566 ) The fix an dehirtiech Booke 
made, that hee well deferved thename which wentof him: Lwilllayabroad fome’ finnall peeces G. 
as arguments of his handyworke, and thofe onelytthat may teftific his fine head and rare inven- 
tion : neither will Lalledge for=proofe hereof, either the beautifull image of Japer Olympius, 
*suamed which he made at Olympzta ox the ftately ftatue of * Msner-va,that he wrought at Athens,witich 
Zenmesbe- carried in heigth fix and twentie cubits, and was all made of yvorie andgold :but I will rake the 
Peoniansi- thield or targuet that the faid goddefle is: pourtraied with sin the embofledand {welling com- 
EateG 10. 
inthe hollow part and-concavitie, hee enchafed the conflict betweene the gods and the gyants; 
upon the fhoes or pantofles that fhee weareth, hee pourtraied the fight berweene the Lapithe 
and the Centaures ;fo full compact of art waseveric thing abouther, and focurioufly and arti- 
ficially contrived. Nowin the bafe or piedftall under the ftatue, the worke that was cut,heeealled 
the Genealogie of Pandora : there aman might fee the nativitie (asit were). of the gods, tothe 
number of thirtie;and among them the goddefle /iZorie,of moft admirable workemanthip. 
Moreover, artificers that are-{eene and skiliull in thefe matters, doe greatly admirethe. fell fer- 
pent; asalforhe monfter Sphinx made in brafle, under theverie {peare that Asnerva holdethin 
her hand. This may ferve by theway in a word or two touching that famous and renowmed ar- 
tizan:Phidias (whomeno mai is able to praife and commend {ufficiently) that it may be known - 
likewife chat the magnificence of his workenvanthip was the {ame ftill, even in {mall matters as 
well as grear. : 
ei sittetite 
To come nowto Praxiteles : what time hee lived, I have.declared alreadiein my catalogue of 
Founders and Imageurs in brafle: who, albeit hee wasfingularin that kind, yetin maiblebe-weng ” 
sae 0 At 
beyond himielfe : his workes areto be {eene at Athens, in that con{picuous {treet called Ceran- 
nicum: butof allthe images shat ever were made(I fay natby Praxiteles onely, bur byall the 
workemen that were in the world) his Venus paflech, which hee wrought forthem of Gnidas; 
and in truth, fo exquifit and fingular it was, that many aman hath embarked, taken fea, and fai- 
led to Gnidos for no other bufinefle, but onely to fee and behold it: hee had made two ofthem, 
and fold them both togither the one witha vaile and arraied decently in apnarell , which in that 
xegard the men of Cos bought; for beeing put to their choice, they like honeft men preferred 
it before the other which was naked (notwithftanding Praxiteles tendred them bothat one and 
the {ame price) in a good mind that they carried, and having refpeét and regard unto.their gra- 
. vitie and modeft carriage of themfelves ; thatwhich they refufed and rejeQed,the Gnidians bar- 
gained for, and indeed (to{peake of workemanthip) itwas infinitely better, and there was no 
comparifon betweene them, bythe generall fame and opinion of allmen :and verely king Nico- 
yaedes afterwards would gladly have bought it again of the Gnidians,and offered them enoughs 
for hee promifedin conlideration thereof, to difcharge all debts that their cittie was engaged 
in, which were verie great {ums ; but they wouldnot give eare nor heatken unto bim: content 
they were to livein debt and daunger ftill, yea and to abide and endure any forfeitures,exegents, 
executions, and extents whatfoever, chan to part with theif exw, Andto fay a truth,good rea- 
* Scholis:cer 40n they hadfo to doe; for that one image of Praxiteles his making, was their chiefecredit, en- 
taine gelleres. nobled their cittie, and drew refort from all parts thither. This “ens was {rined ina little chap- 
alee pell by hericlfe within a tabernacle; but of purpofe fo deviled, thatitmight bee fet open on all 
romeet,&(ci- tides for to be feene and viewed all and whole on everie part: wherewith the goddefle her felfe (as 
ther walking 
or fitting) to i : f Bip 
difcourleof | COMmers ; for looke upon her as one would, amiabie fhee was and admirable everie way. It is ré- 
learning, and ported, thata wretched fellow was enamoured of this Venus, and having lurked one night fe- 
Aaa Cecilie cretly within the chappell, behaved him(elfe fo'and came fo neare unto the image, thathee left 
were other behind hima marke of his leaud love and beaftly luft ;the {pot of which pollution, appeared af- 
recientes terwards upon the bodie, In the fame Gnidos there bee divers other peecesmore, of marble, 
o 
inbains where Wlought by excellent workemen ; to wit, one god Bacchvsmade by Brixiades, and another by 
thofethat_— Scopas, of whofe handyworke there was Minerva alfo:yet there goeth no {peech nor voice of 
o - . - e 
tendence un 20 but onely of penis abovefaid; than which, there cannot bee a greater argument to proove 
tillthere were the excellencie of Praxiteles his worke they feeme all burfoilsto givealuftre unto hisVemmz,OF 
sein pains his making there is the Caped alfo,that CxceroreprochedVerves with;the fame for whofe fake there 
<3 
foirk: is uch refort and pilgrimage to Lhefpia, and which f{tandeth now fhrined within the * {chooles 
of 
A = 
pafle whereof, he engraved the battaile whereinthe Amazons were defeated | by T Acfeds; | with-, 
mien were verely perfuaded) was well enough pleafed, and fhewed her contentment therein to all - 
