Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/574

 538 Readings in European History The statue was finished in the clay model before Pope Julius left Bologna for Rome, and his Holiness went to see it, but, the right hand being raised in an attitude of much dignity, and the pontiff not knowing what was to be placed in the left, inquired whether he were anathematizing the peo- ple or giving them his benediction ; Michael Angelo replied that he was admonishing the Bolognese to behave them- selves discreetly, and asked his Holiness to decide whether it were not well to put a book in the left hand. " Put a sword into it," replied Pope Julius, "for of letters I know but little." The pontiff left a thousand crowns in the bank of Messer Antonmaria da Lignano for the purpose of com- pleting the figure, and after Michael Angelo had labored at it for sixteen months it was placed over the door of San Petronio. The work was eventually destroyed by the Bentivogli, 1 and the bronze was sold to the Duke Alfonzo of Ferrara, who made a piece of artillery, called the Julia, of the frag- ments ; the head only was preserved, and this is now in the Duke's Guardaroba. [The pope was very anxious to see the decoration of the Sistine Chapel completed, and constantly inquired when it would be finished.] On one occasion, therefore, Michael Angelo replied, " It will be finished when I shall have done all that I believe is required to satisfy Art." "And we com- mand," rejoined the pontiff, " that you satisfy our wish to have it done quickly," adding that if it were not at once completed, he would have Michael Angelo thrown headlong from the scaffolding. Hearing this, our artist, who feared the fury of the pope, and with good cause, without taking time to add what was wanting, took down the remainder of the scaffolding, to the great satisfaction of the whole city, on All Saints' day, when Pope Julius went into that chapel to sing mass. But Michael Angelo had much desired to 1 The chief family of Bologna, who practically ruled the town, although it was nominally a republic and lay within the papal domin-