Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/326

314 spoke to Bandini, who desired to have something from his hand; and by means of the latter, Antonio received the offer of two hundred crowns in gold, on condition that he should prevail on Michelagnolo, to permit that Tiberio, aided by the models of the master, should complete the group for Bandini, by which means the labour already expended on it would cease to be lost.

Michelagnolo presented them with the broken marbles accordingly, and they instantly carried them away, when the parts were put together by Tiberio, certain portions, I know not what, being added: but the death of Bandino, of Michelagnolo, and of Tiberio himself, caused the work to remain unfinished after all. It is now in the possession of Pierantonio Bandini, son of Francesco, and may be seen at his Yilla of Montecavallo. But to return to Michelagnolo, it now became needful to find some other block of marble, that he might daily have opportunity for amusing himself with his chisel; he took a much smaller piece therefore, wherein he commenced another Pieta, but in a different manner.

Now the architect, Piero Ligorio, had entered the service of Pope Paul IV., and, busying himself with the fabric of San Pietro, he disturbed Michelagnolo anew, going about declaring that the latter had fallen into second childhood. This offeRded our artist exceedingly, he would fain have then returned to Florence, and was much pressed to do so by Giorgio; but feeling that he had become old, for he had then attained his eighty-first year, he excused himself to Vasari, to whom, writing in his ordinary manner, he sent several spirited sonnets, setting forth that the end of his days was nearly come, that he must now be careful to direct his thoughts to suitable objects, that his letters must prove him to be at his eleventh hour, and that no thought arose in his mind which did not bear the impress of approaching death.

He added in one of his letters, “God has willed that the burden of my fife must be endured for some time longer.

I know you will tell me that, being old, I am unwise to attempt the making of sonnets, but since they say I am in my dotage, I do but perform my proper office. I see well the love you bear me, and do you, on your part, know to a certainty that I would gladly rest my weak frame by the