The true effigies of the most eminent painters and other famous artists that have flourished in Europe curiously engraven on copper-plates : together with an account of the time when they lived, the most remarkable passages of their lives, and most considerable works ...

III. Raphael Vrbin,

Sirnamed so from the place of his birth, which was on Good Friday Anno Dom. 1480 A person of so sweet a disposition and of so great beauty both of mind and body, that from his Infan∣cy to his death he was tenderly beloved by all that knew him; Having heard of the great fame and emulation that was be∣tween Michael Angelo and Leonard de Vinci he travailed to Florence, where the Examples of those great Spirits so awak∣••ned his Industry, that he resolved to do his utmost to equall their Renown, if it were not possible for him to exceed it: At Florence he met with all that he could desire, to satisfie his generous thirst of Glory, and with extream diligence copi∣ed all that he could find there worth his Curiofity and la∣bour, Adding thereto some Inventions of his own; At length believing Rome to be the firtest Theatre for him to discover his Excellency in, he offered his service to the Pope, by the recommendation of Bramante his near relation and the Popes Architect. The Pope when he saw the charmes of his Pencill was ravished with the sight, preferring him before all others, and indeed nothing was ever seen to equall what he has done nigh the Belveder, where he represents Mount Par∣nassus and the Quire of Muses in such a manner as has given astonishment to the ablest Painters: The Fountain of Helicon is environed with a Wood of Lawrell, the leaves whereof seem to move as being agitated by the blowing of the gentle Ze∣phyrs, in the Aire are many winged Cupids flying to and fro, and gathering the Branches of the sacred Wood, to compose thereof Garlands for the Muses and the Poets, who appear sit∣ting beneath at the feet of the sacred Sisters, singing such divine songs as were inspired by them, There is Virgill, Ovid, Ennius, Tibullus, Catullus, Propertius, and blind Homer amongst the An∣tients, Sappho, Dantes, Petrarch, Boccace with several others among the Modern, whom one can hardly believe but are all a live they appear so natural. There is a delicious Landskip ad∣joyning

adjoining which so pleasantly deceives the sight by its ingenious variely and its distances, that it seems sufficient to invite the beholders to take a turn in those Enameled Meadows and to seek the Pleasure of those shady Groves that present them∣selves to view, with so many charming excellencies and De∣lights. And it may be truely said of him, that he hath heap∣ed together in his Works, all that he could conceive to be sublime, and all those accomplishments the hand is capable of performing. Whilst the Divine Raphael (as he is usually cal¦led) displayed here the Treasures of his Art. Michael Angelo was at work on the other side of the Popes Chappel, where he kept himself so reserved, that the Pope himself could scarce get admittance to see his Work, yet Raphael, found an oppor∣tunity by the means of Bramante to make his observations of it; which when he saw, he much admired at the strength and boldness of his Strokes, in which he strove to imitate him, so that there arose no small emulation between these two famous Rivals, yet their way of Painting was very different, for Raphael fearing he could not be able to equall Michael Angelo in the strength of his Musculous Nudities, set himself to excell him in the design, and ordering of his Histories, in the loftness of his Subject, the amiable sweetness of his Figures, and the beauty of his Faces, and also in a lively expression of the Passions of the Soul in all which he not only surpassed his great Competitor, but all that came after him Tis reported there is a Piece of his, which he made for the people of Palerma, of Christ bearing his Cross, which was shipwrackt in the Vo••age, and afterwards recovered unhurt out of the Water, and being sent to Palerma, was by the people of that place carried to Mount Olivet, where it is said to remaine to this day, and is more adm••red by Strangers that pass that way, then the slaming Vesuvius or any other the singularities of that Countrey: There are also some curious Pieces in Cartons now in England, that were designed for Tapistryes, which are by the command of their present Majesties King Widia••n and Queen Mary lately set up in Hampton-Court, representing the History of Ananias and Saphira, St. Peters walking to our Saviour upon the Water, St. Pauls entertainment by the Inhabitants of Melita after his ship-wrack, and other Scripture Histories, by the hand of this excellent person. Neither must his School of the Philosophers be forgotten: In which is contained a description of the seve∣ral sorts of learned men and Philosophers in the World, dis∣puting with each other; in one place are the Astrologers making figures and schemes which they send by the Angel, to the Evangelists to be explained; amongst the rest is Dio∣genes with his Cup, which Figure is most excellent, Plato with his Timaeus, and Aristotle with his Book of Ethicks; it is not to be expressed how earnestly and intently the Astrologers and Geometricians are, severally handling the Instruments of their particular Sciences, amonst them is a beautiful young man, who seems with his Arms extended and other Gestures to ex∣press his admiration, by this is meant Frederick the second Duke of Mantua, who was at Rome when Raphael painted i•• there is also Bramante the Popes Arc••itect, drawing lines upon the ground with Mathematical Instruments, Zoroaster with a Globe in his hand, and last of all Raphael himself who appears with a modest look; in every Figure there appears so much life and Spirit that makes it incomparable. To conclude, He was a person of a Noble and generous Soul, amiable in his Conver∣sation, delighting naturally in doing good, well versed in History both sacred and profane, of which he made good use in all his Works; He died young in the 37th year of his age, on a Good-Friday, the day he was born on.

Hic ille est RAPHAEL, timuit quo s••spite vinci Rerum summa Parens, & moriente mori.