ended his life, if we may credit the
Neapolitan writers. Palomino, however, states him to have died in Naples
in 1656, aged sixty-seven, though he does not contradict the first part
of our statement. Thus these ambitious men, who by violence or fraud
had influenced and abused the generosity and taste of so many noble
patrons, and to whose treachery and sanguinary vengeance so many
professors of the art had fallen victims, ultimately reaped the merited
fruit of their conduct in a violent death; and an impartial posterity,
in assigning the palm of merit to Domenichino, inculcates the maxim,
that it is a delusive hope to attempt to establish fame and fortune on
the destruction of another's reputation."

GIUSEPPE RIBERA, CALLED IL SPAGNOLETTO--HIS EARLY POVERTY AND INDUSTRY.

Jose Ribera, a native of Valencia in Spain, studied for some time under
Francisco Ribalta, and afterwards found his way to Italy. At the age of
sixteen, he was living in Rome, in a very destitute condition;
subsisting on crusts, clothed in rags, yet endeavoring with unswerving
diligence to improve himself in art by copying the frescos on the
facades of palaces, or at the shrines on the corners of the streets. His
poverty and industry attracted the notice of a compassionate Cardinal,
who happened to see him at work from his coach-window; and he provided
the poor boy with clothes, and food, and lodging in his own palace.
Ribera soon found, however, that to be clad in good raiment, and to fare
plentifully every day, weakened his powers of application; he needed
the spur of want to arouse him to exertion; and therefore, after a short
trial of a life in clover, beneath the shelter of the purple, he
returned to his poverty and his studies in the streets. The Cardinal was
at first highly incensed at his departure, and when he next saw him,
rated him soundly as an ungrateful little Spaniard; but being informed
of his motives, and observing his diligence, his anger was turned to
admiration. He renewed his offers of protection, which, however, Ribera
thankfully declined.

RIBERA'S MARRIAGE.

Ribera's adventure with the Cardinal, and his abilities, soon
distinguished him among the crowd of young artists in Rome. He became
known by the name which still belongs to him, Il Spagnoletto,