And this M. Lactancio was a very
important personage, both on account of nobility of mind and of blood (he
being a nephew of the Cardinal of Siena), as well as through his knowledge
of Latin, Greek and Hebrew letters, and for the authority of his years.
But finding in his house a message that he was at Monte Cavallo, in the
church of St. Silvester, with the Lady Marchioness of Pescara, listening
to a lecture from the Epistles of St. Paul, I went to Monte Cavallo and to
St. Silvester. Now Senhora Vittoria Colonna, Marchioness of Pescara, and
sister of Senhor Ascanio Colonna, is one of the most illustrious and
famous ladies in Italy and in all Europe, which is the world, chaste yet
beautiful, a Latin scholar, well-informed and with all the other parts of
virtue and fairness to be praised in woman. She, after the death of her
great husband, took to a private and simple life, contenting herself with
the fact that she had already lived in her estate, and loving henceforward
only Jesu Christ and good deeds, doing good to poor women and bearing the
fruits of a true Catholic. For my friendship with this lady also I was
indebted to M. Lactancio, who was the most intimate friend that she had.
Having commanded me to sit down, the lecture and its praises over, the
Marchioness looking at me and at M. Lactancio, if I remember rightly,
said:
"Francisco d'Ollanda will be better pleased to hear M. Angelo talk about
painting, than Brother Ambrosio expound this lesson.
Pages:
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283