gave the rest of the Commissioners to understand, in the name of Michelagnolo, that a substitute was to be appointed; but instead of presenting Daniello, he put forward Nanni Bigio in his place: the latter was accordingly accepted and installed, nor had any long time elapsed before he caused a scaffolding to be raised from the Pope’s stables which are on the side of the hill, to the great apsis which looks towards that side, declaring that too many ropes were consumed in drawing up the materials, and that it would be better to raise them by means of his scaffolding.
Being made acquainted with this proceeding, Michelagnolo repaired to the Pope, whom he found on the Piazza of the Capitol; and speaking somewhat loudly. His Holiness made him enter a room, when the master exclaimed, “Holy Father! a man of whom I know nothing has been placed by the Commissioners in San Pietro as my substitute, but if they and your Holiness are persuaded that I can no longer fulfil my office, I will return to take my rest in Florence, where I shall be near that great Prince who has so often desired my presence, and can finish my life in my own house; wherefore I beg the good leave of your Holiness to depart.”[1] The Pope, whom that proposal did not please, sought to pacify the master with kind words, and bade him come to Araceli on the following day, to talk of the matter. Having there assembled the Commissioners, His Holiness inquired the cause of these things; and they, declaring that the building was in danger of being ruined by the errors * committed therein, which he knew was not the case, the Pope commanded Signor Gabrio[2] Scierbellone to examine the structure, and require Nanni, who had made these assertions, to show where the errors might be found.
The master being examined accordingly, and Signor Gabrio
- ↑ A singular observation of Michael Angelo in respect to his reasons for not returning to Florence, will be found in the well-known Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini, who relates that when he pressed Michael Angelo to return, on the part of Duke Cosimo, the master looked fixedly into his face, and with a meaning smile replied, “And you, Benvenuto, how do you like abiding with him?” “This smile and question,” remarks an Italian writer, “need no commentand if the reader will recall the fate of the hapless Sforza Almeni, mentioned in vol. iv. of the present work, p. 321, note ||, he will perhaps agree with our author’s compatriot, that no comment is required.
- ↑ Agabrio, as he is subsequently called.
