Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-12-20

Immediately after this interval Q
painting occurred that encounter of tw
of the most notable men of their tim
which gives striking and humorou
page to the history OF arr. Julius II
probably some years after his accession
to the Paplcy, took the great sculptor
whose temper and character were not un
like his own, into his employment, il
order that he might glorify himsei
with tomb worthy his own estimate
of his greatness most wise precaution
for all who share the impulse of posthu-
nous vanity. The Pope and the artist
were fit par to meet in that great OLD
Rome, 50 full of memories; and the
warlike narrative of their friendship
and quarre!s. moi on beth sides, yet Oh
neither without n mixture of genuine
regard and liking, is full of interest and
character. Its beginning, however, was
not of an agreeable kind. Excited by
hopes of a splendid work, not less
honorable to himself than to Pope
julius, Michael Angelo had first to
betake himself for eight dreary proba-
tionary months to the marble country
of Cdrrara to choose the blocks for his
statues, and to get them painfully con-
veyed TO the sea, to be sent off to Rome.
In this exile, during which it is easy to
imagine the eager anticipation of the
great sculptor, held, as 1t were, in the
leash, and unable to get TO work, though
with such wealth of virgin materia
round I'm, he had hard ado, Vasari
tells rs. to keep himself from striking
ont, with those fiery vehement strokes
of his, some huge abo=-o in the white
rocks of a cave, as a memorial OF III IN
self and his weary vigil. What pill
grimages We should all have made TO
that powdery waste had he left some
such vast mysterious image as the I'M
completed DAY" of San Lorenzo to
keep tine world in mind of the long
days he passed there among the rough
marble of those precious caverns. The
blocks which he sent to Rome half
filled the piazza of st. Pietro; and as
soon as the artist was released from the
labor of collecting them, he rushed at
his more congenial work con gr1ndc
amino. Such was the eagerness OF both
artist and patron that communication,
ga bridge" as Vasari calls it, WIS made
between the Vatican AMI tn, 1t shed
in the piazza which hal 1ssI rected
over the sculptor AMI ths marble which
he attacked in a sacred fury Of creation.
1t is not difficult TO understand how the
perpetual intrusion at any moment,
however critical, of such visitor as
the fiery cid Pope, with the license
of age added to that of absolute power,
inquirmg, criticising, praising and
blaming with more zeal than knowl-
edge, must have gone far to drive the
equally fiery young sculptor half fran
tic by times, when he had 10 suspend
his chisel, and subdue his furia, and
listen to all his Holiness might choose
to say. Perhaps On impatient word
bursting from him at some especially
unpropiiious visit, which nettled Julius;
but at all events, when a new arrival of
marble, from Carrara MADE it necessary
for the sculptor to get money from the
Pope, his holiness was busy and could
not see him. This was repeated two
or three times, at first to his surprise,
and afterwarI to the furious indigna-
ton OF Michael Angelo, who felt him
self as grelt and Independent as either
Prince or Pope. 'You don't know who
1t Is TO whom you refuse admittance,
wondering by-stander said at last in
his hearing to the lackey who shut him
oIt. 81 know him very well, but / am
here to obey my ORDERS" said the man.
Michael Angelo turned away, breathing
fire and flame, and bidding the Iackey
tllC ODJ lufst nG " lltLl nc
must send for him, went off to his
house. where he gave his servants
orders to sell everything to the Jews,
and left Rome instantly. riding all
through the night ia not haste, and
never drawing bride till he reached
Tuscan soil. As it proved, he had taken
the only wise course; for he had scarcely
reached Po2gibonsi, on the Florentine
frontier, when no less than five couriers
arrived one after the other, with letters
from Julius recalling him. But the
sculptor was no less proud than the Pope:
all the messengers could get from him
was a brief note of reply, proudly in
forming his Holiness that it was i'm
possible for him who had been "cac-
cidtO UiG come Wl tristO," to go back
again; after which he made his wav to
Florence, settling down in his old quar-
ters, it would seem with all the ilaughty
sadness of an injured man