and he adds that this new piece of evidence—­viz. the letter of the Spanish Consul to King Philip—­instead of helping us, only makes the confusion worse.

What then are we to think when yet another—­a fourth—­contemporary statement turns up, differing from any of the three just quoted?  Yet such a letter exists, and I am happy in my turn to point out this fresh piece of evidence, in the hope that instead of making the confusion worse, it will help us to arrive at some decision.

On October the 15th, 1564, Garcia Hernandez, Envoy in Venice from King Philip II., writes to the King his master that Titian begged that His Majesty would condescend to order that he should be paid what was due to him from the court and from Milan....  For the rest the painter was in fine condition, and quite capable of work, and this was the time, if ever, to get “other things” from him, as according to some people who knew him, Titian was about ninety years old, though he did not show it, and for money everything was to be had of him.[170]

In 1564 then the Spanish Envoy writes that Titian was said to be about ninety.  Let us then enlarge Dr. Gronau’s table by this additional statement, and further complete it by including the earliest piece of evidence, the statement of Dolce in 1557 that Titian was scarcely twenty when he worked at the Fondaco de’ Tedeschi frescoes (1507-8).  The year of Titian’s birth thus works out: 

Writing in 1557, Dolce makes out Titian was born about 1489
  " " 1566-7, Vasari " " " 1489
  " " 1564, Spanish Envoy " " 1474
  " " 1567, Spanish Consul " " 1482
  " " 1571, Titian himself " " 1476

Now it is curious to notice that the last three statements are all made in letters to King Philip, either by Titian himself, or at his request by the Spanish agents.

It is curious to notice these statements as to Titian’s great age occur in begging letters.[171]

It is curious to notice they are mutually contradictory.

What are we to conclude?

Surely that the Spanish Envoy, the Spanish Consul, and Titian himself, out of their own mouths stand convicted of inconsistency of statement, and further that they betray an identical motive underlying each representation—­viz. an appeal ad misericordiam.

Before, however, contrasting the value of the evidence as found in these Spanish letters with the evidence as found in Dolce and Vasari, let us note two points in these letters.

Garcia Hernandez, the Spanish Envoy, writes:  “According to some people who knew him, Titian was about ninety years old, though he did not show it.”  Now, if Titian was really about ninety in the year 1564, he will have lived to the age of one hundred and two, a feat of longevity of which no one has ever accused him!  Apart, therefore, from the healthy scepticism which Hernandez betrays in this letter, we may certainly conclude that “some people who knew him” were exaggerating Titian’s age.