Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-09-12
A TRAGIC LOVE TALE.
THE PATHETIC STORY OF MICHAEL
ANGELo's WoOlNG.
Only when Death Came to the wom-
an He Adored Could That Rugged
Genius Clasp to His Bosom the OBJ
ject of His Hopeless Passion.

However sorrowful may have been the
loves of poets, there is no sadder love
story OIL record than that of Michael
Angelo, no love life fuller of despair, al
though his great, rugged soul, his austere
nature and his immense genius would
seem to lift him far above the storm
of human passion and the weakness of
heart needs.
Love came to him but once, and that
late in life, for he was 81 years old
when he made the acquaintance of Wit
toria Colonna. She was woman of high
and loyal character, of noble birth and
crowned with the laurels of poesy. She
had married, at IL, Francois d'Avalos,
Marquis de Pescara, q young and brilliant
military officer, who died from the eff
fects of wounds, leaving her widow at
that age said to be SO dangerous in women
-33. She had idolized her husband, and
her love remained for him after his death
as deep and ardent as before She felt
that, having been his wife once, she was
his wife always, and nothing ever in
duced her for one moment to swerve from
her high fidelity.
After the death of Francois d'Avalos
she wrote a series of poems commemora-
tive of his heroic deeds. These fell into
the hands of Michael Angelo, and made
such an impression upon him that he
wrote a letter to the author, full of
sympathy for her grief and of admira-
ton for her poems. She replied in glow
ing terms of admiration for his genius in
art. This was the beginning of their
mutual acquaintance, and of his love.
The correspondence continued. but Wit
toria constantly refused to allow him to
visit her, and it was not until ten years
later that she consented to receive his
homage in person.
She had come to Rome and was stop
ping with her sister-in-law, Jeanne d Ar
ragon. The follies of youth, as we'll as
its radiant horizon. were over for both,
If Tor the one they had ever existed. But
in this love, born SO late in life, the great
artist hoped for JOY and companion
ship which would enrich and gladden. the
downward way. He was not loyable
man in the common sense of lovableness.
BE was awkward and cold in the pres
ence of women, and his tongue was not
clever to express the great depth and
tenderness of his soul. His face had
never recovered from the Disagreement
produced by the blow given by Tor
rgiano. But love, identifying ugliness
and throwing charms over thousand de-
fects, wrought no miracles for Michael
Angelo. His heroine was too fine and
high, too closely welded to an absent but
ever present friend, to be seduced by his
worship.
Despairing at length of winning her
for his wife. he resolved to be philosophic
and adore her from afar. But at times
the old love and old ardor of his passion
would leap up like rebellion in his heart
and break down his strength One day.
when his agony OF soul seemed to have
reached climax no longer supportabie,
he fell on his knees and, like the Psalm.
list, cried out: Il cry to Thee. O my God
1t is thee ;lene whom l invoke against
my blind and VAN passion Ii was Their
he wrote, Was there ever such fate
TO give love, Worship devotion and tidel
lty for the iisiiainS of grief and con
.inual dcath?'
'St. Peter, Moses and The Last
Judgment show Michael Angeles gen.
JUS, but the sonnets he wrote To Nittofia
Golonna alone reveal his heart. A writer
Of that epoch describes her as being one
Of the most illustrious women of Italy
and Europe, chaste, beautiful, spirituelIe
+
and learned.
One day after she had come to Rome
to live she consented to pay the artist Il
visit in the little house he had built at
the foot of Mount Cavallo 1t was red
letter day for Michael Angelo, and no di-
yinity descended from heaven could have
been received with greater distinction.
After that visit a friendly degree of in
timacy was established. Their CONVERSE
ton was never allowed to rest upon any
topics less sublime than religion aud tile
high benevolence of life.
1t was atsthis time that the artist made
for and submitted 10 Vittoria the designs
for his Christ on the Gross, The Dead
Christ OH the Knees OF His Mother and
Jesus at the Well of the Samaritan
Woman" He sent them to her with a
sonnet. in which he spoke of her i'm
mense goodness his too feeble taleat
and his despair that his fragile end
perishable work would never eqral the
divine grace that she'd around her,
1t was quite natural that he should
wish TO paint her portrait, to make her
statue. 10 leasue 60 pesterity the bcauty
of the woman he worshiped Nothing
could be more touching than the some,
he addressed to her. in which he pleaded
for this privilege-.'so thar. in thousand
years after our departure from this