stood again on the brink of destruction, for having one day gone out to seek certain of his friends, he was made prisoner by the new comers, and was compelled to purchase his release with the few crowns that he possessed. His uncle, grieved at what had happened, and perceiving that by these disorders the hope which Francesco had conceived of acquiring knowledge, honour, and wealth, was destroyed, resolved to take him back to Parma, and the rather as he saw that Rome was little less than ruined, while the Pope himself was a prisoner to the Spaniards. He despatched Francesco forward on the way to his native land, therefore, but remained himself some days in Rome, where he deposited the picture painted for Madonna Maria Bufalina with the Monks of the Pace, in whose Refectory it remained many years, until it was finally reclaimed by Messer Giulio Bufalini, by whom it was placed in the church for which it had originally been destined at Citta di Castello.[1]
Arrived in Bologna, Francesco found his time pass very agreeably among his friends in that city, more especially that portion of it which he passed in the house of a saddler of Parma, who was one of his most intimate associates; and his sojourn there pleasing him greatly, he remained in Bologna some months. During this time he caused several of his works to be engraved in chiaro-scuro, more particularly the Decapitation of San Pietro and San Paolo,[2] with a large picture representing Diogenes. He made very many other works, of which he intended to have prints made and copperplates engraved, having retained with him a certain Maestro Antonio of Trent;[3] but this intention was not carried into effect at the moment, because Francesco was compelled to give his time to the execution of numerous pictures and other works for various noblemen of Bologna.
The first painting executed by our artist in that city was a figure of San Rocco, of considerable size, which he painted for the chapel of that saint in the Church of San Petronio, and to which he has imparted a most beautiful expression, depicting it, at a word, with the utmost perfection in every
