vice of the Spanish
court for many years, was expressing one day his admiration of a newly
finished picture by a brother artist, when one of his own scholars drew
his attention to a badly executed foot. "I did not observe it," replied
he, "it is so concealed by the difficult excellence of this bosom and
these hands"--a piece of kindly criticism that deserves to be recorded.

ALONSO CANO AND THE INTENDANT OF THE BISHOP OF MALAGA.

The Bishop of Malaga, being engaged in improving his Cathedral church,
invited Cano to that city, for the purpose of designing a new tabernacle
for the high altar, and new stalls for the choir. He had finished his
plans, very much to the prelate's satisfaction, when he was privately
informed that the Intendant of the works proposed to allow him but a
very trifling remuneration. "These drawings," said Cano, "are either to
be given away, or to fetch 2,000 ducats;" and packing them up, he
mounted his mule, and took the road to Granada. The niggardly Intendant,
learning the cause of his departure, became alarmed, and sent a
messenger after him post-haste, offering him his own price for the
plans!

CANO'S LOVE OF SCULPTURE.

Skillful as Cano was with the pencil, he loved the chisel above all his
other artistic implements. He was so fond of sculpture that, when
wearied with painting, he would take his tools, and block out a piece of
carving. A disciple one day remarking that to lay down a pencil and take
up a mallet, was a strange method of repose, he replied, "Blockhead!
don't you see that to create form and relief on a flat surface, is a
greater labor than to fashion one shape into another?"

CASTILLO'S SARCASM ON ALFARO.

Juan de Alfaro first studied under Antonio del Castillo at Seville, and
subsequently in the school of Velasquez at Madrid. After his return to
Seville, he was wont to plume himself upon the knowledge of art which he
had acquired in the school of that great painter; and he also signed all
his pictures in a conspicuous manner, "_Alfaro, pinxit_." This was too
much for Castillo, and he accordingly inscribed his Baptism of St.
Francis, executed for the Capuchin convent, where his juvenile rival was
likewise employed, "_Non pinxit Alfaro_." Years after, Palomino became
sufficiently intimate with Alfaro, to ask him what he thought of
Castillo's sarcastic inscription. "I think," replied the unabashed
object of the jest, "that it was a great honor for me, wh