, 1875-10-02

infeuenss of luxury. Solitary. w scIt-
contained, and melancholy, ho lived = ltfo, npnrt
f.ou, tho world nrouud him. ntnl 1t Is difficult
penetrate beyond itA external ciroliinstanceH-
Tho documents which on tlo occasion of tlIis
festival fur tho !rgt t.mc SEQ tito light will ylctl
Il moro intimate view. Init hitherto Michael
An8o!o'a woEks hase bcon llIH 1ifo; and surely
10 man oven IN that woudrouH ago composed
mora noblo biography.
II 1t bo nakol how in TIM tliN.ractol 1tnly OF
l'Ea manhood aud old age, nmilht tho ttn,ult Of
aft Of Alchael Angelo preserved In tho inan Its
,lnbrbkcn cnrebr tho answer In partly, no doubt,
70 DO found I'll tho simplicity, Holituto. and
stcady purpose Of hta life. 1p the passionate
ront tnpattence which left "a many Of hia works
III marble Incomplete, we may trace Tho influence
Of tho later troubles on his mind and art. Hut
II is to tie moro gentat atmosphere OF Lorenzoa
liapp!cr inspiration. Florenco Under I4orol,zo
was tho cont1o If tho 1talian Renaissance.
Mems minds wcro turnod to art 10 it's
new, birth. and to lctsors In their re-
Tho weslth Of ChrIstoudon, t!owcd by orefy
channel into Italy, aud waa lavtnheu by popeB
nod priuccs OIL artists and men Of 1olters. Fur
ono lope Michael Angelo designed Nansoloum
produced thoso wondrous froscoes in tho Sintlno
Chapel which arc to this day tho groatost nlo1,u-
nlents OF hta gentua for smother llo completed
tue design Of the new Dasiiica Ut st. Peter while
for tho Alodicis, bis early patrons, le executed
world to tho sacl!sty of St. Loranzo at Florence.
II, thon, TIM political circumstances Of tho ttno
Beemod nDfayorable 10 tho growth and dcyelop-
mont OF MT. It Was far otherwise with iis
social aud intellectual conditions Tho
mon Of tho lsenaissnnco li.o1 in "n
social tntcssralnt II Michael Augo!o'B
father chated At Lis son. descendant OF tho
CanoBaas. bacotuing aIi artist, auch feelpg may
cording to tho traditional story, to Titan by
CharlosV. Gouius was the passport to distinction,
Princes paid court to artists, mud Governments
and States trcstod tho1n with eupcciai honor aud
dialtnctiou. Art, ns wo lave said. ruled tho
wor1d OF tho Renaissance. in n far moro intimate
Bcuae than lctturs, or oven Bcioncc may DO said
to ruIo 1t now. but tint ast waa tie iHsnc Of
many conditions, Tho resultant OF many forccp,
hayc passed away forever. Wo cannot reproduce,
we cnn scarcely oven realizo, tho Italy OF Michael
Angelo. Tho free and turbulent llio Of
tho old city-republics, tue soclhl equality
Of c1aseos, tho birth Of tho now learning, tho
glory Of recovered antiquity. tho stir Of now
thought, tho vast scclmulstiona Of woaltl,. tho
Bplundor Of popcs aud proatos to whom Chris
tan ascoticism was forgotten tradition, nil
these gave to tue italian AcnaisBanco tho su-
premacy in art which, though Italy may now
have lost i, no other nation llas yot pretended
to rival. Yet It in impossible not to 500 a,noug
the conditions which produced tho bloom oi
Italian art Botne OF tho seetlu of that political do
ctine OF which Michael Angelo in Ills lifo OF hard
early md disastrous frltts. 10 bo pnnt,louicas
| ns the stone lo lad carved waH Lis bitter
wish when tho trouble and degradation OF bis rs-
two city Lao striekeu him to tho heart. 1t is,
porllaps, both Idle and uHchiegonB to trace too
close d connection between Tho life Of nation
| aud It's progress In art But to lis, RHO can 800