The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-07-22

81 was sure Of it. Believe me
your enemies, in seeking to injure you
have prepared for you a fresh tri-
umph."
'Lct Bramante come Immediately tc
construct the scaffolding.'
This man had been foremost in the
attack; and now caught in his own
snare, the cnvious architect sought at
least to procure a share of work for
his nephew Raffaelle. But julius was
memorable, and dryly ordered Bra
mantle to prepare the necessary planks
and cordage
Meanwhile Michael Angelo passed
a few days in total seclusion; and
when all was prepared, he showed his
designs, and left the estimate of their
recompense to San Gallo, one of his
most bitter enemies. But on this oc-
casion even envy was ashamed to out
rage Justice San Gallo proposed the
sum OF $4,000 ducats, and the agree
ment was completed.
Michael Angelo then went to the
Sistine, and, for the first time address
/ ing himself to Bramante, said, in the
+ presence Of the Pope, and in tone OF
insulting irony, I'm what manner do
You propose master architect, to raise
/ the scaffolding
/ ''In the usual manner" replied Bra
mantle, scornfully.
''Tbat is to say
"That is to say, master, since you
seem ignorant of the first principles
of the att you profess, that ] will make
holes in the vault, that from the open
ings capstans will descend, and sus-
tain the movable platform on which
you will work"
VERY clear indeed, master Bran
ante. But permit me to ask you one
question; when my paintings shall be
! finished, how viii you stop up these
holes?
40, time enough to think Of that "
Michael Angelo shrugged his Shout
ders, and having called the head car
penter, said to him in a loud voice
Take all this trumpery away, sell it,
and keep the proceeds for your own
use He then explained to the aston
ished Pope the simple and ingenious
/ method which he meant to employ.
and which has always since been
adopted under similar circumstances.
The next day he sent to Florence
4 for several painters accustomed 20 fres-
coe work. He caused them to ascend
his scatfold, gave each a portion of the
wall to paint, and watched their pro-
ceedings closely A few hours suf-
feed to make him acquainted with the
mechanical portion of the art. He
paid them literally, and dismissed
them; then he effaced all they had
done, and shut himself up alone in the
chapel.
Without any assistant, he tempered
the lime, mixed the plaster, and ground
his colors. 1t would be impossible to
calculate the amount of patience and
I persevering labor necessary to over
come the manual difficulties of n new
art. Often a few drops or less than
the right quantity of water, coat
laid on too thinly or too thickly IN
fact the smallest oversight, used to
cause his nearly finished frescoe to fall
off in patches. But genius mocks Mt
difficulties both great and small After
a time, colors and plaster obeyed their
ruler, as marble and bronze had done
/ before. The mechanical obstacles re
moved, 1t only remained for HIM to
execute his sublime conceptions. 1t
was the spirit of Dante incarnate I'M
der another form, and breathed forth
in painting instead of in song. Both
have embraced in their vast compo-
sitions the whole range of creation,
the order and events of time, from
the fall of the angels to the last Judge
ment 1t would be as impossible to
convey an idea of the glories of the
Sistine vault to those who have not
seen them, as to describe those of
Dantes wondrous epic to such as have
not felt them. 1t would be speaking
of music to the deaf, and of colors to
the blind. Michael Angelo employed
but twenty months in tins stupendous
work. On the day when he finally
came down from the scafiolding, his
ewes had been so accustomed to look
ing upwards, that he could no longer
without pain, turn them towards the
earth A touching symbol of genius
obliged to look downwards and walk
with men, after having scared through
the regions of the sky.
We viii not attempt to describe the
overwhelming sensation produced by
his masterpiece of genius, when it
was displayed to public view. Then,
as now, the dome of the Sistine was
considered as the most marvellous
prodigy of human art At its com
pletion, Michael Angelo had attained
his 37th year.
A Spy or THE REvoLUTIoN.-In the