54 The Acquuvitaro of Longara. 



had erected for him the renowned Palazzo Farnese, which for gran- 

 deur, style of architecture, and beauty of design, and elegance, does 

 not yield to the finest buildings of the ancient Greeks and Romans. 



Just opposite to this immense edifice, on the other side of the 

 Tiber, Alexander caused to be erected a smaller palace, which is 

 called the Farnesina; and he obtained from Raffaelle that it should be 

 entirely adorned with a frescos of his invention and execution. Raf- 

 faelle, however, stipulated with the Cardinal, that during all the 

 time that was necessary to perfect his paintings at the Farnesina, 

 with the exception of Giulio Romano, Garsfalo, and Raffaellino, his 

 pupils, and of the Cardinal Bambo, and Castiglione, nobody else 

 should be admitted in that villa; and the Cardinal promised that 

 RafFaelle's wishes would be strictly fulfilled. 



After RafFaelle had been working at the Farnesina nearly two 

 years, through the reports of Cardinal Bambo and of Giulio Romano 

 and Garsfalo, who assisted their master in painting the less difficult 

 parts of his beautiful compositions, all Rome began to speak with 

 admiration of the almost unparalleled beauty and elegance of the 

 a frescos with which RafFaelle had already adorned the walls and 

 ceilings of that villa. The fabulous story of Love and Psyche was 

 described as one of his finest compositions: the Banquet of the 

 Gods was represented as a masterpiece : the Triumph of Galatea 

 was said to be so admirably conceived, designed, and painted, that it 

 surpassed every other work of RafFaelle. All the artists, therefore, 

 and all the admirers of the beau ideal in the fine arts, were very 

 anxiously waiting for the epoch, when they might be admitted to 

 view and admire the prodigies of the genius of RafFaelle. 



As it may be easily conceived, these reports were often repeated 

 in the presence of Michael Angelo*; and that extraordinary architect, 

 sculptor, painter, and poet, could not brook the obstacles placed in 

 his way to prevent him from judging by himself, whether the great 

 eulogies so generally and so lavishly heaped on his rival in painting 

 were truly well deserved. Through Giulio Romano and Garsfalo, 

 Daniel de Voltarra, the favourite pupil of Buonarroti, was informed 

 that RafFaelle could not complete his a frescos of the Farnesina before 

 another year. Michael Angelo having known this, and being deter- 

 mined to satisfy his ardent wish of getting admittance into the Far- 

 nesina, hit on the expedient of making use of some stratagem, and 

 hoped to succeed under the menial appearance of a common brandy 

 merchant. 



It was not very difficult for him to obtain, with a few scudi, from 

 the ordinary brandy merchant, who walked every morning through 

 the Longara, every information with regard to the masons and 

 other workmen who were employed at the Farnesina, and also the 

 permission of usurping for one morning alone his trade on that 

 quarter. In fact, having soon procured a complete second-hand 

 dress of a common brandy merchant, and the usual stock of that 

 profession, on the 15th of March, 1518, Michael Angelo, very early 

 in the morning, began to cry very loud near the gate of the Farne- 

 sina, " Acquavita, acquavitaro !" 



The Roman masons, and all workmen in general, are very fond of 



