Piero used to say,
boastingly, that he had two remarkable men in his establishment: one was
Michael Angelo, and the other a certain Spanish groom who, besides being
marvellously beautiful to look upon, was so nimble and strong and so
long-winded that, let Piero ride as fast as he could, he was not able to
pass the runner by a finger.
XIII. At this time, Michael Angelo, to please the Prior of Santo Spirito,
a church much venerated in Florence, carved a crucifix in wood, a little
under life size, which to this day may be seen over the high altar of that
church.(19) He had much familiar intercourse with the Prior, and received
many kindnesses from him, amongst others the use of a room and subjects to
enable him to study anatomy. Nothing could have given him more pleasure,
and this was the beginning of his study of the science of anatomy, which
he followed until fortune had made him a master of it.(20)
XIV. There was living in the house of Piero a certain man named Cardiere,
who had been very acceptable to the Magnifico, he improvised songs to the
lyre most marvellously; in fact, he made a profession of it, and practised
his art nearly every evening after supper. This man was friendly with
Michael Angelo and imparted to him a vision, which was this: That Lorenzo
de' Medici had appeared to him with nothing but a black cloak, all torn,
over his naked body, and had commanded him to speak to his son, and tell
him that shortly he would be hunted out of his house and never return to
it again.
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