On the path below, which, besides flowers, is strewn with stones and over-run with reptiles and small animals, is a crowd of ten men, seekers after Wisdom, who apparently have just been landed upon the Island by Fortune. The attitudes of these men, some of whom at least appear to be portraits, are very striking. Alone at the head of the procession strides a stately personage--a patron perhaps of art and learning. Next to him an old man, leaning on a crutch-handled staff, plods determinedly along. Following him, a younger man looks back and shakes his fist at Fortune. Behind him stand six figures with varied expressions of interest or desire. In front of them an elderly man with a beard has sunk down exhausted, his book clasped in his left arm, too weary to move on. On the extreme right of the picture stands Fortune, a nude woman with a cornucopia in her right hand. She is the most striking figure in the composition. Her left foot is resting on a globe, perhaps to indicate her instability, while with her right she seems to push off the boat, shattered and broken-masted, in which these travellers have journeyed to the island. Above her head she holds a sail, which the wind has filled out, one end of which, wound round her body, is grasped also by her right hand. Obviously this design is one of those conceits so dear to the Renaissance mind. Fortune has, with favouring breeze, but through stormy waters, brought the seekers after Knowledge to the Mount of Wisdom; and the artist has endeavoured in these ten figures to symbolize the varied character of her votaries. Socrates stands calmly waiting for his reward; Crates earns his by contempt of all things worldly. [Illustration: ALINARI PHOTO.] [DESIGNED BY PINTURICCHIO V. AN ALLEGORY OF FORTUNE (No. 36)] Pinturicchio received on the 13th of March, 1504,[27] twelve lire for this design, which was laid down under his direction, probably by Paolo Mannucci, in 1506.[28] The last design in the Nave is perhaps the oldest of all; but the actual piece of Pavement that we now see is a complete renovation by Signor Maccari in December, 1864, costing 2,491 lire 98 c. Tizio[29] tells us that it was executed in 1372, and though he does not say who was the author of the design, or who executed the work, we know that Andrea di Minuccio was Operaio at this time,[30] and that under his direction, two years later, the work at “_the foot of the Choir_” was completed.