The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-13
ANGELo's FIRST LOVE.
A Passion Vittoria CoIOnna Could
Not Reciprocntc.

From the Collector and Art Critic.
However sorrowful may have b,en the
loves OF poets, there is no sadder love
story on record than that OF Mcclellan
geo, no love-life fuller of despair, although
his great, rugged soul, his austcre 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 Nittor.a Co
lonna. She was a woman of high aud
loyal character of noble birth and crown
ed with the laurels of poesy She had
married, at H. Francois dAvalos, Mar
gus de Pescara, young and brilliant mii
iblry officer who died from the effects Of
wounds, leaving her a widow at that age
said TO be so dangerous in women--S3. She
had idolzed her husband, and her love
remained for him after his death as deep
and ardent as before. She felt that nav
ing been his wife once. she was his wife
| always, and nothing ever induced her for
one moment 10 swerve from her high fidel-
ity
After the death OF Francois dAvalos she
wrote a series of poems commemorative
or his heroic deeds. These fell into tho
hands of Mlchelange.o, and made such an
impression upon him that he wrote a let
ter 90 the author. fun of sympathy for
| her grief ana of admiration for her poems.
| She replied in g.owiug terms of admira-
| ton for his genius in art. This was the
| beginning of their mutual acquaintance,
| and OF his love. The correspondence con-
| tlnued, hut Nittoria constantly refused 10
allow him to visit her, and 1t 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'Arra-
| gon, The folles OF youth as well as its
| radiant horizon re over for both, If for
| the one they had ever existed. But in this
| love, born so late in life. the great aetist
| hoped for a joy and companiouship
| which would enrich and gladden. The down
| ward way. He was not a lovabe man in
the common sense of lovableness. He was
| awkward and cold in the presence of wo-
| men, and his tongue was not clever TO ex-
| press the great depth and tenderness of
| his soul His face had never recovered
| from the Disagreement produced by the
| blow given by lorrgiano. But love, beau
| tifyng ugliness and throwing charms over
| thousand defects. wrought no miracles
| for Micheldngelo. His heroine was too fine
and high, TOO closely welded to an absent
| but ever present friend, TO he seduced by
| his worship.
Despdiring at length of winning her for
| his wife, he resolved 10 be phllosophic and
| adore her from affair But at times the old
| love ana old ardor Of his passion worfd
! 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 supportable. he fell on
| his knees, and, like the Psalmist, cried
| out: Il cry to Thee, o my God II is Thee
alone whom | invoke against my blind
| and vain passion" II was then he wrote.
was there ever such a fate--to give dove,
worship, devotion and fidelity for the dis
! dams of grief and a continual deathw
st. Peter" Moses" and THE Last
! Judgment" show Mchelangelo's genius,
| but the sonnets he wrote to Vitoria Col
| onna alone reveal his heart. A writer Of
| that epoch describes her as being one Of
| the most ilustrious women of Italy and
| chaste, beautiful, sprltuelle and learned.
| one day AFTER she had come 10 Rome TO
live she consented to pay the artist a visit
IN the little house he had built at the foot
| of Mount Cavallo, II was a red-letter day
| for Michelangelo, and no divinity descend
ed from heaven could have been received
| with greater distinction. After that visit a
| friendly degree of intimacy was esta blish-
| ed Their conversation was never allowed
to rest upon any topic less sublime than
| religious art and the high benevoence of
life.
II was at this time that the artist made
| for and submitted TO Vittorla the designs
| for his Christ on the Cross" THE Dead
| Christ on the Knees OF His Mother and
| Jesus at the Well OF the Samaritan Wo-
man" He sent them to her with sonnet,
| in which he spoke of her immense good
ness his too feeble talent" and his de-
SPAR that his fragile and perishable
work would never equal the divine grace
| that shed around her"
1t was quite natural that he should wish
| to paint her portrait, to make her statue,
to league 10 Posterily the beauty of the
woman he worshipped Nothing could be
more touching than the sonnet he ad-
| dressed to her, In which he pleaded for this
| priviege-"so that, In a thousand years
| after our departure from this world one
may see how beautiful thou vert, how
much / loved thee, and that 1 was not mad
! in loving thee" How Victoria Colonna
| ever resisted such appeal Is difficult
| to understand. But she did. nevertheless,
| a nd devoted herself TO the asylum she had