Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/510

502 of Michelagnolo. In like manner Giuliano accompanied the Pope to Mirandola and when that place was taken he returned with Julius to Rome, after having endured much anxiety and many cares.

The raging desire to drive the French, out of Italy, not having yet got out of the head of Pope Julius, he made various attempts to wrest the government of Florence from the hands of Piero Soderini, seeing that the Gonfaloniere was no small impediment to his accomplishing what he had in his mind. By these projects the Pontiff was much diverted from his architectural undertakings. He was indeed almost entirely absorbed in his warlike affairs, and Giuliano, seeing, as he did, that no building received any attention, the church of San Pietro excepted, and even that obtained but very little; seeing all this, I say, Giuliano became weary, and determined on requesting his dismissal. But the Pope replied in great anger: “Do you think that there is no other Giuliano da San Gallo in the world besides yourself?” Whereunto Giuliano made answer to the effect that, for truth and faithful service never would he find another equal to himself, whereas it would be easy for him to find princes who would maintain their promises with more fidelity than the Pope had shown towards him. Julius would nevertheless not give him leave to go, but said that he would talk to him about it at some other time.

Bramante meanwhile having brought Paffaello da Urbino to Rome, set him to work on the paintings of the pontifical apartments, whereupon Giuliano, perceiving that those pictures gave the Pope much pleasure, and that he desired to have the ceiling of the chapel, built by his uncle Sixtus, also decorated with paintings, then spoke to his Holiness of Michelagnolo, reminding him that the latter had already executed the statue of bronze in Bologna, ^wherewith the Pontiff had been very much pleased. Michelagnolo was therefore summoned to Pome, and having arrived in that city, the ceiling of the chapel was confided to him accordingly. Some short time after these things, Giuliano again requested permission to depart, and his Holiness, seeing that