After they had pardoned me, I having confessed to being a laggard, and
after the Marchioness had bantered me a little, and I Messer Angelo in my
turn, I obtained permission to proceed with the former conversation about
painting; I commenced saying:
"I think, Senhor Michael Angelo, that last Sunday, when we were about to
part, you told me that if in the kingdom of Portugal, which you here call
Spain, they were to see the noble pictures of Italy, they would esteem
them greatly, for which reason I beg as a favour (for I have come here for
nothing else) that you will not disdain to inform me what famous works in
painting there are in Italy, so that I may know how many I have already
seen, and how many I still have to see."
"You ask me a question which would take long to answer, M. Francisco,"
said M. Angelo, "wide and difficult to put together, for we know that
there is no prince or private person or nobleman in Italy, or any one of
any pretension, however little curious he may be about painting (to say
nothing of those excellent ones who adore it), who does not take steps to
have some relic of divine painting, or who at least, in so far as he can,
does not order many works to be executed. So that a good portion of the
beauty of our art is spread over many noble cities, castles,
country-seats, palaces and temples, and other private and public
buildings; but as I have not seen them all in an orderly manner, I can
only speak of some which are the principal ones.
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