princes. Many good nights to you, and days too. Given at
Venice on Our Lady's Day in September.

You needn't lend my wife and mother anything. They have got
money enough.

--Albert Dürer



23 Sept. 1506

Your letter telling me of the overflowing praise that you
received from princes and nobles gave me great allegrezza.
[Editor's note: Allegrezza means "joy;" in Venetian in
original]. You must have changed completely to have become
so gentle; I must do likewise when I meet you again. Know
also that my picture is finished, likewise another quadro,
[Editor's note: quadro is Venetian for "painting"] the like
of which I never made before. And as you are so pleased with
yourself, let me tell you now that there is no better
Madonna picture in all the land, for all the painters praise
it as the nobles do you. They say that they have never seen
a nobler, more charming painting.

The oil for which you wrote I am sending by Kannengiesser.
And burnt glass that I sent you by Farber--tell me if it
reached you safely. As for the carpets, I have not bought
any yet, for I cannot find any square ones. They are all
narrow and long. If you would like any of these, I will