The New York herald., 1875-09-12


period, we may say certainly-he discussed
them all with yittora coonna, with whom
at this time he formed that friendship, ON
his side so tender and strong which formed the only
solace Of his life He needed comfort, for ne had
lost his father iavore brother Buonarott and some
of the other brothers, who only looked upon him as
mint TO coin money for their pleasure, seem to have
created dissensions There letters from Michael
Angelo TO his father which make ono weep to read
MICHAEL ANGELO SSD virToRiA coLoNNA.
OF Vtora's many letters to Michael Angelo but two
printed They read very cold and pedantio
The miniature painter Fraunso dOanda gives us how
ever,
PLEASANT GLIMPSE
Of their intercourse and according him. the Marquis
Pescare was happy IN drawing the sculptor from his
solitude and in getting him discuss art and other sub
jects But in 1911 Vittoria left Rome Paul III. was
dead and Caraila, enemy TO the Colonna ruled in his
stead It is known that eight Of his letters written
this period are among the treasures bequeahcd TO
Florence We hope thar they are kndlier than the
in which she begs him write less, much writing
must hinder him from being at his work betimes,
as II hinders her from evening with the sisters
of the convent Of st. Caterna How that letter must
have chaied the proud sensitive heart l547
the final pain Yittoria had returned TO Rome and
tired to the of the Bencdcncs her illness
increased she conveyed the palace of the sole
relation left to her in Rome. Michael Angelo
admitted to her dying bed, bent her and kissed
her hand He aftcrward lamented TO Condvi that he
had not also kissed her lips and brow. HIS four
her memory are lne, everything he wrote or did.
Each contains separate idea but they not by any
means his finest. Those Tommaso del Cavalieri are
far moro beautiful The letters his nephew and TO
others about him. give us the only gmpses have of
the inner life of the great genius who, tortured by
u A.,
the rival asprants for his work. really enjoyed an
hours peace. Once more, on the completion of the
"Last Judgment" he hoped to be left to finish the
.tragedy of the sepuchrc" Condivi styles It, in
peace But Paul insisted on new frescoes from his hand
for the walls of the Capella Paolina which he had
added to the Vatican
THE HEIRS or JULIUS
now lost all patience and there was a fresh trouble
Michael Angelo deeply stung by the accusations
brought against him, and addressed to him personally
by that type of successful vice, Aretno who at first
loaded him with fulsome fattery then, in of the
coarsest epistes ever penned denounced him as a
teacher of immortality, desecrator of sacred place and
a thief He could not paint, he told Paul, with his mind
thus distracted for painting is done by the head
well as the haudn Finally the Urbini and Provel
agreed to be satisfied if only he would finish the
Moses with his own hands. He set to work
on the cruclhxon of ST. Peter and the
conversion of St Paul for the Panolina chapel In
this work he injured his leg by fall, and shrinking
from exposing his bodily as well his mental suffer
ings he shut himself up in his house alone till old
friend DR.. Bacco Rontni, climbed in at the window
and nursed him back to strength. In 1916 Antonio
San Gallo the architect of St Peters, died. and the
Pope nominated Michael Angelo as his successor.
PETERS.
After many misgivngs he accepted on the express
condition that his work should be grauous. He had
seen the foundation laid by his treacherous foe
Bramante, during his lifetime and after his death
registered his opinion that the design was perfect
s'Bramante, - he wrote to one Bartoomeo, was one
of the most able architects since the times of the
ancents. His first design for ST. Peters is
clear and compact well lighted all sides
| so situated as in way to interfere with
the Vatican Palace Whoever departs from his design,
us San Gallo has done, departs from the rules of
itself" In this letter Angelo shows that to complete
San Gao's model the Paolina chapel and part of tho
Sstne must be destroyed and proposes that san Gallo
| work be pulled down and Bramantes orig nal plan ad
hered TO- This - he concludes, s my impartial opin
ion. II am to undertake the work it will be greatly tt
my disadvantage Please lay these statements before
the Pope" He then prepared model in wood, tha
! ii he died in the meantime the dome might be com
pleted. This undertaking was fresh source of grie
I
had been endless of profit to many persons
Michael Angelo dismissed all the drones and the
| dishonest contractors. We may fancy the
| enemies that were thus created, without the
! following letter :-'You know that have ordered Bal
duccio furnish only the best cement He has sent in
some of bad quality, and undoubtedly he must take il
back. 1t is than probable that there is under
standing between him and those who receive the cement
! for he was hand and glove with the that have
| dismissed from the building for similar circumstances
He who received materials of inferior quality materials
that have forbidden to be received makes friends OF
! those whom | have made my foes There seems to ue
new conspiracy foot to cude justice by promises,
gifts and fees But l. in virtue of the authority con
! ferred me by the Pope, order you to accept only
first rate and suitable materials for the building Nc
other shall be accepted. mol
NOT IF THEY COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN
1t shall never be said that these wretched
Vaccinations +" This letter brought down the wrath
of the curators cardinals salviat and cervini and
cabal was formed Pope julius ILL., successor to Paul
induced to summon council and put Mchae
Angelo on his defence. He the council in per
! SON. The cardinals, who had made no end of com
plants of money uselessly spent, of the work being
done without consulting them only lamened the swan
Of light in the interior
'There three more windows to be placed above
the present tier )" answered the chief architect
''You told US that such your intention,
answered Jerome
at duty OF mine to do so. Neither to You
EXcellency, nor to any one else, will pledge myself Il
declare my intentions Your business is to provide th
necessary funds see that they are neither waste,
nor stolen The designs of the building concern m,
aone.n
Them turning to Julius, he aid:-"Holy Father, yot
know what I receive for my pains If my work doe:
help the salvation of my soul, time and fatigue will
have been spent for naught."
Neither your temporal spiritual welfare shall
suffer-" answered the Pope, extending his hand to the
dauntess old man; and after that defeat the Sangal
liste never attempted again to "beard the lion in his
den" but confined themselves underhand plots. Hc
does not have returned Florence after he
derook that gigantic and gratuitous work. but his
respondence with Leonardo frequent and genial.